Since we can remember, we’ve all been told to eat our fruits and vegetables.
Thinking back, this probably was one of the best and meaningful sources of advice that our loved ones said to us, ingraining in us that some of the most important foods to fuel our body are packed with the most crucial vitamins and minerals needed to stay healthy.
As it turns out, many of us have still been struggling to finish the leafy greens on our plate. But it goes further than that.
Vitamins and minerals can be found in many naturally sourced foods, including meat and dairy products.
While it may seem easy to get all your necessary vitamins and minerals, it’s harder than we may have ever imagined.
The average American intakes 60% of their daily calories from ultra-processed foods, which lack in the vitamin and mineral department.
Even if you’re someone who does ensure to include a variety of fruits and vegetables into their daily diet, a lot of the produce that we pick up from the grocery store is starting to show decreasing levels of important nutrients for our body.
According to the CDC, an estimated half of all children worldwide suffer from at least one or more micronutrient deficiency, affecting over two billion people.
This sounds very questionable right? How can we do everything right, eat the right foods, and yet still show signs of mineral deficiencies?
Let’s take a look at some of the main reasons why we have them, the most important minerals for our body, and the foods that we can welcome more into our diet to boost our body.
Soil Depletion Of Nutrients
Even if you’re someone who eats plenty of natural foods like fruits, vegetables, and nuts, you may not be getting all the recommended doses of vitamins and minerals.
Does this make you raise an eyebrow? Yeah, it should.
One of the main reasons why so many people have a mineral deficiency is due to the constant depletion of nutrients in our soils.
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Food gets its nutrients from the sun, atmosphere, and the soil that it’s grown in.
Since the mid-1900s, much of the world’s agricultural practices use methods of monocropping, or a form of planting and growing one type of plant or herb over and over again in the same field.
While monocropping allowed world leaders to help combat the ever-increasing demand for food, it has completely turned much of our world’s soils into nutrient-less dirt deposits without microorganisms, which are needed to continue to produce healthy and nutrient-rich crops.
Not only are the nutrients getting depleted out of the soil we grow our food in, but they are instead getting pumped with cancer-causing chemicals and pesticides to increase crop yields.
Again, while producing more yield from a single crop planting season looks good on paper, we’re left with fruits and vegetables that contain little to no necessary vitamins and minerals to fuel our bodies with and contain glyphosate (weed killer) and other GMOs.
According to the Food Revolution Network, the two billion people who are affected by micronutrient deficiencies is caused by consuming a diet of nutrient-deficient crops.
Healthy soils lead to healthy plants, healthy humans, and a healthy environment and overall climate.
This is why the education and need to integrate regenerative farming practices and ethical sourcing of our food is becoming more important than ever.
Why Diet Is Important
Mineral deficiencies can also be caused by what you do and do not eat.
The saying, “you are what you eat” is definitely true and can dictate your body’s mineral levels and digestion health.
Practicing vegetarians or vegans may find themselves more affected by mineral deficiencies due to a limited diet.
The same rings true for people who suffer from specific allergies, forcing them to stray away from certain foods that could trigger an allergic reaction.
For example, someone who may be allergic to seafood and shellfish could be more prone to an iron deficiency, since seafood is high in iron.
It’s cliché to say or even think about, but think about your food palette as a rainbow. If you’re incorporating an array of plant-based foods – like organic fruits and vegetables – along with locally-sourced meats, seafood, and whole grains, then you’re on the right track!
Important Minerals For Your Body
Plainly put, minerals are naturally occurring chemical compounds found throughout nature.
They live among the Earth’s ecosystems and are responsible for helping your body maintain equilibrium levels of all bodily functions by assisting the enzymes, proteins, and cells to function at full capacity.
But how do you know which minerals are crucial for your body’s optimal health and wellness?
According to Chris Kresser, co-founder of the California Center For Functional Medicine, the body needs 40 micronutrients in order to properly function.
While this may seem overwhelming, a select few are considered major if there are greater than five grams present in the human body.
The rest are considered “trance minerals,” and while they are still very important, the big “five” are where you should focus your energy towards and incorporate into your daily diet.
Magnesium
Magnesium could be considered one of the most important minerals for your body.
On average, the human body contains 25 grams of magnesium, with 90% of it located in the bones and muscles.
Magnesium is responsible for over 300 functions and reactions throughout the human body, including making proteins, optimizing muscle function, and keeping a steady heartbeat.
It also assists in the overall absorption of other minerals, making it crucial for proper hydration.
It was also the first medically acknowledged substance to treat depression in the 1920s since it is directly linked to the body’s facilitation of hormone balance and mood regulation.
