The Role of Vitamins and Minerals ~Nutritionist's Column Vol.21 (Part 2: About Minerals)

Following on from the vitamins that regulate the body in the first part, this time we will talk about minerals.
The Role of Vitamins and Minerals ~Nutritionist's Column Vol.21 (Part 1: About Vitamins)

■What are minerals?
Minerals that regulate internal functions are present in small amounts, but are essential for maintaining and regulating bodily functions.
There are 16 types of minerals that the body needs.
It has a wide range of functions, including building bones and teeth, regulating bodily fluids, maintaining nerve and muscle function, and being a component of hormones.

Sodium: Maintains constant osmotic pressure inside and outside the cell. Also involved in muscle contraction and relaxation.
It is an essential mineral for maintaining vital activities and helps keep muscles and nerves healthy.
Be careful not to consume too much, as it can cause high blood pressure.
Although you do not normally have a sodium deficiency, when you work in a hot and humid environment or when you sweat a lot while playing sports, you lose a lot of sodium, which can cause lethargy and fatigue.

Potassium: Together with sodium, it regulates the body's fluid balance.
Sodium and potassium help regulate fluid balance, keeping intracellular fluids and osmotic pressure equal.
If this balance is disturbed it can cause swelling.
The key to maintaining fluid balance and eliminating or improving swelling is to consume potassium.
It also helps to excrete excess sodium.

Calcium: A mineral essential for the formation of healthy teeth and bones.
It is the most abundant mineral in the body, and 99% of it is stored in the bones and teeth.
Since it cannot be produced in the body, if there is a deficiency, it is replenished from bone and tooth stores.
Therefore, lack of calcium can lead to weak bones and osteoporosis.
It also plays a role in maintaining normal nerve transmission and maintaining normal muscle contraction.

Magnesium: Supports metabolism of the three major nutrients. Essential for bone and tooth formation.
A mineral essential for skeletal formation and the body's physiological functions.
It activates enzymes and is involved in energy production and protein synthesis.
It also contributes to the synthesis of melatonin, which promotes restful sleep, and helps the brain function normally.

Phosphorus: Combines with calcium to form bones and teeth.
It is one of the minerals that make up the body and is found in all tissues, including muscles, nerves, brain, and liver.
When combined with calcium it becomes calcium phosphate, which is the main building block for bones and teeth.
It also binds with vitamin B1 and vitamin B2 in the body to become a coenzyme, promoting carbohydrate metabolism.

Chlorine: Helps with sterilization and digestion.
In the body, it is found in large amounts in gastric juice and exists mainly in the form of chloride ions.
Chlorine itself has bactericidal properties, and when it dissolves in water it produces hypochlorous acid, which has strong bactericidal properties.
It is also involved in the function of digestive enzymes other than pepsin in gastric acid and pancreatic juice, and plays an important role in digestion.

Sulfur: A component of vitamin B1 and pantothenic acid. Helps maintain healthy skin and hair.
It is contained in the amino acid cystine and exists in the body bound to proteins and amino acids.
It combines with vitamin B1 and pantothenic acid to become a coenzyme and plays a role in the metabolism of carbohydrates and lipids.
It is also an important ingredient for healthy hair, skin, and nails.

Iron: Measures against anemia A mineral that is the raw material for hemoglobin in red blood cells, which carries oxygen.
It is a component of red blood cells and carries oxygen to cells and tissues throughout the body.
There is non-heme iron from plants, found in vegetables, and heme iron from animals, found in meat.
Iron is easily deficient as its absorption rate in the body is very low at around 8% on average. In particular, iron absorption rate from plant-based sources is lower than that from animal-based sources, so taking it in combination with vitamin C and protein will increase absorption rate.
It carries oxygen to the cells in the body, and if you don't have enough of it, you may feel anemic and fatigued.

Zinc: Helps activate metabolism, maintain sense of taste, and improve immunity.
An essential mineral as a component of enzymes that play a role in metabolic processes necessary for human activity.
It is a component that produces many types of enzymes involved in reactions necessary for metabolism, and plays an important role in maintaining immunity.
It is also a mineral necessary for maintaining normal taste.
Taking it with Vitamin C increases absorption.

Copper: Increases iron utilization in the body and supports red blood cell formation.
It is a mineral that helps form red blood cells, promotes the normal functioning of many enzymes in the body, and aids in bone formation.
Copper is involved in the metabolism that converts iron into something that can be used in the body, and is effective in preventing anemia.
It is distributed in various organs in the body and is also a component of enzymes.

Manganese: Involved in bone formation and metabolism. A component of the antioxidant SOD.
A mineral necessary for activating enzyme activity in bones and the liver.
It is also an essential component of enzymes that have antioxidant properties.
It also plays a role in converting unnecessary nitrogen from the body into urea and excreting it.
Deficiency can lead to poor bone development and reduced fertility.

Iodine: Supports metabolism and promotes healthy skin.
It is an essential mineral and is also known as iodine.
In the human body, it is found in large amounts in the thyroid gland.
It functions as a major component of hormones secreted by the thyroid gland, an organ that secretes various hormones necessary for maintaining metabolism.
It acts on the sympathetic nervous system to regulate basal metabolism, promote the metabolism of the three major nutrients, and stimulate growth and nervous activity.

Selenium: A mineral with high antioxidant power. It suppresses the generation of active oxygen and prevents cell aging.
It protects the body from free radicals that cause internal rust, and keeps you youthful from the inside out.
The effects are even greater when taken together with vitamin E, which has a strong antioxidant effect.

Chromium: Supports glucose metabolism, lipid metabolism, and insulin function.
It is deeply involved in all metabolisms that occur in the body, including cholesterol metabolism, connective tissue metabolism, and protein metabolism.
It also helps insulin function, stabilizes blood sugar levels, and is expected to be effective in improving dieting and diabetes.

Cobalt: A component of vitamin B12. Prevents pernicious anemia and stabilizes nerve function.
Vitamin B12 contains cobalt at the heart of its structure.
As a component of vitamin B12, it helps prevent pernicious anemia and normalize nerve function.

Molybdenum: Supports sugar and lipid metabolism. Promotes the production of uric acid.
It is one of the minerals involved in metabolism and is found in the liver and kidneys.
It promotes the production of uric acid, the final waste product created when various substances produced during the metabolic process are broken down and excreted from the body.

From the above, we can see once again that each of the 16 minerals has a role to play in maintaining the health of the human body, from organs, skin, bones, teeth, hair and blood.

Even if you think you are getting enough vitamins and minerals from your diet, you may actually be lacking in them.
It's especially important to be conscious of this when you're busy and can't find time to eat.
In those cases, it may be necessary to supplement your diet with other nutrients.
By becoming more conscious of the vitamins and minerals that support us, we can take better care of our body and mind and make our daily lives more fulfilling and wonderful.

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Nutritionist, Food Education Instructor, Food 6th Industrialization Producer Level 4
Ayako Ishihara

A nutritional advisor in the healthcare field and an agribusiness professional.
She is involved in a variety of activities specializing in the fields of beauty and health, including giving lectures to Miss World Japan candidates.

With the philosophy of "enriching the mind and body through food and realizing a vibrant society where people and communities are connected," he founded i-Field Co., Ltd. in 2013 and serves as its representative.
He is a core member of the food team for "DINING OUT," which opens outdoor restaurants in various regions, and also participates in fashion brand projects.
She is also involved in the promotion of local ingredients, product development and production specializing in "health" and "beauty," branding, concept design, food hygiene, sales promotion, training planning and management, etc. She is in charge of nutritional supervision for GRØN's product development, proposing ways to incorporate them more effectively into consumer health.

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