Minerals are necessary for life. The dictionary defines a mineral as an inorganic element that is essential to the nutrition of humans, animals and plants.
They are the constituents which remain as ash after the combustion of plant and animals tissues. If no ash is left the food contained no minerals.
The minerals required for human health are divided into three groups macro-minerals, which are essential to good health and are need in relatively large daily qualities daily intake more than 100mg/day; trace minerals, which are also essential but are required in only very small amounts daily intake less than 100 mg/day; and ultra-trace minerals, which are accepted as important to health, although they are less understood and are required in only very small quantities (daily intake less than 1 mg/day).
Macro-minerals are sodium, potassium, chlorine, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus and sulfur.
Among trace elements are iron, zinc, copper, and manganese.
Among ultra trace elements are cobalt, chromium, iodine, molybdenum and selenium.
Some important food sources of certain minerals are: dairy products and green leafy vegetables for calcium; nuts, soy beans and coca for magnesium; table salt, olives, milk and spinach of sodium; legumes, potato skin, tomatoes and bananas for potassium.
The importance of minerals as food ingredients depends not only on their nutritional and physiological roles. They contribute to food flavor and activate or inhibit enzymes- catalyzed and other reactions and they affect the texture of food.
Minerals in Food
