Did you know that our bodies contain more calcium than any other mineral, in fact 1.5 to 2% of our total body weight? Bones and teeth contain more than 99% of the body’s calcium, the other 1% is in blood and soft tissues, where it plays many crucial roles. Unfortunately it is the most abandoned mineral in the human body.

When talking about nutrition, more specifically about nutrients that our body needs, many think of carbohydrates, proteins and fats. I guess almost no one would think of potassium. To be honest before I decided to get a certificate in Fitness Nutrition I had basically no idea what potassium is or why we need it. Sure I had heard about it before and I guess I remembered something from high school but that was it. Potassium is a pretty under appreciated and important mineral for our body with a number of benefits. Keep on reading if you want to understand more about potassium.

Minerals are involved in numerous body functions and unlike vitamins most people might not be very familiar with them. Minerals are inorganic elemental atoms or ions and unlike carbohydrates, protein and fat, minerals are not changed during digestion or when the body uses them and are not destroyed by heat, light or alkalinity and play many essential roles in our bodies, for example minerals maintain fluid balances, blood pH, nerve transmission and muscle function. Some of these minerals are needed in larger quantities (macro minerals) whilst others are only needed in smaller or trace amounts (micro minerals) by the body.