A magnesium deficiency could lead to a variety of symptoms and health-related problems, including poor sleep, restlessness, heart palpitations, muscle cramps, headaches, fatigue, depression, and more.
To increase and maintain your magnesium intake, make sure to eat green leafy vegetables (spinach is amazing), pumpkin and squash seeds, lima beans, brown rice, avocado, peanut butter, and our personal favorite, dark chocolate.
Potassium
Believe it or not, nearly 100% of Americans aren’t getting enough potassium.
Which isn’t good to hear, considering potassium is an essential mineral that is found in every cell of the human body.
It’s also an electrolyte, which is crucial in helping your body maintain hydration and blood pressure.
Because of this, it’s directly related to overall muscle and nerve function while also bringing oxygen to the brain.
Signs of a potassium deficiency include muscle soreness, cramps, and spasms, heart palpitations, dizziness, fainting, abdominal bloating, fatigue, and more.
You may have heard that bananas are high in potassium, and it’s true! Bananas, sweet potatoes, mushrooms, avocados, mangoes, raisins, and potatoes are all great foods to incorporate into your diet to help maintain healthy levels of potassium.
Calcium
As the most abundant mineral found in the human body, it’s very important to maintain healthy levels of calcium intake for optimal body performance.
Mostly found in the teeth and bones, calcium makes up 2% of our body weight. But calcium does so much more than help our bones stay strong.
Calcium directly works alongside your heart by making sure your heart maintains a steady contraction and heartbeat.
Additionally, calcium helps control the acid-alkaline balance of blood, assists in blood clotting and the creation of some hormones.
The tricky thing about ensuring you’re intaking enough calcium is vitamin D directly relates to it.
You need to have enough vitamin D in your body in order to absorb calcium.
A deficiency in calcium can lead to a plethora of health-related symptoms and issues, including poor dental health, arthritis, muscle and bone pain, brittle nails, osteopenia and osteoporosis, kidney stones, high blood pressure, and more.
Dairy is a great and easy way to maintain calcium levels in the body.
Cheese, yogurt, whole milk, soy milk, as well as chia seeds, almonds, whey protein, figs, tofu, and leafy greens are all great food options for calcium intake.
Iron
Iron is the most common mineral deficiency linked in humans, with as many as 33% of people across the globe suffering from unhealthy low levels.
On the other side of the spectrum, iron makes up 5% of the Earth’s crust, so there’s an abundance to be had.
Iron is directly linked to your blood and circulatory system, helping to create red blood cells which then carry oxygen throughout your body.
Iron comes in two different forms: heme iron and non-heme iron. Heme iron originates from animal sources, while non-heme iron comes from plant sources.
While the body needs a balance of both kinds to function properly, up to 30% of heme-iron is absorbed by the body while only a mere 10% of non-heme iron is absorbed.
Anyone with low iron levels is considered anemic, where the body is unable to produce a sufficient amount of red blood cells.
This can cause overall tiredness and fatigue, fainting, pale complexion, weakness, weakened immune system, shortness of breath, and a noticeable heartbeat throughout the body.
Iron is found in all meat (heme-iron), including beef, turkey, chicken, and lamb.
Leafy green vegetables (non-heme iron), split-peas, raisins, beans, and dried fruits are also good iron-boosting foods for the body.
Iodine
Similar to its iron counterpart, nearly 33% of the world’s population is deficient in iodine.
So what does what does iodide do for the body? Iodine is a critical mineral needed to help produce the hormones in the thyroid, directly linked to the body’s metabolism.
Thyroid problems affect 12% of the U.S. population, with women being the most affected.
A deficiency in iodine can show up as a swelling on the neck surrounding the thyroid gland, as well as direct symptoms of tiredness, low body temperature, and unregulated and quickened weight gain.
Additionally, lowered levels of iodine is directly linked to a reduced IQ in adults and slow cognitive growth among children.
Seaweed is an amazing source of iodine. In fact, people living in Japan on average have higher levels of iodine than the rest of the world due to incorporating seaweed as part of their diet on a regular basis.
Cranberries, strawberries, Himalayan and iodized salt, tuna, shrimp, and eggs are more great options to ensure you’re getting proper levels of iodine.
Like all things, make sure you eat and maintain your mineral levels all in moderation.
Too much can also be bad for you and lead to another set of health problems. While incorporating an array of food in your diet can help alleviate many common mineral deficiencies, you can also balance out your mineral levels with natural tinctures and supplements.
We personally love our selection of health-conscious tinctures and vitamins and minerals to get your body back on track and fueled with the necessary nutrients to maintain optimal health and wellness.
