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Some minerals are called electrolytes, because of their importance in maintaining ionic composition of blood and plasma, the intracellular fluid, and the electrical voltage or “potential” in each living cell. The electrolyte elements are sodium, potassium, chloride, and the more complex ion, bicarbonate. The latter is in chemical equilibrium in the blood with carbonic acid, carbon dioxide, and water. Here is the chemical formula:CO2 + H20 <— > H2CO3 <—> H+ + HCO3-. Calcium is one of the most abundant major minerals. It is essential in our blood-clotting mechanism, as well as several enzyme systems. Calcium is important for proper nerve transmission and for the contraction of muscles. Fundamental for proper hardness of the bones and teeth, calcium is absorbed in large amounts from many foods. Certain substances can interfere with the absorption of calcium. Oxalates, present in rhubarb and green leafy vegetables, bind calcium, forming salts to then be eliminated. Actually, the intestinal mucous lining has a safeguard mechanism to prevent flooding the body with calcium. Excessive IV administration of calcium could be lethal to the system, if no intestinal barrier was presented to absorption. Although only about 25% of the calcium is normally absorbed, in pregnancy this may go considerably higher. In infancy and early childhood, when the bones are forming, more may be absorbed. Lactose and gastric acid enhance the absorption of calcium. Exercise aids in this reaction, keeping our bones harder when people are in the active years. Although an enzyme called phytic acid is present in the husks of many grains, the body quickly adapts to this substance, which would otherwise decrease the calcium absorption. Phytase is a valuable digestive enzyme elaborated to negate this otherwise deleterious effect. Stressful situations have been known to depress calcium absorption, even in the presence of mass supplementation! Peace of mind and body, at mealtime and around the clock, is therefore necessary for the proper utilization of calcium, a major mineral in the bones, the blood, and the entire body. Phosphorus is a mineral of considerable interest, usually absorbed with calcium. Present in our body as phosphate, it also forms a valuable part of many organic acids, including DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) and the phospholipids, important in nerve transmission. Phosphates serve as valuable buffers of the body chemistry, keeping the acidity and alkalinity of our blood and body fluids in the most healthful range. Phosphate, moreover, acts as a storage form of energy, existing in the cells in the form of ATP (adenosine triphosphate). These high energy compounds help your body store the energy gained from the metabolism of carbohydrate and other foods. Nearly everyone knows iron is essential for the healthy formation of good red blood. It is one of the more common mineral deficiencies, found