What are minerals, and how can they help me?

31. Juli 2025 ca. 16 Minuten

Are you wondering what minerals actually are? You could call them the quiet, invisible heroes of your body. They’re essential inorganic nutrients that your body can’t produce on its own. That’s why you need to get them through your diet every day to stay fit and energized.

The invisible foundation of your well-being

Imagine your body as a highly complex building. Minerals are much more than just the bricks: they’re also the mortar that holds everything together, the electrical system that keeps things running smoothly, and the sturdy foundation. They’re involved in almost every essential process and form the basis of your daily well-being and health.

Without them, your bones wouldn’t be stable, your muscles couldn’t contract, and your nerves wouldn’t be able to send signals. They’re practically the invisible directors working behind the scenes to keep everything in your body running smoothly.

Major minerals and trace elements compared

Not all minerals have the same role in the body. To really understand their function, they’re divided into two major groups: major minerals and trace elements. As their names suggest, the key difference is the amount your body needs and stores.

Think of your body as a complex construction site. Major minerals like calcium and magnesium are the bricks and cement—you need them in large amounts to build the foundation and load-bearing walls. They literally make up the substance of your body.

This graphic clearly shows the classification and highlights key examples such as calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), iron (Fe), and zinc (Zn).

It’s immediately clear: although they’re needed in very different amounts, both groups are essential for a stable overall structure.

The amount makes the difference

The official dividing line between these two groups is a concentration of 50 milligrams per kilogram of body weight. If a mineral’s concentration is above this level, it belongs to the major minerals. Anything below it falls into the trace elements category.

To make this clearer, here’s a quick comparison:

Major minerals vs. trace elements at a glance

This table compares the two main groups of minerals, their definitions and concentrations in the body, and lists key examples to clearly highlight the differences.

Characteristic	Major minerals	Trace elements
Definition	Minerals with a concentration of more than 50 mg/kg of body weight	Minerals with a concentration of less than 50 mg/kg of body weight
Requirement	Daily in the triple-digit milligram to gram range	Daily in the microgram to low milligram range
Examples	Calcium, potassium, magnesium, sodium, chloride, phosphorus, sulfur	Iron, zinc, selenium, copper, iodine, manganese, fluorine

So, one mineral isn't more important than another – it's just a matter of how much is needed to keep everything running smoothly.

Specialists in tiny doses

Trace minerals are the exact opposite of the “building materials.” They're the highly specialized experts on your body's construction site: the electricians, precision mechanics, and safety specialists.

You only need them in tiny amounts – often just a few micrograms – but without them, crucial detail work and complex processes grind to a halt. A trace mineral deficiency can have just as serious an impact as a macromineral deficiency.

Iron is a classic example. When your intake isn't adequate, many people quickly feel tired and unfocused. If you'd like to learn more about how a deficiency can show up, take a look at our article on the iron deficiency self-test.

This distinction helps you understand why getting a balanced supply is so important. It's not just about getting enough of something, but finding the right balance among all the nutrients involved to support your overall health.

The most important minerals and their roles in the body

We've now distinguished between the major building blocks (macrominerals) and the fine tools (trace minerals). Now it's time to get to know the leading players in your body's orchestra. These are the very minerals whose importance for our well-being is being recognized by more and more people.

One study shows that around 75% of Germans regularly take dietary supplements to ensure they get what they need. Magnesium supplements alone generated 215 million euros in revenue, making them the top-selling category overall. If you'd like to read more about this trend, you'll find the findings on dietary supplement use here.

But what exactly do these minerals do all day? Let's take a closer look at the four superstars and understand the vital roles they play in your everyday life.

Magnesium – the relaxation manager

Think of magnesium as your personal manager for relaxation and energy. It's involved in more than 300 enzymatic reactions in the body, which really underscores its central importance.

Without enough magnesium, your muscles wouldn't be able to relax properly after contracting. The result? Those notorious and often painful calf cramps at night or annoying muscle twitches after exercise. At the same time, it calms your nervous system and helps you cope better with stress.

Muscle function: Ensures smooth coordination between contraction and relaxation.
Nervous system: Acts like a natural tranquilizer and promotes inner calm.
Energy production: Essential for your cells to produce energy.

Calcium - the architect of strong bones

If magnesium is the manager, calcium is your body's irreplaceable architect. An incredible 99% of the calcium in your body is found in your bones and teeth. This highlights its fundamental role in stability and structure.

It's the most abundant major mineral in the body and helps keep your skeleton strong and resilient. But its role goes far beyond that: calcium is also essential for blood clotting and signal transmission between nerve cells.

Iron - the oxygen taxi driver

Every single one of your cells needs oxygen to produce energy. And that's where iron comes in: imagine a huge fleet of tiny oxygen taxis. As a key component of red blood cells' hemoglobin, it picks up the oxygen you breathe in from your lungs and delivers it to every cell.

