Immediately it should be noted that the provision of human needs for certain minerals is very important for the operation of almost all organ systems. Along with proteins, fats and carbohydrates, mineral salts must necessarily be present in foodstuffs, from which we prepare meals. The chemical elements that make up the mineral compounds ensure the activity of digestive enzymes; promote the maintenance of nutrient oxidation at the proper level; participate in biochemical mechanisms, in which the energy necessary for us is released in the body.
All mineral substances can be divided into two groups: micro- and macro elements. The need for the human body in macro-elements (sodium, potassium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus refers to them) is milligrams or even grams per day. But the necessary amount of trace elements (copper, iodine, fluorine, zinc) in our daily nutrition is much less and can be only a few micrograms. However, despite the difference in hundreds of times between the daily requirement of the organism in micro- and macroelements, the importance in human nutrition and one and the other group of minerals is very great. With a shortage of both these and other mineral elements, various disturbances in the functioning of organ systems may occur. For example, if there is insufficient intake of such a macronutrient as iron in our organism, anemia develops, and in the absence of fluoride in the food, a person develops caries of teeth much more intensively.
How can you satisfy the body's need for minerals? Of course, daily calculation of the daily dose for each individual micro- or macronutrient taking into account its content in food is hardly possible - it will be painfully laborious this process. However, in such calculations there is no need at all, since to provide the body with mineral substances, it is quite enough simply to diversify our diet as much as possible and include products of plant origin. In winter, when crop production is not available to everyone due to the high price, you can purchase special medicines in the pharmacy, which are balanced complexes of minerals. These preparations contain many elements in optimal proportions with each other. Often, only one capsule provides a human need for virtually all basic minerals. Prices for such complexes of mineral elements vary considerably, but even people with low incomes can choose a quality product for themselves.
Thus, the importance of mineral substances in our diet for the normal maintenance of physiological processes is very great. It is especially important to take care of the presence of mineral elements in the diet when playing sports, since the need for these components of food in the nutrition components increases significantly.