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| Vital Minerals |
| Like vitamins, minerals are vital to keeping energy flowing through our bodies. They are found in enzymes and hormones, and are used to break down carbohydrates and fats. There are over three dozen known minerals, but only nineteen are known to be essential for our health. Most of these are needed only in trace amounts, but they're needed nonetheless. Below are some of the most common minerals, why you need them, and the best places to find them. |
| Calcium |
| What it does: forms and maintains strong bones and teeth; maintains heart and other muscle function; aids in blood clotting; maintains cell membranes; helps conduct nerve impulses to and from the brain. |
| What it may do: retard osteoporosis (bone loss). Some studies show that insufficient calcium intake in adolescence can lead to bone loss in later life; others indicate that older women can stave off osteoporosis by consuming a high-calcium diet. Calcium may also lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels, helping prevent heart attack and stroke. Preliminary research indicates it may also help prevent colon and other cancers. Milk and other calcium-rich foods are an old folk remedy for PMS; preliminary studies indicate that a high-calcium diet may reduce PMS symptoms such as headache, irritability, and depression. |
| RDA: for adults up to age twenty-five, 1,200 milligrams; for adults over twenty-five, 800 milligrams. |
| Where to find it: milk, yogurt, tofu, canned salmon and sardines (with bones), leafy green |
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