While metals like gold, silver and platinum capture our collective imagination when it comes to dreams of wealth and prosperity, there are quite a few humble minerals and metals that we cannot do without. Your spouse may not appreciate a ring made out of these substances the same way they would appreciate a diamond ring. Still, these chemicals are primarily responsible for our body's health and proper functioning. Each such mineral plays integral roles throughout the body's various processes, and even minor imbalances can disrupt the proper functioning of the human body.

Essential Minerals

Think of these minerals as activators of your body's enzymes, which are the critical components required for your body to carry out its functions. Potassium, sodium, calcium and magnesium are referred to as alkaline-ash minerals, which help support the nervous system, as well as electrolyte imbalances (as these elements are electrically charged and promote the conduction of electricity through our body�s natural bioelectric field). Alkaline minerals also help in achieving a proper balance between overactive and underactive functions of the body. Let us explore the specific functions of the components.

While we all are aware of calcium role as an enabler of healthy bones and teeth (as calcium forms a large part of our skeletal structure as well as our teeth), calcium helps our body perform other functions as well. Calcium can help keep cholesterol levels in check, functioning as a regulator. Calcium is also responsible for the regulation of blood pressure and plays a vital role in muscle contractions and blood clotting. Thus, calcium is extremely important for a healthy heart and a good cardiovascular system; this is largely in part due to its regulation of the osmotic pressure of your cells. The mineral is also a must-have during the course of a pregnancy.

Magnesium, much like calcium, helps our body�s skeletal structure, dental health, as well as our cardiovascular system. Additionally, it is an essential component of our renal systems, as it helps keep our kidneys healthy.

Potassium complements the functioning of magnesium and calcium, as well as operating as a regulator of our body�s bioelectric field. It helps regulate inter-nerve communication, as well as the growth of our muscle tissues. Potassium also plays a crucial role in balancing our body's water levels and ensuring that the kidney can operate adequately.

Sodium, a component of regular table salt, is also essential to our body�s regulation of its blood pressure as well as its blood volume.

These alkali-ash minerals play a vital role in the regulation of your body's essential functions and appear in a vast array of leafy green vegetables. Alkaline-ash minerals are acting as enablers of enzyme activity and are necessary in order to achieve excellent health and wellbeing. Alkaline water can serve as an excellent source to complement your intake of alkali ash minerals, as well as provide additional benefits to you. These minerals are largely transported throughout your cells via the water you consume. As alkaline water improves the water retention ability of your cells, it boosts the body's ability to absorb these nutrients sufficiently. Alkaline water can also neutralize the acidity that your body develops due to the stresses of modern life and diets. Furthermore, alkaline water has antioxidant properties and can replenish and nourish your body's cells.

Other important minerals include metals such as iron, zinc, molybdenum and manganese. Iron is essential for the creation of red blood cells in our blood, which are the primary transporters of oxygen throughout the body. Zinc helps with the functioning of the immune system, as well as the smooth operation of our livers. It is also an integral part of our body�s healing and cell division process.

Molybdenum helps our body activate enzymes which can break down toxins in the human body, reducing the presence of sulphites in our body. Manganese helps in the metabolic breakdown of essential amino acids, cholesterol as well as pesky carbohydrates.

Conclusion

Our body requires a vast array of vitamins and minerals to keep our sophisticated systems running and us alive. Minerals are essential for the development of a healthy skeletal system, an optimal circulatory system as well as mental wellbeing. While the article tries to give you a small insight into the minerals required by your body and for what reasons, to list each mineral and each reason would require a book. While a large amount of the above minerals is present in leafy greens such as kale, most people end up neglecting their intake of such food substances. For those people, it is advisable to find alternatives (such as alkaline water) to stabilize the absorption of these minerals.