Can our body synthesize minerals?

  • Context: Medical 
  • Thread starter Thread starter mktsgm
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    Body Minerals
Join the discussion
Ask a follow-up here, or get your own question answered by working scientists, mathematicians and engineers — people, not an autocomplete.
Real named experts · corrections over time · the nuance an AI answer skips
Sign up Log in
12 replies · 6K views
mktsgm
Messages
151
Reaction score
22
Can our body synthesize its own minerals and essential elements? I mean calcium, potassium, sodium, phosphorous, magnesium, zinc etc. I know we can have them from our food. Also, can they be stored just as glycogen stores glucose and fat tissue stores triglycerides etc?
 
Biology news on Phys.org
No -- all minerals come from food and drink.
I'm defining mineral == a small molecule that has a required (generally)metallic atom as part of it.

The whole subject is VERY complex. The story for zinc covers most facets you asked about:
For just zinc see this article: https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Zinc-HealthProfessional/

Some minerals have storage like calcium -> bone tissue. Zinc has no special storage mechanism.
Minerals can act as anti-nutrients for other minerals, preventing uptake. Zinc and magnesium play games with each other, based on intake amounts.

Massive doses of a mineral can be toxic - mostly because it prevents uptake of another mineral element. And sometimes can interfere with metabolic pathways that normally would not have been affected by lesser amount of the nutrient mineral.

Minerals like iodine have a VERY restricted required range for intake. Too high=toxic, too low == mental retardation in children. Large areas of the world have very low iodine levels in soils, so low levels in foods. India is an example.

Some minerals like selenium have a lot less known about them than other minerals.
There are also some "wannabe" minerals that are promoted by pill sellers, which do not have scientific support - vanadium is one. And vanadium studies are sort of rare anyway, IMO.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Likes   Reactions: Laroxe and BvU
I like jim's answer much better than mine. I said synthesizing is a big word because all that happens is that mineral ions crystallize - and these ions came in as components in the food.
 
There is a difference between "dietary" minerals and minerals in the physical chemical sense. The list of dietary minerals http://www.foodpyramid.com/dietary-minerals/ doesn't include mineral forms of those elements in the sense that not even calcium carbonate/etc are transported to sites and utilized as minerals. The body can create some minerals in the true sense of minerals: magnetite (possibly), hydroxyapatite that can become fluoroapatite with fluoride treatments. and small calcite crystals in the ear. And, of course, the minerals produced by processes mentioned by BvU.
 
@CapnGranite yup. Chemically, minerals are not the same definition as used in standard nutrition literature. Why I posted a definition. If you go to NIH and look at the professional references for RDA's (RDI) for dietary components they all use the word mineral in the context I thought I was creating. Guess not.

FWIW - I am assuming the OP got the word from a nutrition pamphlet or some kind of label.
 
Our bodies can't make new atoms, they can only process whatever atoms are already present in food.
Most food intake is organic material, (proteins, carbohydrates, etc), however trace amounts of metals as well - such as the Sodium in salt.
Some of these trace elements do play in important part in keeping the body in good condition, Sodium for example plays an important part in the transmission of nerve signals.
 
The OP question was answered by ByU. The body can synthesize minerals from elements.
 
Yes the body can synthesize minerals. Aside from what ByU has already stated, calcification is the build up of calcium salts (minerals) in soft tissue.
 
When it comes to essential vitamins and minerals, any excess will be evacuated. The body uses what it needs, and discards the rest. Obviously shortages can result in any number of health problems, as well as what Jim said about excess minerals interfering in other pathways.

Personally, I've never felt the need to take supplements. A well balanced diet and sunshine will give you all the nutrients you need.
 
Kevin McHugh said:
any excess will be evacuated

This can be a dangerous statement as some vitamins and minerals will cause sickness or possibly death in high quantities. Each has a unique over-consumption profile that ranges from benign to deadly. Some vitamins and minerals are difficult to consume enough (even accidentally) to become ill while others especially iodine or vitamin D will be toxic at much lower easy to accidentally consume levels.

BoB
 
  • Like
Likes   Reactions: OCR
rbelli1 said:
This can be a dangerous statement as some vitamins and minerals will cause sickness or possibly death in high quantities. Each has a unique over-consumption profile that ranges from benign to deadly. Some vitamins and minerals are difficult to consume enough (even accidentally) to become ill while others especially iodine or vitamin D will be toxic at much lower easy to accidentally consume levels.

BoB

I said as much in post with my reference to Jim.