MINERAL INFORMATION
What is sodium?
Sodium is a mineral that is
found naturally in foods and is the major part of table salt. The mineral is
a vital component of all bodily fluids, including blood and sweat. Often
working in combination with other minerals such as potassium, sodium helps
to manage the distribution and pH balance of these fluids inside the body
and plays an important role in blood pressure regulation. Sodium is referred
to as an electrolyte because it possesses a mild electrical charge when
dissolved in bodily fluids. Due to this charge, sufficient amounts of the
mineral are necessary for the normal functioning of nerve transmissions and
muscle contractions. Sodium also helps the body to retain water and prevent
dehydration, and may have some activity as an antibacterial. More sodium may
also be needed by those who experience severe dehydration or by people who
take diuretic drugs.
What is potassium?
Potassium is one of the
electrolytes essential to the smooth running of the human body; in fact just
about all bodily functions depend on it to some extent. It is also one of
the most abundant minerals in the body, constituting 70% of the positive
ions inside cells; the rest are a mixture of sodium, magnesium, calcium,
arginine, and others. Potassium is distributed to the cells by a process of
passive diffusion and is regulated by an enzyme called
adenosinetriphosphatase together with the level of sodium concentration
inside the cell. Potassium and sodium are antagonistic, which means that an
imbalance of one will automatically cause an imbalance of the other;
normally potassium should predominate inside the cell. Potassium deficiency
will increase acid levels in the body, lowering the natural pH, which will
have far reaching effects. Lack of potassium can also aggravate problems
caused by lack of protein. If potassium levels are down, the liver cannot
operate normally, particularly regarding transformation of glucose to
glycogen. A healthy liver should have about twice as much potassium as
sodium.
What is magnesium?
Magnesium is an element (Mg)
with an atomic weight of 24.312 and the atomic number 12. In its elemental
form, magnesium is a light, silver-white metal. It is a cation, which means
that its ion has a positive charge. Of the cations in the human body,
magnesium is the fourth-most abundant. Ninety-nine percent of the body's
magnesium is contained within its cells: about 60% in the bones, 20% in the
muscles, 19%-20% in the soft tissue, and 1% circulates in the blood.
Important to both nutrition and medicine, magnesium, like calcium and
phosphorus, is considered a major mineral.
Magnesium is an important
element in the body because it activates or is involved in many basic
processes or functions, including:
-
cofactor for over 300
enzymes
-
oxidation of fatty acids
-
activation of amino acids
-
synthesis and breakdown of
DNA
-
neurotransmission
-
immune function
-
interactions with other
nutrients, including potassium, vitamin B6, and boron
