Did you as yourself about minerals source and function? Here is a detailed article about each of minerals source and function that i hope will answer to your questions and helps you learn more about healthy living. Aluminium is low and variable in foods. Possibly essential, evidence not conclusive. Deficiency unknown. Leavening agent: as sodium aluminum sulfate (Na2SO4
Al2(SO4)3). Texture modifier. Bromine... 

A trace element, chromium is essential in producing a substance called glucose tolerance factor (GTF) which is  important in the utilization of insulin, a hormone that stabilizes blood sugar levels. The mineral is also involved in the synthesis of fatty acids and cholesterol. Eating refined sugar can cause depletion of body chromium as sugar lacks sufficient amounts of the mineral for its own... 

Copper assists in the formation of hemoglobin and red blood cells by facilitating the absorption of iron and may protect  against atherosclerosis. Iron metabolism depends on copper. Zinc and copper have similar elemental  properties and have a balancing effect on each other. Both are related to the functioning of the nervous system and  compete in the intestinal tract for absorption. Excess... 

Iodine aids in the development and functioning of the thyroid gland and is an integral part of thyroxine, a principal hormone produced by the thyroid gland. Thyroid hormones are important for normal cellular metabolism. Sea plants and animals absorb iodine from seawater and are good sources of the mineral.  Read More →

Along with calcium, magnesium is found in bones and is important in the conduction of electrical impulses of the  muscles and nerves. Magnesium, like calcium, is a relaxant yet either one in excess causes a malfunction of the nervous s ystem. Keeping both minerals in balance is important. Most magnesium is found in the cell where it activates the enzymes necessary for the metabolism of carbohydrates... 

At the center of a hemoglobin molecule is iron and when combined with oxygen, it gives arterial blood its bright red  color. Hemoglobin transports oxygen in the blood from the lungs to the tissues which need oxygen to maintain basic  life functions. Iron is also necessary for the formation of myoglobin, found only in muscle tissue, which supplies oxygen to the muscle cells. Significant amounts... 

Manganese plays a role in activating numerous enzymes and in skeletal development involving connective tissue which provides the framework for bone and its growth. Along with zinc, the mineral lowers serum copper levels and balances histamine levels, a substance that is released during allergic reaction. Manganese stimulates activity of the antioxidant  enzyme SOD, or superoxide dismutase, and... 

Calcium is the most abundant mineral in the body. Ninety-eight percent is found in the bones, 1% in teeth, and 1% in other tissues. When the body is at rest, calcium is pulled out of the bones to be used elsewhere, establishing the importance of daily adequate intake of the mineral and of exercise. Calcium helps regulate nerve transmissions and  along with magnesium, is important for cardiovascular... 

Zinc is a constituent of at least 25 enzymes involved in digestion and metabolism. It is a component of insulin and essential in the synthesis of nucleic acids which control the formation of different proteins in the cell. Zinc is important for the proper development of the reproductive organs and normal functioning of the prostate gland. The mineral speeds the healing of wounds and bone fractures,...