Minerals

Just like vitamins, minerals help your body grow, develop, and stay healthy. The body uses minerals to perform many different functions — from building strong bones to transmitting nerve impulses. Some minerals are even used to make hormones or maintain a normal heartbeat.

The two kinds of minerals are: macrominerals and trace minerals. Macro means "large" in Greek (and your body needs larger amounts of macrominerals than trace minerals). The macromineral group is made up of calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, sodium, potassium, chloride, and sulfur.

A trace of something means that there is only a little of it. So even though your body needs trace minerals, it needs just a tiny bit of each one. Scientists aren't even sure how much of these minerals you need each day. Trace minerals includes iron, manganese, copper, iodine, zinc, cobalt, fluoride, and selenium.

Calcium is the top macromineral when it comes to your bones. This mineral helps build strong bones and it also helps build strong, healthy teeth. Such food are enriched with calcium: dairy products, such as milk, cheese, and yogurt, canned salmon and sardines with bones, leafy green vegetables, such as broccoli, calcium-fortified foods — from orange juice to cereals and crackers.

In conjunction with calcium you need adequate levels of phosphorus.These two minerals work hand-in-hand to make your bones and teeth stronger. Investigate fluoride, magnesium and other minerals as necessary to strong teeth.