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Objectives
• Of the minerals discussed:– Identify at least two food sources of each mineral
– State one or more functions of each mineral
• Describe recommended method of avoiding mineral deficiencies
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Facts
• Human body made up of specific chemical elements
• Oxygen, carbon, hydrogen, and nitrogen make up 96 percent of body weight
• Remaining elements and minerals represent 4 percent of body weight
• Essential for good health
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Minerals
• Inorganic elements necessary to build tissues, regulate body fluids, and assist in various body functions
• Found in all body tissues
• Do not provide energy by themselves– But contribute to production of energy
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Minerals
• Enriched foods– Foods to which nutrients have been added to improve
nutritional value• Usually B vitamins and iron
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Classification
• Major minerals– Required in amounts greater than 100 mg per day
• Trace minerals– Required in amounts smaller than 100 mg per day
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Electrolytes
• Ions– Electrically charged atoms
• Resulting from mineral salts dissolved in water
– Cations• Positively charged
– Anions• Negatively charged
– Must be balanced within body
– Also known as electrolytes
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Electrolytes
• Maintain body’s fluid balance
• Contribute to electrical balance
• Assist in transmission of nerve impulses and contraction of muscles
• Help regulate body’s acid-base balance
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Stop and Share
• Consider the following question:– What is the best way to receive an adequate intake of
minerals?
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Stop and Share
• Balanced diet– Only safe way to include minerals in amounts necessary to
maintain health
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Toxicity
• Occurs when concentrated forms of minerals taken regularly over time
• Excessive amount of one mineral can lead to deficiency of another mineral
• Changes in nearly all tissues may result
• Concentrated minerals should be used only if prescribed
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Major Minerals
• Calcium (Ca)
• Phosphorus (P)
• Potassium (K)
• Sodium (Na)
• Chloride (Cl)
• Magnesium (Mg)
• Sulfur (S)
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Calcium
• More in human body than any other mineral
• In combination with phosphorus, gives strength and hardness to bones and teeth
• Bones provide storage
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Calcium
• Necessary for the following:– Normal nerve and muscle action
– Blood clotting
– Heart function
– Cell metabolism
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Calcium Regulation
• Hormonal system regulates delivery to cells
• Parathyroid glands release hormone telling kidneys to retrieve calcium before it is excreted when blood calcium levels drop
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Calcium Regulation
• Hormone works with calcitriol– Causing increased release of calcium from bones by
stimulating activity of osteoclasts
• Both actions increase blood calcium levels
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Calcium Regulation
• Every cell needs calcium
• Normal blood calcium levels maintained even if intake poor
• Bones become increasingly fragile as calcium withdrawn
• Osteoporosis may result from years of low calcium intake
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Calcium Regulation
• Osteoblasts increase bone mass if blood calcium level high until age 30 to 35
• Bone mass remains stable in women with adequate consumption of calcium, phosphorus, and vitamin D– Until menopause
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Calcium Sources
• Milk and milk products
• Dark green leafy vegetables– Oxalic acid in some vegetables prevents calcium from
being absorbed
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Calcium Sources
• Fiber intake of more than 35 g per day causes calcium to bind with phytates– Also limits absorption
– Phytates• Phosphorus compounds found in some high-fiber cereals
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Calcium Absorption
• Items that enhance absorption:– Vitamin D
– Calcium-to-phosphorus ratio that includes no more phosphorus than calcium
– Presence of lactose
• Items that retard absorption:– Lack of weight-bearing exercise
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Calcium Requirements
Age Amount0 to 6 months 210 mg
6 to 12 months 270 mg
1 to 3 years 500 mg
4 to 8 years 800 mg
9 to 18 years 1,300 mg
19 to 50 years 1,000 mg
51 to 70+ years 1,200 mg
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Calcium Requirements
Age AmountPregnant women:
14 to 18 years 1,300 mg
19 to 50 years 1,000 mg
Lactating women:
Same as non-lactating women of same age
Source:Dietary Reference Intakes: The Essential Guide to Nutrient Requirements © 2006 by the National Academy of Sciences, Courtesy of the National Academies Press, Washington, D.C.
