“Let’s add minerals to our bodies”

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“Minerals” are nutrients that do not provide energy but are important for the body because they are components of important organs such as bones and teeth. ทางเข้า ufabet They play an important role in bodily processes such as hormone production, red blood cell production, water balance control, acid-base balance, muscle contraction, blood clotting, and the function of various enzymes in the body.

Types of minerals

Minerals are divide into two types as follows:

1. Major or large amounts of minerals (Macro Minerals) are minerals that the body needs in amounts of more than 100 milligrams per day, including calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, sodium, and potassium.

2. Micro Minerals or Trace Minerals  are minerals that the body needs in amounts less than 100 milligrams per day, including iron, iodine, zinc, selenium, fluoride, copper, manganese, molybdenum, and chromium.

What are the main minerals?

1. Calcium 

is the most abundant mineral in the body. It is responsible for building strength and maintaining the shape of bones. It is a nerve transmitter, and is involved in the contraction of blood vessels and muscles.

The amount of calcium that should be receive per day, referring to the amount of nutrients. That should be received per day for Thai people in 2020 (Thai DRI, 2020), is shown in Table 1.

Table 1. Daily recommended calcium intake in Thailand, classified by gender and age.

Foods that are sources of calcium include animal milk, calcium-fortified soy milk, yogurt, animals with bones, firm tofu, dark green vegetables, edamame, and black sesame.

2. Phosphorus

is a mineral that is a component of bones, cell walls, nucleic acids. Which are components of genetic material, and a component of Adenine Triphosphate (ATP), which is an energy source use in cells. Phosphorus is 85 percent in bones and 15 percent in other tissues. Therefore, phosphorus is a mineral that plays an important role in the body in terms of structure, including making bones and teeth strong, being a component of cell walls, being a component of chromosomes, playing a role in cell division, and in the function of cells and various organs. Phosphorus is a component of energy sources use in cells, is a mediator in the function of hormones, stimulates the function of proteins, enzymes, and also controls the balance of acidity and alkalinity in the body.

The amount of phosphorus that should be receive per day, referring to the amount of nutrients. That should be received per day for Thai people in 2020 (Thai DRI, 2020), is shown in Table 2.

Table 2. Daily phosphorus intake in Thailand, classified by gender and age.

Food is a source

Including milk and products, meat, egg yolks, soybeans and products.

3. Magnesium

is a mineral that plays an important role as a cofactor for many enzymes. It is therefore important for processes within cells and protein synthesis, controlling body temperature and muscle contraction. Magnesium is found in bones at 60 percent, 40 percent in various tissues and 1 percent outside the cells.