By Marie Spano, M.S., R.D., Contributing Editor
Research indicates essential minerals should be consumed in their correct mineral balance to optimize health, including for better bone health, improved blood pressure and more.
Bone-building minerals
Bone is a storage depot for calcium. Though this mineral plays a critical role in bone health, it plays an even more-important role in vascular contraction, vasodilation, muscle function, nerve transmission, intracellular signaling and hormone secretion. Therefore, when dietary intake of calcium falls below a person’s needs to maintain these vital functions, calcium is pulled out of bone to maintain blood-calcium concentrations. A consistently low dietary intake will steadily decrease calcium content in bone, leading to a decline in bone-mineral density and bone strength (Food and Nutrition Board, Institute of Medicine, Washington, D.C.).
Some green vegetables contain calcium, but large quantities are required to meet dietary needs, and the calcium from spinach, kale, broccoli and other vegetables isn’t as bioavailable as the calcium from dairy foods. “Manufacturers can rely on dairy ingredients rich in calcium—from milk powders, whey minerals and various types of whey ingredients—to provide adequate fortification with a highly bioavailable calcium content," notes Mary Higgins, vice president, U.S. Ingredients Trade Services, U.S. Dairy Export Council, Arlington, VA. In addition, milk contains several other bone-building minerals, including phosphorus, magnesium, potassium and zinc.
Though calcium is vital for bone health, too much could be harmful. A longitudinal study that followed more than 61,000 women for 19 years found a dietary intake of more than 1,100 mg calcium per day was associated with a higher rate of hip fracture (British Medical Journal, 2011; 342:d1,473). “The ideal ratio of calcium to phosphorus for optimal bone structure and absorption of calcium is 1.2:1," notes Ram Chaudhari, Ph.D., FACN, CNS, senior executive vice president and chief scientific officer, Fortitech, Schenectady, NY.
Additionally, “a person can consume all of the calcium in the world, but they will not have strong bones unless they consume a sufficient amount of magnesium and phosphorus," says Barbara Bufe Heidolph, principal, food phosphates, ICL Performance Products LP, St. Louis. “Calcium, magnesium and phosphorus together make up a complex called carbonated hydroxyapatite, the key component of bone and teeth."
