DE en

Vitality of the Swiss Alps!

#Healthyandhappy

Our Body’s Building Blocks

Minerals are important nutrients for human life that must be ingested as part of our diet. They are relevant for practically all bodily functions, including synthesis processes, metabolic functions, growth, and interactions between nerves and muscles.

Function: Calcium is crucial for the development of bone and teeth and is involved in a variety of other functions, e.g. blood coagulation, the transmission of impulses in the nervous system and muscle contraction.

Function: Together with sodium, chloride regulates both the body’s water levels and osmotic pressure in the cells. Again together with sodium, it plays an important part in nerve and muscle functions.

Function: Chrome plays an important part in carbohydrate metabolism and also affects fat metabolism. It is involved in lowering “bad” LDL cholesterol and raising “good” HDL cholesterol. It is also important for protein synthesis.

Function: More than two thirds of the body’s iron content are contained in haemoglobin (the protein in blood that transports oxygen). Iron is especially important for the transportation, storage and activation of oxygen. This trace element is also necessary for the immune system.

Function: Fluorine is especially effective in helping the teeth resist cavities and for the health of tooth enamel. It also plays a part in the mineralisation of bones and teeth.

Function: Around half of the iodine in the human body is located in the thyroid gland, where it forms part of the thyroid hormones. These hormones play a crucial part in a series of metabolic processes.

Function: Together with sodium and chloride, potassium regulates the body’s water levels. Potassium can help counter excessive sodium intake and is important for the transmission of nerve and muscle impulses, as well as cell growth.

Function: Cobalt is a main component of cobalamin and thus plays a significant part in blood production, cell division and a variety of other processes.

Function: Copper is mainly involved in the biosynthesis of neurotransmitters (the chemical messengers of the nervous system) and connective tissue. This trace element also plays an important role in the body’s antioxidant system and in the transport of iron.

Function: Magnesium is important for the health of bones and teeth, for energy metabolism, and for a wide range of enzymatic, muscle and nerve functions. Magnesium is also vital for the biosynthesis of genetic material (DNA).

Function: Manganese plays a role in the production of the thyroid hormone thyroxine and is thus crucial for energy metabolism. Manganese also plays a part in the central nervous system and in reproduction. Most manganese is stored in the bones and is therefore important for bone structure.

Function: Molybdenum is known to be involved in the function of enzymes essential for energy metabolism and the production of uric acid, among others. Molybdenum is not directly bound to the enzyme itself, but is rather part of a sulphite molecule.

Function: Together with potassium and chloride, sodium helps regulate the body’s water levels and osmotic pressure in the cells. It is also active in a series of nerve and muscle functions and in digestion.

Function: Nickel helps in the absorption of iron, and is probably involved in growth processes. However, the exact functions of nickel in the human body are mostly still unknown. Whether or not nickel is an essential trace element is therefore still the subject of controversy.

Function: Phosphorus exists almost exclusively as phosphate in the human body and is especially critical for the development of bones and teeth, as well as for energy metabolism. Around 85% of the phosphorus in the human body is in the bones.

Function: Selenium is mainly important as a part of selenoproteins. This trace element protects the cells from harmful radicals (antioxidant function) and toxic heavy metals. It also has a function in the activation of thyroid hormones.

Function: Zink is important for various key functions in the human body, such as digestion, reproduction and growth. This trace element is also active in the immune system and in wound healing.