EFFECT OF MINERAL AND VITAMINS IN THE BODY !

Mineral deficiency is a lack of the dietary minerals, the micronutrients that are needed for an organism's proper health. The cause may be a poor diet, impaired uptake of the minerals that are consumed, or a dysfunction in the organism's use of the mineral after it is absorbed.

Minerals are those elements on the earth and in foods that our bodies need to develop and function normally. Those essential for health include calcium, phosphorus, potassium, sodium, chloride, magnesium, iron, zinc, iodine, chromium, copper, fluoride, molybdenum, manganese, and selenium.

In the context of nutrition, a mineral is a chemical element. Some "minerals" are essential for life, most are not. Minerals are one of the four groups of essential nutrients, the others of which are vitamins, essential fatty acids, and essential amino acids. Wikipedia

Minerals

Minerals include calcium and iron amongst many others and are found in:

1. meat
2. cereals
3. fish
4. milk and dairy foods
5. fruit and vegetables
6. nuts

Minerals are necessary for 3 main reasons:

• building strong bones and teeth
• controlling body fluids inside and outside cells
• turning the food you eat into energy

MINERAL DEFICIENCY

Mineral deficiencies negatively affect billions of individuals worldwide, imposing a heavy burden on well-being and economic productivity. Most prominently, deficiencies in iron, zinc, and iodine have the largest negative impact on public health; however, other minerals, including calcium, magnesium, selenium, and fluorine, contribute significantly to the health burden. And the mineral lead (Pb) is an important environmental contaminant affecting brain development. Although the causes of mineral malnutrition are complex, the primary determinant is insufficient dietary intake. 

Efforts aimed at fortifying foods or providing supplements have had some success, but substantial efforts are still needed for effective programming at scale. Mutually reinforcing strategies may increase access and consumption, as most deficiencies do not occur in isolation; measures for prevention and control will need to rely on dietary diversification, as well as education to promote optimum dietary intakes.

Eight elements account for most of the key components of minerals, due to their abundance in the crust. These eight elements, summing to over 98% of the crust by weight, are, in order of decreasing abundance: oxygen, silicon, aluminium, iron, magnesium, calcium, sodium and potassium.