The accompanying box, “Mineral Megadoses: Selenium, Zinc, Chromium; tells when it may pay to take stich doses and when it’s best to avoid them, Below, we describe how to get the right mix of the more common minerals. CALCIUM: STILL WORTHWHILE The February 2006 calcium tial, involving some 36,000 postmenopausal women, failed to conclusively show that supplemental calcium plus vitamin D— which may also contribute to bone health and cancer prevention—fended off either fractures or colon cancer, The strongest finding: a slight increase in the risk of kidney stones. However, the study had several flaws that may have impaired its ability to detect any benefits: lower initial colon-cancer risk than in previous studies, unusually high calcium intakes apart from the assigned pills, poor compliance with the treatment, widespread use of bone-build- ing estrogen, and possibly inadequate study length and vitamin-D doses. Despite those limitations, researchers zeroed in on the women. who actually adhered to the prescribed regimen, they found significant support for calcium: a 29 percent reduction in the risk of hip fracture, the most debilitating and deadly kind. That finding indicates that calcium is still essential for skeletal health. But the mineral has other important benefits as ‘well. Observational studies have generally linked low calcium intakes with excess fat when or body weight. Several small trials of low-calorie diets have found that calcium- rich regimens lead to more loss of weight or fat than those with litde calcium, possibly because the mineral binds with ingested fat and ferries it out of the body. ‘The reduction in artery-clogging fats may also explain why calcium slightly reduces levels of the “bad” LDL choles- terol, Finally, consuming 1,000 to 1,200 milligrams (sng) of calcium per day may reduce symptoms of premenstrual syndrome—such as mood swings, water retention, and food cravings—by some 50 percent, according to the largest study performed so far. COMBINED MINERAL POWER Research increasingly shows that potassi- um and magnesium play important, complementary roles along with calei- ‘um-—and not just for the bones, Several observational studies have linked a high dietary intake of those two minerals, both of which improve calcium absorp- tion, with increased bone density. Results from a large clinical trial, published in 2003, showed that a healthful diet rich in all three nutrients improved bone structure more than the expected bolstering from calcium alone. Moreover, that study, called the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) trial, has documented that the mineral trio provides an even greater effect on blood pressure. The reductions in pressure were especially large in indi- viduals who need them the most: black Salt: Where you least expect it Salty-tasting snacks may contain less sodium per serving than mexyy foods that don’t taste salty. For example, Wise Potato Chips and Planter’s Salted Peanuts have much less sodium than Aunt Jemima’s Original Pancake Mix or «a Burger King Spicy Tendercrisp Chicken Sandwich. people, who face an above-average risk of stroke, and those who already have hypertension, The minerals may lower blood pressure by blunting the effect of sodium (see below), at least in part by flushing it out of the body. In addition, magnesium and, to a lesser extent, potassium provide their own unique benefits. Magnesium: Beyond its effect on blood. pressure, magnesium may further protect the heart by helping to prevent abnormal heart rhythms and blood clots, and to ward off or control type 2 diabetes ‘The evidence is particularly strong for diabetes. Three large observational studies, including one published in ‘March 2006, have shown that people who consume the most dietary magnesium have a reduced risk of developing either diabetes or a crucial contributing factor called insulin resistance. Other research hints that magnesium supple- ments improved long-term blood-sugar control in people who already have the full-blown disease. © Potassium: Adequate intake of this mineral can help prevent muscle cramps and kidney stones, HOW TO GET ENOUGH Less than one-third of Americans regularly consume the recommended amounts of calcium or magnesium or potassium. To boost your intake, it’s best to focus on foods rather than supple- ments. Foods rich in those minerals tend to be high in other substances—such as B vitamins, vitamins C, D, and K, and fiber—that may also help prevent osteo- porosis, hypertension, heart disease, or even cancer, And getting too much of those miner- als, which is easy to do with supplements, can cause problems: diarrhea from exces- sive magnesium; kidney stones and blocked absorption of other nutrients from too much calcium; and kidney damage from potassium overload in people who take certain drugs, notably potassium-retaining diuretics, or who have kidney or heart failure.