Nutrition Quiz: Major and Trace Minerals

Major Minerals

• Major minerals are those stored in the body in amounts greater than 5 grams.
• Calcium is the most abundant mineral in the body (1150g).
• 99% of calcium is in the bones and teeth.
• 1% of calcium is in the blood and body fluids.

Minerals in a 60-kilogram Human Body

• Calcium - 1150 grams
• Phosphorus - 600 grams
• Potassium - 210 grams
• Sulfur - 150 grams
• Sodium - 90 grams
• Chloride - 90 grams
• Magnesium - 30 grams
• Iron - 2.4 grams
• Zinc - 2.0 grams
• Copper - 0.09 grams
• Manganese - 0.02 grams
• Iodine - 0.02 grams
• Selenium - 0.02 grams

Trace Minerals

• Trace minerals are found in amounts less than 5 grams in the body.
• There are more than a dozen trace minerals in the human body.

Food Sources of Minerals

• Vegetables and fruit: Iron, Calcium, Potassium, Magnesium, Molybdenum
• Whole Grains: Iron, Zinc, Selenium, Copper, Chromium, Sulfur, Manganese, Sodium, Potassium, Phosphorus
• Protein Foods: Iron, Zinc, Calcium, Magnesium, Potassium, Chromium, Sulfur, Selenium, Phosphorus, Copper, Manganese, Fluoride, Molybdenum

Minerals in the Body

• Minerals are elements needed by the body in small amounts for health and maintenance.
• Major minerals are needed in the diet in amounts greater than 100 mg per day or are present in the body in amounts greater than 0.01% of body weight.
• Trace minerals are required in the diet in amounts less than 100 mg per day or are present in the body in amounts less than 0.01% of body weight.

Sodium (Na)

• Major cation of the extracellular fluid.
• Functions: maintains water balance, maintains acid-base balance, muscle contraction, nerve conduction.
• About 90-95% of sodium loss is through the urine, the rest through feces and sweat.
• Normally, sodium excretion equals sodium ingested.
• Sodium balance is regulated by aldosterone, a hormone secreted by the adrenal glands, which stimulates reabsorption of sodium by the kidneys.
• Estrogen can cause sodium and water retention (changes in water and sodium balance during the menstrual cycle, pregnancy, and oral contraceptive use).
• Too much sodium in the diet is linked to sodium chloride and hypertension.
• Sodium increases the body's need for water and edema (result of accumulation of body water due to high solutes such as sodium).
• High dietary sodium has been associated with high excretion of calcium, but the influence on bone loss is not clear.
• Symptoms of loss of excess sodium in the body include muscle cramps, decreased blood pressure, loss of appetite, high hematocrit, dehydration, and hyponatremia (too little sodium in the blood).
• A teaspoon of salt equals 2,000 mg of sodium (2 grams).
• Upper Limit (UL) - 2300mg/day
• Adequate Intake (AI) - 1500mg/day
• Average Canadian consumption - 4,000 to 5,000 mg/day
• 75% of sodium in a person's diet comes from processed and canned foods
• 15% of sodium comes from added in cooking
• 10% of sodium is naturally occurring in food.
• MSG (monosodium glutamate) can cause a reaction (Chinese Restaurant Syndrome) in some people.

Potassium (K)

• Major intracellular cation.
• Functions: maintains normal fluid and electrolyte balance, conduction of nerve impulse transmission, control of muscle contraction (esp heart).
• If heart cells lose 6% of potassium, the heart stops beating. Anoerxia.
• Too much potassium can also cause the heart to stop beating.
• Low potassium (hypokalemia) can be caused by diuretics (dehydration).
• Symptoms of low potassium include irregular heart beat, and muscular weakness.
• Adequate Intake (AI): 4700mg/day (adults)

Chloride (Cl)

• Major anion of the extracellular fluid.
• Functions: maintains fluid balance, maintains acid-base balance (vomiting upsets acid-base balance), necessary for proper digestion (part of HCl in stomach), protein digestion, iron absorption.
• Most chloride comes from processed foods (NaCI).
• Adequate Intake (AI): 2300mg/day (adults).
• Upper Limit (UL): 3600mg/day (adults).

Calcium (Ca)

• Most abundant mineral in the body. 1150g
• 99% stored in bones and teeth
• 1% in blood and body fluids
• Functions in the body (bones):
  • protect and strengthen bones
  • serves as storage site
• Functions in the body (blood and body fluid):
  • muscle contraction (including heart).
  • nerve impulse transmission.
  • regulates blood pressure.
  • blood clotting
  • cofactor for enzymes.
  • secretion of hormones.
• Absorption of calcium:
  • 25% absorbed in general
  • 50% absorbed during pregnancy
  • 50-60% absorbed during growth in children
• Factors affecting calcium absorption:
  • high acidity in stomach (↑)
  • Vitamin D (↑)
  • lactose in dairy (↑)
  • phytic acid and fiber (husks of grains) (↓)
  • oxalic acid (green leafy and others) (↓)
  • growth/growth hormones (↑)
  • pregnancy (↑)
  • aging (↓)
• Regulation of Calcium:
  • If blood Ca gets too low, the intestines increase Ca absorption, the bones increase Ca release, and the kidneys decrease Ca excretion.
  • If blood Ca gets too high, Ca will get deposited into bones.
• Blood calcium concentration is controlled by parathyroid hormone (PTH), Vitamin D, and Calcitonin.

Osteoporosis

• Reduced density of the bones.
• Bones are porous.
• Loss of height can be a symptom due to collapse of vertebrae in the spine.
• Factors: age, gender, race, family history, body size, smoking, alcohol, exercise, diet, hormonal changes
• Prevent osteoporosis by consuming adequate calcium and exercising (weight-bearing activities).

Phosphorus (P)

• Second most abundant mineral (after calcium).
• 85% is stored in bones and teeth.
• Functions of Phosphorus:
  • structural components of bones and teeth
  • regulates stomach pH.
  • structural component of nucleic acids (DNA and RNA)
  • structural components of coenzymes (NADP, FADP, TPP, pyridoxal phosphate)
  • structural component of fats
  • involved in energy transfer (ATP and ADP)

Sulphur (S)

• Exists in food and water, in the form of sulphate.
• Not used as a nutrient itself.
• However, often found in amino acids (methionine and cysteine) and B vitamins (Thiamine and Biotin).
• Function of Sulphur:
  • determines the shape of proteins.
  • found in hair, nails, and skin
  • in hair processing (perm or straightening) sulphur rearranges the protein molecules in hair strands
• DRI is not defined/none specified.

Magnesium (Mg)

• Most of the body's magnesium is stored in bones along with calcium and phosphorus (60%).
• Many calcium supplements include magnesium.
• Functions: maintains bone health, tooth decay resistance, involved in synthesis and breakdown of fats, CHO, and protein, relaxes muscles after contraction, nerve impulse transmission, regulates hormones and enzymes, important in heart function.
• Adequate Intake (AI): Males - 420 mg/day, Females - 310 mg/day
• Toxicity is rare
• Upper Limit (UL): 350 mg (non-food sources)
• Best dietary sources: Nuts/seeds/beans/legumes/bran, leafy greens (chlorophyll)

Test your knowledge on major and trace minerals in this nutrition quiz. Learn about sodium's role in the body, dietary intake thresholds, and health implications of mineral imbalances. Features questions on sources, functions, and physiological effects.