Minerals help our bodies develop and function. They are essential for good health. Knowing about different minerals and what they do can help you to make sure you get enough of the minerals that you need...
National Institutes of Health, Office of Dietary Supplements Calcium Calcium is a mineral found in many foods. Almost all calcium is stored in bones and teeth to help make and keep them strong. Your body needs calcium to help muscles and blood vessels contract and expand, and to s...
National Institutes of Health, Office of Dietary Supplements Daily Value (DV) The Daily Value (DV) tells you what percentage of a nutrient one serving of that food or supplement provides compared to the recommended amount. Source:...
National Institutes of Health, Office of Dietary Supplements Dietary Supplements A dietary supplement is a product you take to supplement your diet. It contains one or more dietary ingredients (including vitamins; minerals; herbs or other botanicals; amino acids; and other su...
National Institutes of Health, Office of Dietary Supplements Electrolytes Electrolytes are minerals in body fluids. They include sodium, potassium, magnesium, and chloride. When you are dehydrated, your body does not have enough fluid and electrolytes...
NIH MedlinePlus Iodine Iodine is a mineral found in some foods. Your body needs iodine to make thyroid hormones. These hormones control your body’s metabolism and other functions...
National Institutes of Health, Office of Dietary Supplements Iron Iron is a mineral. It is also added to some food products and is available as a dietary supplement. Iron is a part of hemoglobin, a protein that transports oxygen from the lungs to the tissues...
National Institutes of Health, Office of Dietary Supplements Magnesium Magnesium is a mineral naturally present in many foods, and is added to other food products. It is also available as a dietary supplement and present in some medicines. It helps your body regulate muscle and...
National Institutes of Health, Office of Dietary Supplements Minerals Minerals are those elements on the earth and in foods that our bodies need to develop and function normally. Those essential for health include calcium, phosphorus, potassium, sodium, chloride, magnesium, iron, zin...
National Institutes of Health, Office of Dietary Supplements Multivitamin/Mineral Supplements Multivitamin/mineral supplements contain a combination of vitamins and minerals. They sometimes have other ingredients, such as herbs. They are also called multis, multiples, or simply vitam...
National Institutes of Health, Office of Dietary Supplements Phosphorus Phosphorus is a mineral that helps keep your bones healthy. It also helps keep blood vessels and muscles working. Phosphorus is found naturally in foods rich in protein, such as meat, poultry, fish, nuts, bean...
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases Potassium Potassium is a mineral that your cells, nerves, and muscles need to function properly. It helps your body regulate your blood pressure, heart rhythm and the water content in cells. It also helps with digestion...
NIH MedlinePlus Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) is the amount of a nutrient you should get each day. There are different RDAs based on age, gender, and whether a woman is pregnant or breastfeeding. Source:...
National Institutes of Health, Office of Dietary Supplements Selenium Selenium is a mineral that the body needs to stay healthy. It is important for reproduction, thyroid function, and DNA production. It also helps protect the body from damage caused by free radicals (unstable atoms o...
National Institutes of Health, Office of Dietary Supplements Sodium Table salt is made up of the elements sodium and chlorine - the technical name for salt is sodium chloride. Your body needs some sodium to work properly. It helps with the function of nerves and muscles...
NIH MedlinePlus Zinc Zinc, a mineral that people need to stay healthy, is found in cells throughout the body. It helps the immune system fight off invading bacteria and viruses. The body also needs zinc to make proteins and DNA, the genetic material in all cells...
National Institutes of Health, Office of Dietary Supplements...