An iron deficiency causes this supply chain to grind to a halt. The result: you feel constantly tired, struggle to concentrate, and look pale. So getting enough iron is the absolute foundation for your energy and performance in everyday life.

Each of these minerals has a unique and irreplaceable role. However, they don't work in isolation; they work as a perfectly coordinated team to support your health every day.

Zinc - the immune system's bodyguard

Zinc is your body's vigilant bodyguard. As a trace element, it plays a key role in your immune system. It ensures your immune cells are strong and ready to fight viruses and bacteria effectively.

When your zinc stores are well stocked, you're less susceptible to colds and other infections. Zinc is also a master of regeneration: it's essential for wound healing and healthy skin and hair. To learn more about how different nutrients work together, read our article on vitamin and mineral deficiencies in Germany.

How to recognize a mineral deficiency

Do you often feel exhausted for no reason, have trouble concentrating, or suddenly suffer from calf cramps at night? These aren’t random whims of your body. Rather, they could be the first, subtle signals that it’s missing important building blocks.

A mineral deficiency rarely develops overnight. It’s usually a gradual process, and the first signs are often nonspecific and easy to miss. But if you learn to listen to these clues, you can take action early and take an active role in your well-being.

Common signs and what might be behind them

Your body has a pretty clever repertoire of warning signals. Each symptom can be a piece of the puzzle pointing to a particular deficiency. Here are some of the most common signs to look out for:

Persistent fatigue and paleness: Do you constantly feel low on energy, even though you’re getting enough sleep? Pale skin and perhaps even cracked corners of the mouth may indicate an iron deficiency. Iron is essential for transporting oxygen in the blood - without enough, you’ll be short of breath.
Muscle cramps and nervousness: Does your eyelid twitch uncontrollably, or do you wake up at night with painful calf cramps? These are classic signs of a magnesium deficiency. This mineral helps keep muscles and nerves calm, and a deficiency can also increase inner restlessness and nervousness.
Increased susceptibility to infections: Do you feel like you catch every wave of colds going around? A weakened immune system may be due to a zinc or selenium deficiency. These trace elements are basically the bodyguards of your immune system.
Brittle nails and hair loss: The health of your hair and nails can also provide valuable clues. If they’re brittle and weak, this could indicate a deficiency in calcium or biotin, as well as an iron or zinc deficiency.

It’s important to see these symptoms for what they are: clues, not diagnoses. They’re your body’s invitation to take a closer look and get to the root of the cause.

Special stages of life and at-risk groups

Some people naturally have a higher risk of developing a mineral deficiency. Certain life circumstances and habits simply increase the body’s needs or make it harder for the body to absorb nutrients.

If you belong to one of these groups, you should pay particular attention:

Athletes and very active people: Those who sweat a lot lose not only water but also valuable minerals such as magnesium, sodium, and zinc. Increased energy expenditure further raises their needs.
Pregnant and breastfeeding women: During this special phase, the mother is nourishing not only herself but also her growing child. The need for iron, calcium, and iodine is significantly higher.
People following a vegan or vegetarian diet: A purely plant-based diet can be very healthy, but it requires a little more planning. Minerals such as iron, zinc, and calcium are often less readily available to the body from plant sources.
People with chronic conditions: Certain gastrointestinal conditions can impair nutrient absorption. Long-term use of some medications can also disrupt mineral balance.

If you recognize yourself in these descriptions and are unsure whether you’re getting enough nutrients, it’s a good idea to get some clarity. Symptoms alone are often inconclusive. You can read more in our guide about how to reliably test for nutrient deficiencies so you can take targeted and safe action.

Get clarity with a nutrient deficiency test

When it comes to your health, guessing is not a good strategy. You may feel sluggish or unfocused, but blindly popping random capsules is like stumbling around in the fog. At best, nothing happens. At worst, you risk overdosing on certain minerals, doing more harm than good.

The only sensible and safe way to find out what your body really needs is a targeted test. It gives you clarity and a scientifically sound foundation to build on.

Your path to accurate results

The idea of a nutrient test puts many people off - they immediately think of inconvenient doctor’s visits and long waits. But it no longer has to be that way. Modern at-home nutrient deficiency tests, like the ones we offer at mybody-x, make the whole process incredibly simple and convenient. You discreetly collect the sample in the comfort of your own home and send it directly to our ISO-certified partner laboratory.

Experts analyze your sample there. Instead of vague assumptions, you receive a detailed results report that shows you in black and white how your mineral levels are doing.

The overview below shows you which testing options are available to help identify specific deficiencies.

With this selection of nutrient deficiency tests, you can investigate the causes of your symptoms instead of simply groping in the dark.

