MINERALS

MINERALS
• Inorganic materials or mineral elements present in the ash when food
or any living organism cremated
• Present in all living tissues
• Perform two functions in the body
1. Building
• Affect the skeleton and all soft tissues
• Found in rigid body structures and soft body tissues
2. Regulation
• They are associated with a variety of systems such as heartbeat,
clotting of blood, nerve responses and oxygen transportation
 TYPES OF MINERALS
There are two groups of minerals
1. Major minerals
2. Trace minerals
Major minerals
• Also known as macro-minerals, macro-elements or bulk minerals
• These are needed in the diet in amounts of 100 milligrams (mg)
or more each day
MAJOR MINERALS
• Calcium
• Phosphorus
• Magnesium
• Sodium
• Chloride
• Potassium
• Sulphur
MACROMINERALS
Food Sources
Milk, cheese, yogurt, legumes, turnip
Functions
• Principal skeletal mineral in bones & teeth, muscle contraction &
relaxation, heart function, nerve function, intracellular regulation,
blood clotting, blood pressure
Deficiency
Causes rickets in children and osteomalacia in adults
Functions
• Component of bones & teeth, acid-base balance, DNA/RNA structure,
energy (as part of ADP/ATP), part of enzymes cofactor, found in every cell
as part of phospholipid structures
Deficiency
• Relative deficiency of calcium (>2:1 ratio of phosphorus:calcium could
lead to hypocalcemia)
 CONTI…..
Food Sources
• Milk and milk products
• fish
• Beef
• Poultry
• Eggs
• Legumes
MAGNESIUM
Functions
• Part of chlorophyll on plants
• Bone mineralization, protein synthesis, converting blood sugar to
energy, muscular contraction & relaxation, proper heart function,
nerve transmission
Deficiencies
• Weakness, hypertension, heart arrhythmia, growth failure
 CONTI…
Food Sources
• Beef
• Tuna
• Milk
• yogurt
• legumes
• dark green vegetables
Functions
• Main constituent of common salt
• Principal electrolyte, Acid-base balance
• fluid retention, muscle contraction
• involved in nerve impulse transmission
Deficiencies
• Cramping, depressed appetite
 CONTI…
Food Sources
• All meat products
• Fish
• Dairy products
• Table salt
• Baking soda
• Drinking water
• Pickled foods
Functions
• Fluid balance, acid-base balance
• Essential constituents of gastric juice
• helps in digestion in stomach
Deficiencies
• Growth failure, muscle cramps, apathy, depressed appetite
Food Sources
• Table salt, meats, milk, tomatoes, celery (ajwain), eggs
 POTASSIUM
Functions
• Major electrolyte. Protein synthesis, fluid balance, muscle contraction, nerve
transmission
• Participates in certain enzyme systems in the body
Deficiency
• Weakness, paralysis, mental confusion, possible death
Food Sources
• Abundant in whole (unprocessed) foods, best sources are potatoes, milk and
yogurt
Functions
• The most abundant mineral in the human body after calcium & phosphorus
• Component of amino acids, present in keratin which keeps hair, fingernails &
skin strong & healthy,
• helps the cells to use oxygen efficiently
Deficiency
• Skin problems or disorders, muscle pain, nerve disorders
Sulphur Sources
• Found in all proteins, milk & milk products, legumes, cabbage, onions,
turnips
• Also known as
• They are dietary minerals needed by the human body in very small
quantities (generally less than 100mg/day)
• Trace minerals are ubiquitous in our environment, they are found
in all of the foods we eat.
• Iron
• Copper
• Zinc
• Iodine
• Chromium
• Selenium
• Manganese
• Fluoride
• Molybdenum
 IRON

Functions
• Hemoglobin formation in red blood cells and in muscles, oxygen carrier,
energy utilization, needed to convert beta-carotene to vitamin A
Deficiency
• Anemia, weakness, headaches, depressed immunity, behavioral
abnormalities
Sources
• Dried fruits, beets, leafy green vegetables, whole grains, nuts, seeds
IODINE
Functions
• Component of the hormone thyroxin which aids in metabolism regulation
& fetal development
Deficiency
• Goiter, cretinism
Food Sources
• Fish, shellfish, milk, iodized salt , foods grown in iodine rich soil
ZINC

Functions
• Transport of vitamin A, sense of taste, wound healing muscle contraction, immune health,
enzymes functioning
Deficiency
• Decreased appetite, impaired taste, growth failure in children, reduced immune function, poor
wound healing, metabolic disturbances
Food Sources
• Beef, fish, poultry, milk, pumpkin, peas, broccoli, whole grains, yogurt
 OTHER TRACE INORGANIC
MATERIALS
• Cobalt
• Part of vitamin B-12
• Essential in nucleic acid formation
• Copper
• Meat, shellfish and nuts
• Manganese
• Cereals, peas, beans
• Enzyme activators
 CONTI…
• Molybdenum
• Peas, beans and nuts
• Part of some enzyme
• Selenium
• Wheat and yeast
• Associated with vitamin E