Minerals ...the sparks of life. 
Without minerals (electrolytes), we simply wouldn’t function.
Minerals are the basic components of all matter. They make up key enzymes and hormones, along with being major components of cells, tissue, bone, blood and other bodily fluids. And they assist in every aspect of life — from the production of hormones and energy, digestion, nerve transmission and muscle contraction, to the regulation of pH, metabolism, cholesterol, and blood sugar. Our physical balance and overall well-being is more directly dependent upon the minerals we take into our systems than upon calories or vitamins.
Electrolytes are the ionized salt (minerals) found in our blood stream and all other bodily fluids. Dissolved in solution, the molecules split into electrically charged particles or ions, capable of conducting electrical current.
This electrolytic activity is the “life force” of all cellular components and structures. In fact, the whole body is a bioelectric organism. Even the nervous system, brain and heart operate on electrical energy.
When electrolytes are depleted, the body’s systems become run down and sluggish, similar to weaking batteries. Each cell acts as a battery with a different electrical charge or voltage potential on the inside and the outside of its wall, while the minerals act as positive and negative electrodes producing the voltage potential.
The stimulation of a nerve cell sends a wave of depolarization down the nerve fiber, releasing potassium and moving sodium into the cell. As the current passes through, the charge difference at the cell wall is re-established as potassium is pumped back inside the cell. This sets up the electromagnetic current and circuitry of our body’s energy system.
As the magnetic iron in our red blood cells passes through capillaries, it simultaneously passes through spirals of nerve cell fibers, acting like a coil of wire. As the iron passes through these spirals, an electrical current is induced by the free flow of blood, creating a electrical circuit that keeps us “turned on”.
The five major minerals necessary for good health are:
Calcium |
found in dairy foods, sea food and dark green leafy vegetables |
Magnesium |
found in sea food, meat, apples, apricots, avocados, bananas, brown rice |
Potassium |
found in fruits, legumes, meat, vegetables and whole grains |
Sodium |
virtually all foods contain some sodium |
Sulfur |
found in dried beans, cabbage, eggs, garlic, meats, onions, turnip, and wheat germ |
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