What Are Minerals and Trace Elements?

Iron and fluorine , sodium and potassium , copper and manganese and chromium – everything has been heard before, but no one knows exactly what is behind these nutrients. Why are they important, and what can oats do in this regard? Here are the answers!

In addition to basic nutrients such as protein , fat and carbohydrates , which are at the top of every nutritional value, humans also absorb vitamins and minerals with food .

It is known that minerals are needed by the body, but there is always talk about so-called trace elements – but what are trace elements actually, and to what extent do they differ from minerals? By definition, trace elements are not at all different from minerals but are part of them.

Depending on the quantity required, minerals are divided into two groups: quantitative and trace elements. In the vernacular, however, "minerals" are usually referred to as quantitative elements, and a separate group is formed for the trace elements.

What exactly are minerals and quantitative elements?

Minerals are essential for many functions in the body, such as regulating water balance, the transmission of stimuli in the nervous system, and energy metabolism. However, humans also need minerals for body parts where deficiencies become apparent more quickly, such as skin, hair, bones, and teeth.

Minerals are therefore vital nutrients for the human body. However, these are inorganic nutrients, so the human organism cannot produce them itself but depends on their being supplied through food.

About 95% of the human body consists of oxygen, carbon, hydrogen, and nitrogen. Of the remaining 5%, more than 0.01% is made up of the six quantitative elements: calcium, chloride, potassium, magnesium, sodium, and phosphorus.

Minerals are referred to as quantity elements when their proportion in the body exceeds 50 milligrams per kilogram of body weight. At the same time, humans must consume several grams of the quantitative elements daily. Valuable quantitative elements such as magnesium, phosphorus, copper, and many more can be found, for example, in oatmeal from VERIVAL.

What exactly are trace elements?

In contrast to the quantity elements, trace elements make up less than 0.01% of body weight. Therefore, only a daily intake in small amounts of less than 100 milligrams is necessary. Nevertheless, trace elements are not negligible, as they contribute significantly to hormonal and enzymatic reactions. Trace elements are present in many proteins.

Which minerals are there, what are they important for, and how much should you consume?

Quantity elements

Trace elements

How can a deficiency of quantitative and trace elements occur?

Of course, a lack of minerals always comes from the diet. But there are some external factors that affect food and lead to different nutritional values for the same food: The growing conditions in agriculture are constantly changing, and by no means for the better concerning the quality of the food.

Because many plants now have a lower content of minerals, such as zinc and selenium. Furthermore, the nutrients in plants naturally depend on the soil in which they grow – so there can be a regional natural undersupply of trace elements; in Alpine valleys and the foothills of the Alps, for example, there is a lack of iron and iodine in the soil.

Even particularly heavy sweating or diarrhea can damage the electrolyte balance and lead to a lack of minerals. If it is only a temporary deficiency, the body can compensate for this by excreting fewer minerals and absorbing more from the intestines. However, prolonged deficiency can lead to a weakened immune system and diseases.

In order to avoid low-quality products and to produce only high-quality products, we attach great importance to organic farming and sustainable production in our VERIVAL production.
Organic agriculture is already making an important contribution to this, for example, by avoiding chemical pesticides and artificial fertilizers.

That is why we are mighty proud that we rely on the many advantages of organic farming in our VERIVAL breakfast products and pay attention to the most gentle handling of our valuable habitat. So that your body is always supplied with sufficient minerals and trace elements, we have a VERIVAL recipe tip for you here. With the overnight oats with chia seeds , a mineral deficiency or a trace element deficiency will certainly not stand a chance!

Delicious Recipe: Overnight Oats with Chia Seeds

Overnight Oats basic recipe with the expansion of the superfood chia seeds

Preparation time 5 min.

Total time 2 hrs

Servings: 1 serving

Calories: 250 kcal

Ingredients

• 4 tbsp oatmeal (approx. 45g)
• 80 ml water, milk, or a plant-based alternative
• 1 tbsp. yogurt
• 1 tbsp chia seeds (equivalent to about 15 g of chia seeds)
• Honey, agave syrup, or maple syrup for sweetening
• Fruits, nuts, and seeds of your choice (as a topping)

Preparation

• Water, milk, or a vegetable alternative comes together with the oatmeal and the chia seeds in a glass and is stirred well.
• Our insider tip: Add a tablespoon of yogurt.
• For sweetening, we recommend honey, agave syrup, or maple syrup.
• The mixture is put in the fridge overnight or for at least 2 hours.
• Then stir well, decorate with fruit, nuts, or seeds and enjoy.

Nutritional values

Calories: 250 kcal

How many minerals are in the oats?

Oats provide many minerals and vital trace elements and are therefore recommended as a health-promoting food. If you eat a bowl of porridge in the morning, the oats contained in it will already cover a quarter of your daily requirement for vitamins and minerals. Developed by the Scots several millennia ago – rediscovered and reinterpreted by us at VERIVAL!

100 grams of oatmeal include

Healthy breakfast with porridge from VERIVAL

If you are a fan of hot breakfast, you can in good conscience (in moderation!) choose meat and fish, as these foods also contain essential trace elements such as magnesium, potassium, iron, and selenium. But after finding out that oats contain a lot of minerals, we want to show why porridge is so healthy for breakfast:

For the digestion of hot breakfasts, such as porridge , the body needs less energy. This relieves your body, strengthens your immune system, and boosts your metabolism. In addition, the nutrients from a hot breakfast can be better absorbed.

You can make your porridge varied and individual with fruits such as apples, bananas, or berries , with nuts such as hazelnuts, cashew nuts or seeds such as chia seeds .
The warm oatmeal is therefore not just a food trend; there is much more behind it – for brunch lovers, sweet tooths, high-protein fans, vegans, and more!