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Calcium Supplements
• Calcium carbonate has highest concentration of bioavailable calcium
• Absorbed most efficiently when consumed in doses of 500 mg
• Check for United States Pharmacopeia (USP)-approved products– Unlikely to contain lead
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Calcium Deficiency
• Rickets results in poorly formed bone structure– Causes bowed legs, “pigeon breast,” enlarged wrists or
ankles, and stunted growth
• “Adult rickets” causes bones to become soft– Also known as osteomalacia
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Calcium Deficiency
• Osteoporosis causes brittle bones
• Tetany results from insufficient calcium in blood– Characterized by involuntary muscle movement
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Calcium Excess
• Excessive intake may do the following:– Cause constipation
– Cause kidney stones
– Inhibit absorption of iron and zinc
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Phosphorus
• Constituent of all body cells
• Stored in bones
• Necessary for the following:– Formation of strong, rigid bones and teeth
– Metabolism of carbohydrates, fats, and proteins
– Proper acid-base balance
– Effective action of several B vitamins
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Phosphorus Sources
• Best sources:– Milk, cheese, meats, poultry, and fish
• Other sources:– Cereals, legumes, nuts, and soft drinks
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Phosphorus Absorption
• Increased in presence of vitamin D
• Excessive use of antacids can negatively affect absorption
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Phosphorus Deficiency
• Rare
• Symptoms:– Bone demineralization
– Fatigue
– Anorexia
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Potassium
• Found primarily in intracellular fluid
• Essential with sodium for fluid balance and osmosis
• Maintains fluid level within cell
• Necessary for the following:– Transmitting nerve impulses and muscle contractions
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Potassium Sources
• Fruits:– Especially melons, oranges, bananas, and peaches
• Vegetables:– Brussels sprouts, mushrooms, potatoes, tomatoes, winter
squash, lima beans, and carrots
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Potassium Deficiency
• Hypokalemia
• Caused by diarrhea, vomiting, diabetic acidosis, severe malnutrition, or excessive use of laxatives or diuretics
• Symptoms:– Nausea, anorexia, fatigue, muscle weakness, and heart
abnormalities
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Potassium Excess
• Hyperkalemia
• Caused by dehydration, renal failure, or excessive intake
• Can result in cardiac failure
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Sodium
• Primarily necessary for the following:– Control of fluid balance in body
• Maintains acid-base balance
• Participates in transmission of nerve impulses essential for normal muscle function
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Sodium Sources
• Table salt contains 40 percent– One teaspoon contains 2,000 mg
• Naturally available in animal foods
• DRI of 1,500 mg
• Tolerable upper limit of 5,800 mg– Easily exceeded by general population
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Sodium Deficiency
• Caused by severe vomiting, diarrhea, and heavy perspiration– Leading to dehydration
• Can upset acid-base balance– Causing acidosis or alkalosis
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Sodium Excess
• May cause edema– Resulting in hypertension
• Associated with hypertension and congestive heart failure
• Treatment:– Sodium-restricted diet
• Diets below 1 g rarely prescribed
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Chloride
• Essential for the following:– Maintenance of fluid, electrolyte, and acid-base balance
• Found in hydrochloric acid, cerebrospinal fluid, and muscle and nerve tissue
• Helps blood carry carbon dioxide to lungs
• Necessary during immune responses when WBCs attack foreign cells
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Chloride
• Found almost exclusively in table salt or in foods containing sodium chloride
• Deficiency rare
• Can occur with severe vomiting, diarrhea, excessive use of diuretics, and alkalosis
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Magnesium
• Vital to both hard and soft body tissues
• Essential for metabolism
• Regulates nerve and muscle function
• Plays role in blood-clotting process
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Magnesium Sources
• Found primarily in plant foods
• Green leafy vegetables, legumes, nuts, whole grains, some fruits (e.g., avocados, bananas), and milk in sufficient quantities
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Magnesium Deficiency
• Unknown among people on normal diets
• Symptoms:– Nausea and mental, emotional, and muscular disorders
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Sulfur
• Necessary to all body tissue and for metabolism
• Contributes to characteristic odor of burning hair and tissue
• Component of some amino acids
• Found in protein-rich foods
• Both amount required by human body and deficiency unknown
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Trace Minerals
• Iron (Fe)• Iodine (I)• Zinc (Zn)• Selenium (Se)• Copper (Cu)
• Manganese (Mn)• Fluoride (F)• Chromium (Cr)• Molybdenum (Mo)
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Iron
• Delivers oxygen to body tissues
