What are minerals?
In this post we will be discussing a few of your God designed minerals!
What are minerals?
According to Dr Henry Schroeder, “They are the spark plugs in the chemistry of life, on which exchanges of energy and combustion of foods and the building of living tissues depend.”
Through the lens of the Bible, in my opinion, this shines light on to the words written in Genesis 2:7:
““And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being.”
Obviously we do not know the exact dust (some translations use clay) God used to create us, but we do know that most consists of calcium, magnesium, potassium, and silica. All of which are essential to a healthy human body and when imbalanced, result in dis-ease and symptoms.
There are many minerals we could discuss today, but we are going to start by focusing on Magnesium, Potassium, Sodium, and Calcium.
Let’s start with magnesium.
Magnesium plays so many roles in our human body, but for starters:
Every single cell in the human body demands adequate magnesium to function.
It works in concert with calcium to regulate electrical impulses in the cell.
It operates as a natural calcium channel blocker and is responsible for relaxation.
It is important for detoxification pathways and is necessary for the neutralization of toxins (especially aluminum).
Many people are deficient and it is commonly overlooked.
When I worked as a floor nurse on a cardiac step down unit, we were constantly replacing magnesium and potassium and it is because so many people are deficient!
Next up, potassium. In our God designed bodies, potassium:
Highly influences the electrical conductivity in the heart.
Supports stomach acid secretion + digestive activity.
Binds glucose to glycogen to be stored in the liver + muscles.
Regulates blood pressure.
Plays a role in intracellular fluid balance.
Now let’s look at sodium. Sodium is a highly misunderstood mineral (we will discuss why in upcoming posts). But we need it!
Here are the roles it plays:
Plays a role in hydration by assisting with water + electrolyte balance.
We need sufficient amounts for healthy stomach acid production.
Helps absorb nutrients + water from the gut.
Impacts heart rate and blood pressure.
Supports nerve function + sending impulses.
The last mineral we will look at today is Calcium.
Calcium is highly regulated by magnesium and when it is imbalanced with magnesium, it leads to many serious health conditions because it will cause soft tissues in the body to become calcified. Other roles that calcium plays in our body include:
Maintains pH in the body.
Helps reduce lactic acid build up.
Supports bone health, but only when balanced with cofactors like mag + phosphorus.
We need good strong stomach acid to absorb calcium.
There you have it! Four macro minerals in your God designed body, you should be aware of. Now that you have foundational knowledge of these four, stay tuned for more posts on how to pinpoint imbalances.
