We all talk about vitamins and minerals and the importance of taking them, but do we really know what they are? Let alone, why we need them and how our body uses them. Having a basic understanding can help us to stay healthy and be motivated to eat a balanced diet.

Minerals are basic chemical substances. To qualify as a mineral the substance has to be naturally occurring and be solid rather than a liquid or gas. Rocks are minerals, so why does the human body need them?

Why Our Body Needs Minerals

Just as in rocks and other natural structures minerals are an important part of their infrastructure, their framework, so they are for humans too. 4% of our body mass is made up of minerals.

Perhaps the most obvious example is calcium, which we all know our bones and teeth need to stay strong. However, there are minerals that other parts of our body need to remain strong and intact. Without enough potassium your body's muscles cannot hold enough water to stay intact.

Which Minerals Do Our Bodies Use Most?

There are two kinds of minerals our bodies need. They are known as macrominerals and trace minerals. Calcium, sulphur, phosphorus, magnesium, sodium, potassium and chloride are the macrominerals our body need to function. Without adequate levels of them things really start to go wrong and serious diseases develop.

Without calcium our bones and teeth begin to crumble. Without enough potassium our nervous system begins to fail. Not enough zinc and your immune system is shot and your body loses the ability to heal itself. Even a lack of trace minerals leads to serious diseases.

A lack of iron means that less haemoglobin is formed in your blood. That means that less oxygen is carried around your body. You cannot live without the right balance of minerals in your body. A healthy and varied diet is critical if you want to maintain the correct levels. However, if mineral levels should drop below normal supplements are usually needed to bring levels back up to where they should be.

Vitamin Bee sells a wide range of minerals. They sell them as individual supplements as well as in combination form.