Minerals: Chapter 12

• Major minerals are covered in chapter 12.
• Minerals are inorganic substances.
• Vitamins are organic nutrients.

Minerals in the Body

• Calcium is the most abundant mineral, primarily found in bones and teeth.
• Graph depicting the quantities of macro- and micro- minerals in the body include:
  • Calcium (1,000 g)
  • Phosphorus (780 g)
  • Potassium (140 g)
  • Sulfur (140 g)
  • Sodium (100 g)
  • Chloride (95 g)
  • Magnesium (19 g)
  • Iron (4.2 g)
  • Zinc (2.3 g)
  • Copper (0.07 g)
  • Iodine (0.02 g)
• Electrolytes include sodium, potassium, and chloride.
• Minerals stabilize ATP (adenosine triphosphate), and cramping can occur if there is a lack of minerals.
• Minerals are a component of proteins
• Some minerals regulate thyroid hormones.
• Mineral deficiency is common in the U.S., especially magnesium.

Factors Affecting Mineral Bioavailability

• Mineral deficiency increases absorption.
• Cooking increases the bioavailability of minerals in legumes.
• Vitamin C increases the absorption of some minerals, like iron.
• Vitamin D increases the absorption of calcium, phosphorus, and magnesium.
• Binders like oxalates reduce bioavailability and are found in many foods.
• Phytates in nuts, whole grains, and legumes reduce bioavailability.
• Polyphenols in tea and coffee reduce bioavailability.
• Supplementation of single minerals reduces absorption of competing minerals.

Major Minerals

• Daily needs are based on a 19+ year old.

Sodium (Na+)

• Involved in regulating body water and blood pressure.
• Major cation outside the cell.
• Daily need is 1,500 mg.
• Sources include processed foods, seaweed, and table salt.
• Toxicity symptoms include edema and hypertension. An UL of 2,300 mg is set.
• Deficiency symptoms include headache, nausea, vomiting, fatigue, and disorientation, and are rare unless related to sodium loss.

Chloride (Cl)

• Major anion outside the cell.
• Part of hydrochloric acid (HCl).
• Participates in acid-base balance.
• Daily need is 2,300 mg.
• Sources include processed foods, seaweed, table salt, and rye.
• Toxicity symptom is vomiting. UL 3,600 mg/day.

Potassium (K+)

• Major cation inside the cell.
• Regulates body water and blood pressure.
• Daily need of 4,700 mg/day.
• Sources include unprocessed foods, fruits, vegetables, meat, dairy, and nuts.
• Toxicity symptoms include irregular heartbeat and heart damage, with no established UL.
• Deficiency symptoms include muscle weakness, cramps, glucose intolerance, irregular heartbeat, and paralysis.

Calcium (Ca+2)

• Formation of bones and teeth.
• Critical for muscle contraction, relaxation, and blood clotting.
• Important for heart and nerve function.
• Daily need is 1,000 mg.
• Sources include milk and dairy products, leafy greens, broccoli, salmon, sardines, legumes, and calcium-fortified soymilk and juices.
• Toxicity can cause constipation, kidney issues, and calcium deposits in tissues. UL is 2,500 mg/day.
• Deficiency can cause bone loss (osteoporosis) and bone fractures.

Phosphorus (PO4-)

• Involved in bone and teeth formation.
• Part of DNA, RNA, coenzymes, and ATP.
• Transports lipids and maintains acid-base balance.
• Daily need is 700 mg.
• Sources are meat, fish, poultry, eggs, and cereals.
• Toxicity symptoms include a decrease in bone mass and calcium deposits in tissues. UL is 4,000 mg/day.
• Deficiency symptoms may include muscle weakness and bone pain.

Magnesium (Mg+2)

• Participates as a cofactor in many biochemical reactions, including muscle contraction and nerve conduction.
• Women need 310mg/day, and Men need 400mg/day
• Green leafy vegetables, whole grains, nuts, legumes, dairy, and fruits are sources.
• Toxicity symptoms include diarrhea, cramps, and nausea (from supplements). UL is 350 mg/day from supplements.
• Deficiency symptoms include weakness, fatigue, confusion, seizures, depression, and irregular heartbeat.

