We explain why you need a mineral contribution.
They are necessary elements for the functioning of the body, so in this article we are going to delve into mineral salts and their function in our body. we start
What are mineral salts?
Before talking about the functions of mineral salts, it is important to remember what the structure of these elements is. When we speak of a salt, we refer to a molecule made up of atoms that are usually ionized , that is, with a certain electrical charge. These elements can dissociate when they are dissolved in water, due to the polar nature of this liquid, which separates the ions.
These substances can be found in our body, as in nature, both in precipitated form (ie solid) or in ionic form (ie dissolved). Most of the salts are made up of calcium, phosphorus or magnesium, the so-called macrominerals. Simply calcium already represents 2% of our total weight .
- It might interest you: “Salt from the Himalayas: 15 properties and benefits”
Sodium, chlorine, potassium, phosphorous and even nitrogenous salts are also abundant . Some of them are found freely in the blood, but others are associated with specific biomolecules, or also precipitated in solid structures, such as our bones.
Functions in the body
Mineral salts are necessary for life, each in its fair proportion. Among the functions that they perform, we will find that they are in charge of tasks as varied as :
- The maintenance of the correct osmotic pressure in various intra and extracellular media
- Buffering from sudden changes in pH
- Catalyzed bioreactions
- oxygen transport
- blood coagulation
- neuromuscular communication
- muscle contractile activity
Among other. The vital importance of mineral elements in our body is clear, both macroelements and trace elements (inorganic compounds of which we need very small amounts, such as manganese, iodine or copper).
That yes, within its functions does not include the generation of energy -although they can intervene indirectly in its production-. Mineral salts do not serve as sustenance, that is a role reserved for organic molecules such as lipids, proteins or carbohydrates.
- We recommend: “Epsom salts: 16 uses, properties and contraindications”
Macrominerals and trace elements
The most common atomic elements in living beings are carbon, oxygen, nitrogen and hydrogen , they are completely essential for the development of life and are needed in greater quantity, since they make up the majority of organic molecules. The rest of the elements are also necessary for the proper functioning of the body, but the amounts required are much smaller.
We can find macrominerals, such as calcium, magnesium or phosphorus , sodium, chlorine or potassium . All of them are also essential elements for life, but they represent a smaller fraction of our weight. It is possible to have deficiencies in some of these elements, which lead to serious diseases such as osteoporosis or cancer in the case of calcium, or hypertension and nervous problems in the case of magnesium.
Elements that are needed in smaller amounts are called trace elements . They are found in minute proportions within organisms, but are also required for organisms to function properly. Obtaining these trace elements is done mainly through food. Some of them, like cobalt (part of cobalamin, vitamin B12), cannot be directly assimilated by animals.
In fact, the bioavailability of many of the trace elements depends on organisms in the ecosystem that are responsible for degrading and recycling matter, such as fungi or bacteria. Bacteria are the only ones that are capable of metabolizing cobalt , which the rest of living beings take advantage of.
Other trace elements and mineral salts can be obtained directly from the environment, either dissolved in water or through geophagy practices. There are animals that eat dirt or lick salt deposits, with the apparent goal of maintaining their levels of mineral elements.
Types of mineral salts according to their state
We can find mineral salts in three forms in living organisms: In biomolecules, freely dissolved, or precipitated . In each of these states, the salts will occupy different tasks.
1. Precipitated salts
Precipitated salts are found in solid form , usually crystalline (that is, forming a mineral crystal), inside or outside living organisms. We find many examples of precipitated salts in nature, but some are more common than others.
We have on the one hand the silicates, molecules formed mainly by oxygen and silicon. Glass, for example, is made from silicates, such as silicon dioxide or quartz, but there are living beings that are also capable of generating it: Diatoms, microscopic algae that generate a small glass capsule.
We also find carbonates (such as calcium carbonate), which can be found in the exoskeleton of invertebrates, but are also found in solid structures of vertebrates, usually associated with organic polymers such as collagen or chitin , which have “scaffolding” functions. “for the deposit of minerals.
2. Dissolved salts
Within the dissolved salts we also find molecules such as phosphorus or calcium , mainly in precipitated form within our body, which also have a wide variety of functions at the metabolic level, such as those described above (Coagulation, pH control, biocatalysis …).
Osmotic pressure plays a fundamental role in many physical processes, and new osmotic potentials are often obtained from the manipulation of ions, such as sodium or calcium, to achieve different effects in cells, such as muscle contraction. .
3. Sales associated with biomolecules
Oxygen transport and countless other cellular functions use salts in one way or another. One of the most important functions of salts associated with biomolecules is at the structural level, where we will find, for example, phospholipids and phosphoproteins, key pieces at the metabolic and structural level in our body.
Iron ions, for example, can be found associated with a protein, hemoglobin , responsible for transporting oxygen in the body. This protein is found inside red blood cells, and it is the iron atom it contains that is capable of binding with oxygen molecules.
Bibliographic references
- National Research Council (US) Committee on Diet and Health. Diet and Health: Implications for Reducing Chronic Disease Risk. Washington (DC): National Academies Press (US); 1989. 13, Minerals & 14, Trace Elements.
- Katz A, e. (1999). Effect of a mineral salt diet on 24-h blood pressure monitoring in elderly hypertensive patients.
- Zuliani U, e. (1985). [Mineral salts and water in the diet of the athlete].
To the classic question “what do you do?” I always answer “basically I am a psychologist”. In fact, my academic training has revolved around the psychology of development, education and community, a field of study influenced my volunteer activities, as well as my first work experiences in personal services.