INORGANIC MATTER: MINERALS

Water and minerals play essential roles in maintaining health and supporting life. Water, the most abundant substance on Earth, is vital for hydration, nutrient transport, and temperature regulation in organisms. It serves as a solvent for various biochemical reactions and participates in processes like digestion and waste removal.

Similarly, minerals, including calcium, potassium, and iron, are crucial for proper bodily function, contributing to bone health, muscle contraction, and nerve transmission. Both water and minerals are integral components of a balanced diet, with deficiencies or imbalances leading to adverse health effects.

MINERALS:

Minerals are inorganic elements necessary for proper bodily function. They constitute bones, muscle contraction, and nerve impulse propagation. Since our bodies don't produce these substances, it's crucial to include them in our diet.

Mineral salts are widely present in nature and play essential roles in various geological, biological, and environmental processes. Here are some ways in which mineral salts are found in nature and how they influence the environment:

Geological Processes: Mineral salts are integral components of many geological processes, such as rock formation, mineral crystallization, and the formation of sedimentary deposits. They contribute to the chemical composition and physical properties of rocks, influencing their structure, texture, and stability over time.

Biological Functions: In biological systems, mineral salts are essential for the growth, development, and maintenance of living organisms. They serve as vital nutrients for plants, animals, and microorganisms, participating in metabolic processes, enzyme reactions, and cellular functions. For example, calcium is crucial for bone formation in animals, while potassium regulates water balance and nutrient uptake in plants.

Environmental Impact: The presence and distribution of mineral salts in the environment can have significant environmental implications. Excessive concentrations of certain salts, such as sodium chloride (common salt), can negatively impact soil fertility, freshwater ecosystems, and agricultural productivity through processes like salinization and soil degradation. On the other hand, minerals like calcium carbonate play a role in buffering acidity in soils and bodies of water, helping to maintain pH balance and support aquatic life.

Overall, mineral salts are essential components of Earth's natural systems, contributing to the functioning and resilience of ecosystems, landscapes, and biogeochemical cycles. Understanding their distribution, behavior, and ecological roles is critical for effective environmental management and conservation efforts.

Minerals in culinary:

Mineral salts, such as common table salt (sodium chloride), are widely used in gastronomy to enhance the taste of foods. They help balance and intensify natural flavors, making dishes more savory and appealing.

Certain minerals, like calcium, are crucial for forming and stabilizing food structures, such as protein coagulation in cheeses and the firmness of cooked vegetables. They contribute to desired food textures, such as creaminess, firmness, or crunchiness.

Some mineral salts, such as iron and copper, play a role in food pigmentation, influencing their color and visual appeal. They can be utilized in caramelization processes and Maillard reactions to create specific colors and shades in cooked dishes.

Minerals, particularly salt, have long been used as preservative agents in gastronomy, helping to extend the shelf life of foods by inhibiting microbial growth. Additionally, the presence of certain minerals in foods can contribute to the stability of emulsions and suspensions, helping prevent separation and spoilage.

Minerals salts are essential for proper bodily function. In gastronomy, choosing ingredients rich in essential minerals like calcium, iron, potassium, and magnesium can promote a balanced and healthy diet.

Nutrient Bioavailability: Some nutrients are better absorbed together than alone. When we ingest any food, only a portion of the nutrients is available for our bodies to absorb. This property, related to the amount used and excreted, is known as bioavailability. Combining different substances we can increase bioavailability.

One of the most effective methods to increase bioavailability is by utilizing the acidulated soaking method, which involves soaking grains and legumes in water with vinegar or lemon for at least 4 hours.

I wanna learn the acidulated soaking method

Calcium: Represents nearly half of the body's total mineral content. It's related to membrane permeability, muscle contraction, hormone release, blood clotting, and bone and teeth formation. For better calcium absorption, it's recommended to exercise, expose oneself to morning sunlight, and reduce sodium intake.

Calcium-rich Foods: Sesame seeds, White beans, Dark leafy greens (mustard greens, arugula, kale, spinach, chard), Chickpeas, Broccoli, Quinoa.

Phosphorus: Present in all cell membranes (providing energy to the cell in the form of ATP), integrates bone and teeth structure, giving them greater solidity; actively participates in carbohydrate metabolism and muscle contraction. It should be controlled in cases of renal insufficiency.

Phosphorus-rich Foods: Sunflower seeds, Pumpkin seeds, Dried fruits, Potato, Garlic, Beans.

Fluoride: Beneficial effect on dental enamel, aiding in cavity prevention. In Brazil and some other countries, water is treated with fluoride to prevent cavities in the population, but excessive consumption of this mineral salt makes it a neurotoxin, related to Hyperactivity and Attention Deficit. Sodium Fluoride is the best way to absorb Fluoride.

Fluoride-rich Foods: Water, Rice, Beans, Garlic, Onion.

Iodine: This mineral salt is directly related to the body's metabolism, as it is part of the composition of thyroid hormones. In 1920, to contain an epidemic of goiter and hyperthyroidism, the process of iodizing table salt became mandatory as a preventive measure.

Iodine-rich Foods: Iodized Salt, Seaweeds, Strawberries.

Potassium: A very important mineral for the proper functioning of all cells, tissues, and organs of the human body. It is also an electrolyte, a substance that conducts electricity in the body. Maintaining the right balance of potassium in the body depends on the amount of sodium and magnesium in the blood.

Potassium-rich Foods: Bananas, Oranges, Lemons, Avocado, Cantaloupe, Tomato, Potato, Beans.

Sodium: I talked about it in the post about salty flavor. It is Table Salt. Scroll down my feed a bit, and you will also find all types of salt (black, pink, blue, light) and what they are used for!

I wanna learn about different types of salt

Magnesium: Related to protein synthesis, energy transport, contributes to the functioning of some essential enzymes, and to the balance of calcium, potassium, and sodium, present in hormonal activity. Magnesium chloride is a supplement that aims to facilitate magnesium reaching the intestine, increasing its bioavailability so that it is better utilized by the body.

Magnesium-rich Foods: Sesame seeds, Flaxseeds, Peanuts, Pumpkin seeds, Brazil nuts.

Iron: Almost exclusively limited to oxygen transport in the blood through existing hemoglobin in red blood cells. It also assists in immunity and in the endogenous production of collagen and elastin. Vitamin C makes Iron more bioavailable.

Iron-rich Foods: Beans, Beets, Spinach, Amaranth, Tofu, Quinoa, Broccoli.

Zinc: Acts on the immune system, has neurological function, in protein structure, hormone synthesis, nerve impulse transmission, and is an insulin component, that is, it assists in glucose control. This salt also aids in taste and smell senses, increases fertility in both women and men, and stimulates wound and irritation healing.

Zinc-rich Foods: Whole wheat flour, Walnuts, Water and Beans.