What Are the Properties of Minerals?

Minerals are naturally occurring compounds or natural elements in the earth's crust. Also called inorganic salt, it is a general term for inorganic substances in the human body. It is a collective term for various elements necessary to constitute human tissues and maintain normal physiological functions, and is one of the seven major nutrients necessary for the human body.

In addition to the various elements contained in the human body, except for carbon, oxygen, hydrogen, nitrogen, etc., which mainly exist in the form of organic matter, the remaining 60 kinds of elements are collectively referred to as minerals (also called inorganic salts). 25 of them are necessary for human nutrition. Calcium, magnesium, potassium, sodium, phosphorus, sulfur,

Although the total amount of minerals in the human body is less than 5% of body weight and cannot provide energy, they cannot be synthesized in the body, they must be supplied by the external environment, and they play an important role in the physiological function of human tissues. Minerals are important raw materials that make up body tissues, such as calcium, phosphorus, and magnesium are the main raw materials that make up bones and teeth. Minerals are also necessary to maintain the body's acid-base balance and normal osmotic pressure. Some special physiological substances in the human body, such as hemoglobin, thyroxine in the blood, etc.

1. The important constituents of body tissue: calcium, phosphorus, magnesium-bones, teeth. Lack of calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, manganese, and copper can cause bones or teeth to become weak.

2. Activator for multiple enzymes,

During the metabolism of the human body, various minerals are excreted from the body with a certain amount every day, such as dropping of feces, urine, sweat, hair, nails, skin and mucous membranes. Therefore, it must be supplemented through diet. Because some inorganic elements are in the body, the distance between the physiological effect dose band and the toxic dose band is relatively small. Therefore, excessive intake is not only harmful but harmful, especially the dosage should not be too large. According to the distribution and absorption of minerals in food and the characteristics of human needs, calcium, iron, and zinc are more likely to be lacking in our population. In special geographical environment or other special conditions, there may also be a problem of deficiency of iodine, selenium and other elements.

Minerals and enzymes combine to help metabolism. Enzymes are indispensable proteins in the process of new metabolism, and it is minerals that activate the enzymes. If the minerals are insufficient, the enzymes will not work properly and metabolic activity will stop.

Minerals cannot be synthesized in the body, they must pass through

1) Resting before food processing may directly lead to the loss of minerals: for example, fruits and vegetables are often peeled during processing, and some vegetables are also subjected to defoliation. Because the part near the skin, the outer leaves and all the green leaves are often the place where the plant has the most mineral content. These treatments may lead to the loss of the mineral-rich parts;

2) Exquisite grain processing: Like vitamins, minerals mainly exist in the outer layer of the grain, which will cause great losses during the fine grinding process;

3) Loss of dissolved water is an important reason for the loss of minerals during processing: the loss of sap from animal and plant tissues is a factor that causes loss of minerals. Treatments such as washing, foaming, and blanching also bring opportunities for loss. For example, kelp was originally a rich source of iodine. Due to the long period of soaking before cooking, large loss of iodine was caused. There is also a blanching treatment of vegetables, which causes a large amount of potassium to be dissolved in water and causes waste;

4) Improper cooking of food reduces the bioavailability of minerals: if food containing oxalic acid is cooked with foods rich in calcium without passing through water, it will cause calcium to be absorbed by the body.