Dietary Minerals Are Organic Molecules

However the four major structural elements in the human body by weight oxygen hydrogen carbon and nitrogen are usually not included in lists of major nutrient minerals nitrogen is considered a mineral for plants as it often is included.

Dietary minerals are organic molecules. Inorganic minerals are useless and injurious to the animal organism. Animals must eat plants or plant eating animals to obtain their organic minerals. Jennifer doley in nutrition and functional foods for healthy aging 2017. 3 2 how the confusion began.

Dietary minerals and trace elements are chemical substances required by living organisms in addition to carbon hydrogen nitrogen and oxygen that are present in nearly all organic molecules. The term mineral is a misnomer. The four most common elements hydrogen carbon nitrogen and oxygen serve organic functions. Because inorganic minerals and organic minerals have the same chemical compositions they were confused by the early nutritionists.

Minerals are present in up to tens of thousands of grams in the human body whilst only a few grams of trace elements are required by the body. Other elements known to be necessary for humans include sodium magnesium phosphorus sulfur chloride potassium and calcium.