Dietary Minerals

Dietary minerals

Dietary minerals are as important to the body as vitamins; indeed, they can perform their functions only in association with vitamins (and vice-versa). When the diet is deficient in essential minerals the body cannot make use of the vitamins in foods, no matter how much of them it gets, and consequently it suffers a vitamin shortage as well as a mineral one.

There are about twenty mineral substances in the human body, of which nine are essential for vital bodily processes. As far as diet is concerned, four of these nine minerals are of great importance, and, by making provision in the daily diet for the ample supply of these four by eating foods grown in naturally fertilized soil, no serious deficiency of the others is likely to arise. The chief function of minerals is to keep the blood in an alkaline condition, although, as already stated, they also take part in vital bodily processes in close association with vitamins. The four important dietary minerals are calcium (see calcium source), phosphorus, iron, and iodine. (see Mineral Content)

Phosphorus

The body requires at least one and a half grams daily for much the same reasons as it requires one gram of calcium. (The two minerals work closely together.)

Foods richest in phosphorus are wheatgerm, milk, cheese, egg-yolk, walnuts, liver, sardines, herrings, halibut, tongue, brains, sweetbreads, brewer’s yeast, sprouts, and runner beans.

It is an essential part of all the millions of cells of which the body is composed. Make sure of getting your daily supply by eating wholewheat bread from wholewheat flour from which the germ has not bee extracted, and a new-laid egg. This also supplies vitamin D (provided the hen that laid it lives in the open air, exposed to light – not in a battery).

Iron

Foods rich in iron are liver, egg-yolk, soya beans, lentils, wholewheat, black treacle, molasses, dates, raisins and grapes. Prunes, spinach and oatmeal are also rich in iron but should be eaten sparingly as, to some extent, they inhibit the absorption of calcium from other foods.

An adult requires at least 12 milligrams of iron daily. Adolescents require 15 milligrams (see list of foods rich in iron nd their comparative values in Mineral Content of everyday foods. Use it to check your iron intake)

The average daily diet in this country contains 5-10 milligrams of iron. It is apparent, therefore, that the average diet does not contain enough of the iron-rich foods to provide a sufficient amount of this most important mineral. Make sure of getting enough by taking one or two teaspoonsful of black molasses or black treacle in a glass of hot milk at bedtime, and by eating wholewheat bread. As with calcium, during pregnancy and adolescence the body requires even more than 12 milligrams a day.

To be able to absorb iron, the body must get an adequate supply of vitamin C, also traces of copper, from the diet. Water from a copper-bottomed kettle will supply the traces of copper.

Iodine

This is a trace element which stimulates glandular secretions. It is found in many vegetables, especially onions, cabbages, and celery. As with other minerals, it may be lost in the cooking-water, so the water in which vegetables are cooked should never be thrown away but should either be drunk or used as a basis for soup or sauce. Dairy produce also contains iodine, but by far the richest source is anything that comes out of the sea, i.e., sea-fish, fish-liver oils, kelp (powdered seaweed) and Irish Moss (a sort of sea-plant). Powdered Irish Moss (Gelozone) should replace gelatine for making jellies. It is far more nutritions than gelatine, and very rich in iodine. It can also be used medicinally, for bronchial troubles, in the form of Irish Moss Zubes.

Iodine is a constituent of the thyroid gland whose activity is essential to the oxidation processes of the body. Iodine speeds up these processes, rather as bellows make the fire burn more brightly. Only a thousandth part of a milligram is needed by the body daily, but this minute quantity is essential, so make sure of getting it by using sea-salt or kelp (or both) in an on your food, instead of ordinary table-salt, which, like many other things nowadays, is chemically treated to make it smooth and white.

If you get symptoms of iodine-deficiency such as lack of energy and endurance, nervous tension, an inability to think clearly, or if you find you are an easy prey to germs going around, take (in addition to sea-salt or kelp with your food) one drop of medicinal iodine (it is called Lugol’s Solution) in a little milk, about half an hour before a meal twice a week, say on Tuesdays and Fridays.