Taking a test isn’t an admission of weakness, but an act of personal responsibility. You take control of your health by relying on precise data instead of vague feelings.

From insight to action

Once you have a clear result in hand, everything changes. You now know exactly which mineral you’re lacking and can replenish it in a targeted way - either by consciously adjusting your diet or by taking a tailored supplement. This is especially important because symptoms such as fatigue can have many different causes. As you can read in our article about the link between nutrient deficiencies and fatigue and lack of motivation, very different deficiencies can cause very similar symptoms.

So a test like this not only protects you from a deficiency, but also from taking too much. You only take what your body actually needs and invest your money and energy in measures that really make a difference. This turns health prevention from guesswork into a well-founded strategy for your well-being.

How to replenish your mineral stores

You’ve taken your test and now know where you stand? Perfect, because now comes the most exciting part: putting what you’ve learned into practice. The goal is to restore a healthy balance of minerals in your body. The foundation for this is always a conscious, nutrient-rich diet.

Many foods are true powerhouses, packed with essential minerals. Often, all it takes is a targeted adjustment to your meal plan to correct a mild deficiency or prevent you from getting too little.

Your guide to a mineral-rich diet

It’s really easier than you might think. Simply focus on purposefully adding foods to your daily routine that are rich in the specific minerals your test showed you need.

Here are a few simple examples that are easy to incorporate:

For strong bones (calcium): Almonds, green vegetables such as kale or broccoli, as well as good mineral water and calcium-fortified plant drinks are fantastic sources.
For relaxed muscles (magnesium): Choose whole grains, oats, and pumpkin seeds. A handful of dark chocolate or a banana are also popular, tasty sources of magnesium.
For your immune system (zinc): Lentils, chickpeas, and oats are excellent plant-based sources of zinc. If you eat a mixed diet, meat and cheese also provide a decent amount.
For your energy (iron): Red meat and legumes such as lentils are classic choices. Here's the trick: Always combine them with foods rich in vitamin C - for example, bell peppers in lentil salad or a glass of orange juice with your meal. This greatly improves absorption.

But be careful: Your individual needs are as unique as you are. Official recommendations are a useful guide, but factors such as intense exercise, chronic stress, or your age can significantly increase your needs.

When food supplements are truly beneficial

Sometimes it's difficult to correct an existing, confirmed deficiency through diet alone. That's completely normal. In such cases, targeted use of high-quality supplements can be the crucial step in replenishing your depleted stores.

The motto here is clear: Targeted, not haphazard. Supplements should always be taken based on test results to avoid a dangerous overdose.

More isn't always better. The German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) recently updated its proposed maximum levels for minerals in food supplements to protect against exactly this kind of overdose. Excessive amounts of minerals such as calcium and magnesium can pose health risks, which is why regulations are rightly strict. You can read more about these scientific assessments in the BfR's latest publication.

An accurate nutrient deficiency test from mybody-x is your ideal partner here. It not only gives you clarity about your status, but also the confidence to manage your intake effectively and precisely - whether through your diet or appropriate supplementation.

Your most frequently asked questions about minerals – answered briefly and clearly

Finally, let’s address some of the questions that come up again and again in consultations and emails. Here are clear, simple answers to dispel any lingering doubts and strengthen your knowledge.

Can you overdose on minerals?

Yes, definitely, and it can even be harmful. This risk is especially high when you start taking supplements without knowing your actual needs.

An excess of one mineral can block the absorption of another, creating a new imbalance. That’s why it’s so important to test first and then replenish specific minerals, rather than taking supplements blindly. A test gives you the confidence you need.

What’s the difference between vitamins and minerals?

Think of your body as a house. Vitamins are the “software” – they control all the complex processes and metabolic functions. Minerals, by contrast, are the “hardware” – the actual building materials.

Minerals are inorganic elements. They serve as building blocks (like calcium in bones) or as tiny “spark plugs” for countless enzyme reactions (like zinc). Vitamins, on the other hand, are organic compounds. Together, they make an unbeatable team and are absolutely essential for your health.

Are minerals destroyed by cooking?

We get this question a lot, and the answer is a clear yes and no. First, the good news: Unlike many vitamins, minerals are very heat-stable. So cooking itself doesn’t destroy them.

The real problem is the water. Many minerals are water-soluble and pass directly from the vegetables into the cooking water. If you pour that water away, you’re essentially sending those valuable nutrients down the drain.

Better methods: Steaming, braising, or quickly searing at high heat are ideal ways to keep the minerals where they belong: in your food.
Pro tip: If you do cook your vegetables, simply use the nutrient-rich cooking water as the base for your next soup or sauce.

Are you ready to take your mineral intake from guesswork to a solid foundation of knowledge? At mybody-x, you’ll find scientifically backed nutrient deficiency tests that you can easily and conveniently take at home. Take control and give your body exactly what it really needs.