Sulfate (SO4)

• Part of keratin found in hair and skin.
• Needed for collagen formation.
• Participates in acid-base balance and cellular respiration.
• No established daily needs.
• Sources include all protein-containing foods like meat, fish, poultry, eggs, legumes, nuts, and dairy.
• May promote ulcerative colitis.
• No toxicity or deficiency symptoms are known.

Sodium Balance

• Regulated by the kidneys.
• When levels are low, aldosterone increases sodium reabsorption in the kidneys.
• When levels are high, aldosterone secretion stops and the kidneys excrete excess sodium.

Sodium and Glucose Transport

• Sodium helps transport glucose across cell membranes.

Sodium & Potassium Content in Foods

• Processed foods generally have much more sodium and less potassium than whole foods.

Sodium Content of Selected Foods

• Daily sodium needs for adults (19-50 years) is 1,500mg.

Sodium Chloride

• Sodium chloride is the most abundant form of sodium in the diet.

Potassium Content of Selected Foods

• Potatoes, bananas, and apricots have the most potassium.
• The daily need of potassium for adults (19-50 years) is 4,700 mg.

Calcium Bioavailability

• Spinach, rhubarb, and okra have less than 10%.
• Milk, cheese, yogurt, tofu and soy milk have 20-30%.
• Kale, broccoli and Chinese mustard have over 40%.

Calcium Homeostasis

• Calcium homeostasis tightly controlled to maintain a blood level of 8.5 to 11mg per deciliter.
• Regulated by parathyroid hormone, calcitriol (vitamin D), and calcitonin.
• Low blood calcium causes secretion of parathyroid hormone to stimulate reabsorption in the kidneys and intestines.
• High blood calcium triggers the release of calcitonin to reduce reabsorption.

Bone Structure

• The two types of bone are trabecular (spongy) and cortical (compact).

Calcium Content of Selected Foods

• Adults ages 19 to 50 need around 1,000mg of calcium per day.

Phosphorus in Cell Membranes

• Phosphorus forms phospholipids in cell membranes.

Phosphorus Content of Selected Foods

• For adults aged 19 to 50, the daily phosphorus need is 700 mg.

Magnesium Food Sources

• The daily need for magnesium is 310-320 mg for women and 400-420 mg for men.
• Green leafy vegetables, nuts and legumes all support the stabilization of ADP + ATP

Sulphur

• Aids in protein structure.
• Found in methionine and cysteine amino acids

Changes in Bone Mass

• Bone mass peaks in early adulthood and declines with age.
• Active growth occurs between 10 and 30 years.
• Rapid loss starts at 50 years.
• Slow loss starts at 60 years and more.

Trace Minerals

• Trace minerals are covered in chapter 13.

Iron (Fe)

• Major component of hemoglobin and myoglobin; carries oxygen and carbon dioxide.
• Part of cytochromes.
• Enhances immune system.
• Women need 18mg/day, men need 8mg/day.
• Sources include meat, fish, poultry, enriched breads/cereals.
• Toxicity symptoms: nausea, vomiting, constipation, organ damage. UL 45 mg.
• Deficiency symptoms: fatigue, anemia, poor immune function, growth retardation.
• Can have a negative interaction with zinc, calcium, may benefit ascorbic acid.

Copper (Cu)

• A component of several metalloenzymes.
• Enzymes involved in iron metabolism.
• Connective tissue enzymes.
• Women and Men need 900µg/day.
• Found in cocoa, whole grain, legumes in shellfish.
• Toxicity and liver damage with more than 10,000 µg.

Zinc (Zn)

• Antioxidant enzymes.
• Cofactor for several metalloenzymes.
• DNA and RNA Synthesis
• Part of the enzyme superoxide dismutase
• Women = 8mg a day, Men = 11mg a day.

Selenium (Se)

• component of antioxidant enzymes.
• 55µg a day.

Fluoride (F)

• Part of fluoroapatite, makes teeth stronger and enhances