Minerals are nutrients that exist in the body and in organic and inorganic combinations . There are approximately seventeen minerals that are necessary in human nutrition . Although only about four or five percent of the body weight is mineral matter, minerals are important to overall mental and physical health. All of the body's tissues and fluids contain some amount of mineral. Minerals are necessary for proper muscle function and many other biological reactions in the body.
Minerals are also important in the production of hormones.
Another important function of minerals is to maintain the delicate water balance of the body and to regulate the blood's pH. Physical and emotional stress causes a strain on the body's supply of minerals. A mineral deficiency often results in illness, which may be treated by the addition of the missing mineral to the diet. Calcium, a primary mineral, is available through dairy products. In order to get all the other minerals, one should eat protein rich foods, seeds, grains, nuts, greens, and limited amounts of salt or salty foods. Nutrition is just one aspect of total body health.