Minerals Flashcards
(31 cards)
Minerals are
inorganic elements (not carbon based)
Macro-mineral vs. Micro-mineral
- 0.01% body weight
- 100 mg/d required
Macro-minerals include:
Ca, Mg, P, Na, K, Cl, S
Micro-nutrients include:
Fe, Zn, Cu, Se, Cr, Mn, I, Fl, Mo, Ni, Si, U, As, Bo, Co, Al, and more
Calcium
Roles: bone and tooth health (99% of calcium in body), muscle contraction, blood clotting
Sources: dairy, fish with bones, broccoli, tofu, fortified juices
Low calcium intakes are associated with..
-adult bone loss (osteoporosis)
-high blood pressure
-colon cancer
Calcium and bone health
-skeleton is a bank from which the blood can borrow and return calcium as needed
-if more is needed, 5 body can absorb more from the intestine and prevent loss from kidneys
Bone health key nutrients:
calcium, phosphorus, vitamin D, fluoride, vitamin K, magnesium, boron, molybdenum
Obtaining enough calcium in childhood and adolescence helps ensure that the skeleton start adulthood with a high bone density
Adequate intake after that can slow loss
Bone health
-44 million people in the US (majority women over 50) have osteoporosis
~1,500,000 people a year break a hip, leg, arm, hand, ankle, or other bone during osteoporosis
-about 1/5 of people with hip fracture die within a year
Bone health causes:
Gender (particularly women), advance age, genetics, race (particularly white and Asian), environmental/lifestyle
Environment/lifestyle causes for bone health:
-poor calcium and vitamin D nutrition and other nutrients
-estrogen deficiency in women
-lack of physical activity
-being underweight
-use of tobacco and alcohol abuse
Female athlete triad
Disorder eating, amenorrhea, osteoporosis
Phosphorus
Functions: bone, energy rich compounds (ATP), phospholipids (cellular membranes), active forms of vitamins (NADP, TDO, PLP), part of nuclei acid function
Sources: dairy, MFP, nuts, seeds, legumes, colas
Magnesium
Functions: energy metabolism, muscle contraction, protein synthesis
Sources: nuts, legumes, whole grains, green veggies (chlorophyll)
Electrolytes
-Macronutrient
-substance that conducts a current in a solution (Na, K, Cl, Ca and Mg)
Sodium (Na)
Functions: nerve conduction and signaling muscle contraction, fluid balance (major cation in extracellular fluid ®ulation of blood pressure)
Sources: processed foods and table salt
Chloride
Functions: digestion as part of HCl, works with sodium (major anion in extracellular fluid)
Sources: richest sources are along with sodium in processed foods and table salt
Potassium
Functions:nerve conduction and signaling for muscle contraction, fluid balance (major cation in intracellular fluid and regulation of blood pressure)
Sources: fresh foods (bananas, citrus, veggies, MFP, milk)
Iron
Functions: part of hemoglobin-transports oxygen and carbon dioxide, energy production
Sources: Heme-iron- MFP
Non-heme- whole/enriched grains, nuts, dark green leafy veggies, MFP, molasses
Zinc
Functions: enzymes in energy and protein metabolism, DNA synthesis
Sources: MFP, dairy, whole grains, veggies
Copper
Functions: collagen synthesis, antioxidant functions
Sources: organ meats, seafood, dried fruits, nuts and seeds
Fluoride
Functions: bones and teeth
Sources: fluoridated water, tea, and sardines
Selenium
Functions: antioxidant
Sources: MFP, grains, mushrooms