• Component of hemoglobin
• Component of myoglobin– Protein compound in muscles that provides oxygen to cells
• Used by enzymes involved in making amino acids, hormones, and neurotransmitters
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Iron Sources
• Heme iron:– Meat, poultry, and fish
– Absorbed more than twice as efficiently as nonheme iron
• Nonheme iron:– Whole-grain cereals, enriched grain products, vegetables,
fruits, eggs, meat, fish, and poultry
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Iron Requirements
• RDA doubles during pregnancy– Difficult to meet by diet alone
– Iron supplement commonly prescribed
• Increased requirements during infancy and teenage years
• Vitamin C enhances absorption
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Iron Deficiency
• Caused by insufficient intake, malabsorption, lack of stomach acid, or excessive blood loss
• Iron-deficiency anemia– Most common nutrient deficiency worldwide
• Symptoms:– Fatigue, weakness, irritability, shortness of breath, pale
skin, and spoon-shaped fingernails
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Iron Excess
• Hemochromatosis– Results from inborn error of metabolism that causes
excessive absorption of iron
– Untreated, can damage liver, spleen, and heart
– To control iron buildup, must give blood on regular basis
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Iodine
• Component of thyroid hormones, thyroxine (T4), and triiodothyronine (T3)
• Necessary for the following:– Normal functioning of thyroid gland
• Determines rate of metabolism
• Sources:– Iodized salt, seafood, and some plant foods grown in soil
bordering sea
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Iodine
• Increased requirements during pregnancy and lactation
• Deficiencies:– Cause decrease in thyroxine and triiodothyronine
– Gland grows, forming lump on neck• Goiter
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Iodine
• Myxedema– Condition of hypothyroidism in adults
• Cretinism– Low thyroid in child
– Physical and mental development delayed
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Zinc
• Cofactor for more than 300 enzymes
• Essential for the following:– Growth
– Wound-healing
– Taste acuity
– Glucose tolerance
– Mobilization of vitamin A within body
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Zinc
• Sources:– Meat, fish, eggs, dairy products, wheat germ, and legumes
• Increased requirements during pregnancy and lactation
• Deficiency symptoms:– Decreased appetite and taste acuity, delayed growth,
dwarfism, hypogonadism, poor wound-healing, anemia, acne-like rash, and impaired immune response
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Selenium
• Constituent of most body tissues
• Concentrated in liver, kidneys, and heart
• Component of enzyme that acts as antioxidant– Protects cells against oxidation
– Spares vitamin E
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Selenium
• Sources:– Seafood, kidney, liver, and muscle meats
• High doses toxic– Causes vomiting, loss of hair and nails, and skin lesions
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Copper
• In all tissues– Heaviest concentration in liver, kidneys, muscles, and brain
• Helps with the following:– Formation of hemoglobin
– Transportation of iron to bone marrow for RBC formation
– Production of energy
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Copper Sources
• Organ meats, shellfish, legumes, nuts, cocoa, whole-grain cereals, and human milk
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Copper Deficiency
• Rare, but may occur in:– Malabsorption conditions
– Gross protein deficiency
– Premature infants
– Clients on long-term parenteral nutrition
– People taking excess zinc supplements
• May cause anemia, bone demineralization, and impaired growth
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Copper Excess
• Highly toxic
• Wilson’s disease– Inherited condition causing accumulation of copper in
liver, brain, kidneys, and cornea
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Manganese
• Constituent of several enzymes involved in metabolism
• Important in bone formation
• Sources:– Whole grains, teas, vegetables, and fruits
• Deficiency or toxicity from ingestion unknown
• Inhalation linked to neurological problems
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Fluoride
• Increases resistance to dental caries– May strengthen teeth and bones
• Sources:– Fluoridated water, fish, and tea and commercially prepared
foods with fluoridated water
• Deficiency can result in increased tooth decay
• Excess can cause permanent discoloration or mottling of children’s teeth
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Chromium
• Associated with glucose and lipid metabolism
• Levels decrease with age except in lungs– Where it accumulates
• Sources:– Meat, mushrooms, nuts, yeast, organ meats, and wheat
germ
• Deficiency related to disturbances in glucose metabolism
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Molybdenum
• Constituent of enzymes
• Considered to play role in metabolism
• Sources:– Milk, liver, legumes, and cereals
• No deficiencies noted
• Excess inhibits copper absorption
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Conclusion
• Megadoses of minerals dangerous
• Minerals necessary to promote growth and regulate body processes
• Minerals originate in soil and water and ingested via food and drink
• Deficiencies can result in severe conditions
• Excess can be toxic