Forget Superfoods — Here’s What Really Moves the Needle
For years I was told “Salt is bad, go easy….hide the shaker!” My husband would practically gasp if I salted my eggs. So I played along, skipped the extra shake (when he was watching) and figured I was doing my arteries a favor.
Then came the bloodwork. Guess what? My sodium was low. No wonder I was getting dizzy every time I stood up. Turns out salt isn’t just flavor — it’s a mineral, and minerals are what let your body actually use the food and water you put in it. Without them, you’re basically trying to run a car without spark plugs.
These days? Every morning I toss a ¼ teaspoon of Baja Gold mineral salt into my 40-ounce Stanley, finish it before noon, and — no dizziness. Water actually gets into my cells instead of just sloshing around. Hydration with a purpose.
So let’s talk about minerals. What they are, why so many of us are running low, and the five big ones most Americans are missing.
Minerals 101: The Unsexy Superheroes
Quick science: Macrominerals (like sodium, magnesium, potassium, calcium) are the heavy lifters — you need hundreds of milligrams daily. Trace minerals (like iron, zinc, iodine, selenium) are the precision instruments — tiny doses with big jobs.
They don’t give you calories, but they’re the cofactors — the keys that unlock the chemical reactions that turn food into energy, hormones, and neurotransmitters. Without them? Think Netflix buffering every time your body tries to do anything.
Why We’re Running Low
Modern life is a mineral thief.
Soil depletion → produce isn’t as nutrient-dense as it used to be.
Processed diets → tons of sodium chloride (table salt) but hardly any potassium, magnesium, or trace minerals.
Stress + meds (antacids, diuretics, birth control, metformin) → deplete magnesium, zinc, and more.
Restrictive eating → skip seafood, meat, or dairy and you can miss iodine, iron, zinc.
The Big Five Mineral Shortfalls
1. Potassium: The Blood Pressure Balancer
What it does: Keeps your heart rhythm steady, balances sodium, and helps move water into your cells.
How many fall short: A peer-reviewed analysis found hypokalemia (low potassium in blood) jumped from 3.8% to 11% of Americans between 1999–2016. That’s a tripling.
Symptoms: Cramps, palpitations, stubbornly high blood pressure, fatigue.
Food fix: Beans, lentils, potatoes, leafy greens, citrus. (If your “vegetable” is ketchup, we have a problem.)
2. Magnesium: The Chill Pill You’re Not Taking
What it does: Activates ATP (your energy currency), regulates nerves and muscles, keeps blood sugar steady, supports sleep.
How many fall short: Depending on the study, 22–43% of U.S. adults don’t even meet the basic intake requirement, and in certain groups (like people with diabetes), up to half are deficient.
Symptoms: Muscle cramps, migraines, anxiety, constipation, restless legs, poor sleep.
Food fix: Nuts, seeds, legumes, dark leafy greens.
Side note: Serum magnesium tests? Pretty useless. Your body keeps blood magnesium stable by robbing your bones and tissues, so you can “look fine” on paper and still be running on empty.
3. Iron: Oxygen’s Uber Driver
What it does: Builds hemoglobin to deliver oxygen to every cell. It’s also a cofactor for thyroid hormones and mitochondrial energy.
How many fall short: A 2024 JAMA Network Open study found ~29% of U.S. adults are iron-deficient — 14% absolute, 15% functional.
Symptoms: Fatigue, brain fog, hair shedding, cold hands/feet, pale skin, restless legs. (Basically the “I feel like a zombie” package.)
Food fix: Heme iron (meat, shellfish) is best absorbed; non-heme (beans, spinach, lentils) works better with vitamin C.
4. Zinc: Your Immune Security Guard
What it does: Immune defense, wound healing, skin integrity, taste/smell, even hormone receptor function.
How many fall short: U.S. NHANES serum data (2011–2014) showed 8–9% of adults have low zinc, and ~11% of pregnant women don’t meet the intake requirement.
Symptoms: Constant colds, cuts that take forever to heal, loss of taste/smell (no, not always COVID), skin rashes.
Food fix: Oysters win the zinc Olympics, but beef, lamb, pumpkin seeds, and beans (if prepped well) all help.
5. Iodine + Selenium: The Thyroid Tag Team
What they do: Iodine makes thyroid hormones; selenium activates and protects them from oxidative stress. Together, they keep metabolism and energy humming.
How many fall short: U.S. data shows women of reproductive age and pregnant women often have urinary iodine levels below sufficiency cutoffs. Selenium intake is usually okay, but a small shift matters for thyroid autoimmunity.
Symptoms: Sluggishness, hair loss, cold intolerance, mood dips. In pregnancy, low iodine can affect baby’s brain development.
Food fix: Iodized salt, seafood, eggs, dairy. Selenium pops up in seafood, meat, eggs, and Brazil nuts (just 1–2 a few times a week — more than that risks selenium overload).
Don’t Guess, Test
Please don’t run to Amazon and order 12 bottles of mineral supplements. Here’s why:
Iron: Too much can be toxic; check ferritin and transferrin saturation first.
Magnesium: Serum is a blunt tool, but diet/meds/symptoms matter; RBC magnesium or a “magnesium depletion score” is better.
Zinc: Serum zinc can work if tested correctly.
Iodine/Selenium: Specialized labs exist, but thyroid panels + diet history give good clues.
And yes, I can order labs if you want clarity. Testing beats guessing every time.
The Take-Home List
Feed your body spark plugs: Potassium, magnesium, iron, zinc, iodine/selenium.
Eat them first: Beans, greens, nuts, seeds, seafood, eggs, iodized salt.
Hydrate smarter: Add a pinch of mineral salt to your morning water.
Check, don’t chuck: Labs before supplements.
Bottom line? Minerals are tiny but mighty. They’re why some people drag through the day with brain fog, cramps, and fatigue and others feel steady, strong, and energized.
We’re in this together. If you want help or to get a solid plan in place, click on this link to get started.
