Some of the major mineral constituents, especially monovalent species, are present in foods at soluble salts and mostly in ionized form.
This applies, for example, to the cations sodium and potassium and the anions chloride and sulfate.
Other prevalent minerals is phosphorus.
Some of the polyvalent ions, however are usually present in the form of an equilibrium between ionic, dissolved nonionic, and colloidal species. Such equilibrium exist, for instance, in milk and in meat.
Metals are often present in the form of chelates. Chelates might increase mineral absorption. Chelation occurs when a cation, such as calcium, iron or another mineral, is bound in a chemical ring-like structure to another molecule called a ligand.
Other examples of food components that can be considered metal chelates, are hemoglobin and myoglobin, vitamin B12 and calcium caseinate.
The distinction between the major minerals and the trace minerals does not mean that one group is more important than the other. A deficiency of the few micrograms of iodine needed daily is just as serious as a deficiency of the several hundred milligrams of calcium.
Major minerals or macrominerals mean that the body needs these minerals in relatively large quantities compared with other minerals.
The body requires more than 100 milligrams per day of each major mineral, whereas the dietary need for each trace mineral is less than 100 milligrams daily.
Major Minerals in human body
