A short guide to everyday minerals
Three minerals show up in almost every conversation about energy and sleep. Here is what they do, and where food already provides them.
Magnesium
Magnesium takes part in hundreds of enzyme reactions, including those involved in muscle and nerve function. It has a long traditional association with rest, and it is widely present in ordinary food: leafy greens, beans and lentils, nuts and seeds, whole grains, and plain dark chocolate.
Potassium
Potassium works alongside sodium in fluid balance and in normal muscle contraction. Bananas get the publicity, but potatoes, beans, lentils, spinach, tomatoes, yoghurt and fish all contribute meaningfully, often more per serving.
Sodium
Sodium is not a villain, since the body needs it, but in most Western diets it arrives in quantities well past what is needed, mainly through packaged and restaurant food rather than the salt shaker. Cooking more meals at home changes that number more than any other single step.
Food first, then the label
Where a supplement is being considered, the sensible order is: talk to a pharmacist or doctor about interactions, read the label, and prefer products that state the exact form and amount of each ingredient. Supplements are regulated differently from medicines, and quality varies between manufacturers.
A note on traditional use
Several plants and minerals discussed in wellness circles, among them ginger, cinnamon, turmeric and bitter herbs, have long histories of traditional culinary and household use across many cultures. A long history of use is a genuinely interesting thing. It is not the same as a clinical claim, and we try not to blur the two.