Minerals Flashcards
What is the most abundant mineral in the body?
Calcium
What percentage of calcium is absorbed from diet?
25-35%
What increases calcium absorption?
Vitamin D
What are dietary sources of calcium?
- Dairy products
- Leafy greens
- Bread with fortified flour
- Bony fish
What is the RNI for calcium?
700mg/day
What is the deficiency of calcium?
Hypocalcaemia
What is calcium used for in the body?
- Structural function - Bones and teeth (99%)
- Muscle contraction, nerve function, hormone release, cell signalling, cell division, release of enzymes, blood clotting, metabolic function (1%)
What can identify calcium deficiency?
Dexa scan (Bone density scan)
What is the function of zinc in the body?
- Wound healing
- Gene transcription
- Carbohydrate metabolism
- Sexual maturation
- Taste perception
- Growth and repair
What are the dietary sources?
- Meat
- Shellfish
- Dairy food
- Bread
- Cereals
What is the RNI for zinc?
9.5mg/day - men
7mg/day - women
Where is zinc found in the body?
Enzymes and proteins
- Skeletal muscle (60%)
- Bone (30%)
- Plasma (0.1%)
Where is iron stored/ found?
- Bone marrow and red blood cells (75%)
- Liver (25%)
What is the deficiency of iron?
And what are the symptoms?
Iron deficiency anaemia
- Extreme fatigue
- Pale skin
- Headaches
- Weakness
- Palpitations
- Shortness of breath
- Light headedness
What is the deficiency of potassium?
And what are the symptoms?
Hypokalaemia
- Muscle cramps and aches
- Palpitations
- Weakness and fatigue
- Breathing difficulties
- Abdominal cramping
- Bloating
- Constipation
- Tingling/ numbness
What is the deficiency of iodine?
Cretinism/ Congenital iodine deficiency syndrome
- Enlarged thyroid gland (goiter)
- Weight gain
- Shortness of breath
- Increased heart rate
What are some dietary sources of potassium?
- Bananas
- Beans
- Pulses
- Fish
- Meat
- Some veg
What are some dietary sources of iodine?
- Fish
- Shellfish
- Cereal
- Grains
What are some dietary sources of iron?
- Liver
- Red meat
- Beans
- Nuts
- Dried fruit
- Fortified cereals
- Soy bean flour
What are the water soluble minerals?
- Iron
- Iodine
- Copper
- Manganese chloride
- Carbon disulfide (Phosphorus)
- Zinc chloride
- Folate
- Potassium
- Calcium
- Pantothenic acid
What is the function of selenium in the body?
- Thyroxine production
- Antioxidant - protect against cancers
- At protein and enzyme active site - range of function due to the proteins and enzymes
What are dietary sources of selenium?
- Brazil nuts
- Fish
- Meat
- Eggs
Where is sodium found in the body?
Extracellular fluid
Where is potassium found in the body?
Intracellular fluid
What are the functions of sodium and potassium?
Maintain electrochemical gradients in the body
What is iron transported in?
Transferrin
Why must you be careful when supplementing iron?
No excretory route
What is the difference between haem iron and non-heam iron?
Haem iron is from animal products and more readily absorbed.
Non-haem iron is from cereals, grains and leafy green veg and is less well absorbed.
What helps iron be more soluble?
Vitamin C
Iron is reduced from Fe3+ to Fe2+
How is iron lost?
- Blood (main way)
- Sweat, skin and urine (Very small amount)
What helps to increase iron absorption?
- Ascorbic acid
- Meat
- Vitamin A B-carotene
- Organic acids
- Seafodd
What reduces iron absorption?
- Phenolic compounds (Tea, coffee, cocoa, oregano)
- Phytates (Cereals, seeds, nuts)
- Calcium
What is the function of iodine in the body?
- Growth
- Metabolism regulation
- Brain development
What mineral is an essential component of thyroid hormones?
Iodine
What is goiter?
Enlarged thyroid gland due to decreased produced of T3 and T4 hormones - Iodine deficiency
What have some countries done to help with iodine deficiency prevention?
Iodised salt
What is the RNI for iron?
Men - 8.7mg/day
Women (19-60) - 14.8mg/day
Women (50+) - 8.7mg/day
What is the RNI for iodine
140ug/day
What are some dietary sources of retinol?
- Liver
- Meat
- Full fat dairy
- Eggs
- Fish liver oil
