Just like vitamins, minerals help your body grow, develop, and stay healthy.

The
body uses
minerals to perform many different functions
from building strong bones to trans
mitting
nerve impulses. Some minerals are even used to make hormones or maintain a norma
l
heartbeat.
Function-Minerals such as calcium, zinc and potassium are needed by the body for
a number of
processes such as breaking down, digesting and releasing energy from food, stren
gthening
bones, nails and teeth and regulating fluid and cholesterol in the body. There a
re 16 essential
minerals required by the body, which are divided into macrominerals, or minerals
that are
needed in fairly large quantities, microminerals, which are needed in smaller qu
antities and
trace elements, which are needed in minute quantities but which are still vital
for the body's
well-being.
The benefits of some minerals cannot be seen without the presence of certain min
erals and
vice versa, for example, vitamin D is required in order to absorb calcium and wh
en foods
containing vitamin C are consumed, iron is absorbed more efficiently