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Dietary Minerals

Inorganic mineral nutrients are required in the structural composition of hard and soft body tissues; they also participate in body processes, as the action of enzyme systems, the contraction of muscles, nerve reactions, and the clotting of blood. These mineral nutrients, all of which must be supplied from the food you eat, are of two classes: the major elements such as calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, iron, iodine, and potassium; and trace elements such as copper, cobalt, manganese, fluorine, and zinc.

• Calcium
• Phosphorus
• Magnesium
• Sodium
• Iron
• Iodine
• Trace Elements

Calcium is needed for developing your bones and maintaining their rigidity. It also contributes in forming intracellular cement and forming the cell membranes; and regulating nervous excitability and muscular contraction. About 90 per cent of calcium is stored in your bones, where it can be reabsorbed by blood and tissue. Milk and milk products are the chief source of calcium.

Phosphorus, is also present in many foods and especially in milk; phosphorous combines with calcium in the bones and teeth. It plays an important role in energy metabolism of the cells, affecting carbohydrates and proteins.

Magnesium, is present in most foods and is essential for human metabolism. It is important for maintaining the electrical potential in your nerve and muscle cells. A deficiency in magnesium among malnourished people, especially alcoholics, leads to tremors and convulsions.

Sodium, is present in small (and usually sufficient quantities) in most natural foods. Sodium is found in liberal amounts in salted prepared and cooked foods. In your body it is present in extracellular fluid, which plays a role in regulating activity. Too much sodium causes oedema, an overaccumulation of extracellular fluid. Evidence now exists that excess dietary salt contributes to high blood pressure. People at risk from heart-attacks are often put on low salt diets.

Iron is needed to form haemoglobin in your blood, (the pigment in red blood cells) and is responsible for transporting oxygen, but Iron is not readily absorbed by the digestive system. It exists in sufficient amounts in men, but women of menstrual age, who need nearly twice as much iron because of blood loss, often have deficiencies and must take in absorbable iron.

Iodine is needed to synthesize hormones of the thyroid gland. A deficiency of iodine leads to goitre, a swelling of this gland in the lower neck. Low iodine intakes during pregnancy may result in cretinism or mental retardation in infants. Goitre, which used to be common in the West, remains prevalent in certain parts of Asia, Africa, and South America. It is estimated that more than 150 million people worldwide suffer from iodine-deficiency diseases.

Trace elements are other inorganic substances that appear in your body in minute amounts and are essential for good health. Little is known about how they function, and most knowledge about them comes from how their absence, especially in animals, affects health. Trace elements appear in sufficient amounts in most foods. Among the more important trace elements is copper, which is present in many enzymes and in copper-containing proteins found in the blood, brain, and liver. Copper deficiency is associated with the failure to use iron in the formation of haemoglobin. Zinc is also important in forming enzymes. A deficiency of zinc is believed to impair growth and, in severe cases, to cause dwarfism. Fluorine, which is retained especially in the teeth and bones, has been found necessary for growth in animals. Fluorides, a category of fluorine compounds, are important for protecting against demineralization of bone. The fluoridation of water supplies has proved an effective measure against tooth decay, reducing it by as much as 40 per cent. Other trace elements include chromium, molybdenum, and selenium.

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