Minerals

Question 1

What are minerals?

Answer 1

Elements that form solid compounds, not bound to carbon (inorganic)
- solid, naturally occurring, inorganic substances

Question 2

Minerals are classified based on how much of that mineral is required from the diet. What are the two categories?

Answer 2

Major minerals: required in higher amounts from diet
Minor/trace minerals: required in lower amounts from diet

Question 3

What are basic organic elements?

Answer 3

Carbon, oxygen, hydrogen, nitrogen
- Found within molecules that make up living things (protein, carbohydrates, lipids)

Question 4

T/F: minerals typically occur alone, or bound to other inorganic elements

Answer 4

True

Question 5

What is mineral bioavailability?

Answer 5

Availability and food as well as its propensity to be absorbed and available for use within the body

Question 6

Minerals are found in both plants and animals but what determines the mineral content?

Answer 6

Mineral content of animals depends on what the animal consumes
- animal products, especially larger animals, are a better source of minerals than plant product products
Mineral content of plants depends on the soil

Question 7

What are the four compounds that compromise mineral bioavailability?

Answer 7

Phytates, Oxalates, Tannins, Glucosinolates

Question 8

How do Phytates negatively affect bioavailability?

Answer 8

• found in plant seeds, nuts, legumes, grains
• Impair, iron and zinc absorption
• Phytate levels can be reduced by soaking certain foods overnight (beans) or fermenting them (sourdough bread)

Question 9

How do Oxalates negatively affect bioavailability?

Answer 9

• found in leafy, green vegetables, nuts, seeds
• bind to minerals, forming compounds that cannot be absorbed
• Impair calcium/iron absorption
• boiling foods can reduce oxalate content

Question 10

How do Tannins negatively affect bioavailability?

Answer 10

• found in tea, coffee, red wine, legumes
• impair iron absorption
• May reduce disease effects (anti-cancer, antioxidant, anti-microbial, anti-inflammatory)

Question 11

How do Glucosinolates negatively affect bioavailability?

Answer 11

• Found in cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage)
• Compromise iron absorption

Question 12

How do minerals typically achieve their functions?

Answer 12

Many minerals achieve their functions because they act as cofactors

Question 13

What are mineral cofactors?

Answer 13

Cofactors are in organic metals that bind to enzymes, activating them, and improving rate of reaction

Question 14

Why do we require minerals and vitamins from our diet?

Answer 14

To facilitate enzymatic processes necessary for life
- Proteins may require an inorganic cofactor or organic coenzyme substance in their structure to become active

Question 15

What is the function of mineral calcium?

Answer 15

• Key signalling mineral, contributes to nerve signalling, key intracellular messenger
• required for muscle and heart contraction, gland secretion

Question 16

Calcium is found where in the body?

Answer 16

• Most abundant mineral in human body
• 99% of body calcium is stored in bones and teeth ==> promotes their structural integrity

Question 17

What is calcium homeostasis?

Answer 17

Maintaining blood calcium is critically important
- When blood calcium is too high, it can deposit in tissues, hardening and damaging them

Question 18

Calcium homeostasis: when calcium levels drop, what is released?

Answer 18

When levels drop, Parathyroid Hormone (PTH) is released

Question 19

Calcium homeostasis: how does Parathyroid Hormone (PTH) restore calcium levels?

Answer 19

1) PTH promotes calcium release from bones by activating bone breaking cells called osteoclasts
2) PTH decreases calcium excretion at kidneys so more is kept within blood and less lost in urine
3) PT promotes activation of vitamin D kidneys => vitamin D, then promotes calcium absorption at small intestine

Question 20

Calcium homeostasis: one blood calcium is high. What hormone is released?

Answer 20

When blood calcium is high, hormone calcitonin is released

Question 21

Calcium homeostasis: how does hormone calcitonin decrease calcium levels?

Answer 21

Calcitonin opposes, action of PTH leading to decrease in blood calcium
- impairs osteoclast activity in bone, leading to less being released into blood
- promotes calcium excretion at kidneys and decrease calcium absorption at small intestine

Question 22

What are food sources of calcium?

Answer 22

Main source of calcium are dairy products
- eggs, canned fish with bones, fortified milk, alternatives, leafy green vegetables

Question 23

What occurs if we are consistently at a calcium deficit?

Answer 23

Negatively affects our ability to achieve peak bone mass
- increases risk for osteoporosis

Question 24

Calcium deficiency: what factors increase risk for osteoporosis?

Answer 24

Low vitamin D, physical inactivity, smoking, alcohol consumption, female gender, age, family history

Question 25

Calcium toxicity: chronically elevated calcium levels can lead to what?

Answer 25

Abdominal/bone pain, mental confusion
- Can progress to the calcification, hardening, of tissues
- can lead to cardiac arrest
- Rarely due to dietary excess, typically due to chronic conditions

Question 26

What is hydroxyapatite?

Answer 26

• Crystal that contains both calcium and phosphorus
• mineralizes bones and teeth, hardening them, and promoting their strong structure

Question 27

What are the functions of phosphorus?

Answer 27

• second most abundant mineral (structurally/functionally)
• phospholipids make up cell membrane
• Part of molecule adenosine triphosphate (ATP)
• Part of DNA/RNA sugar phosphate backbone

Question 28

What are food sources of phosphorous?

Answer 28

Salmon, cheese, milk, eggs, beef, boiled lentils, cashews, potatoes, kidney beans, rice, and oatmeal

Question 29

Phosphorus deficiency can lead to what?

Answer 29

• abundant in foods so deficiency is rare
• Increase risk for osteoporosis, seizures, coma, anorexia, muscle weakness, anemia, risk of infection

Question 30

Phosphorus toxicity is rare in healthy individuals, but at high levels can lead to what?

Answer 30

May lead to calcification (hardening) of tissues

Question 31

What elements are collectively known as electrolytes?

Answer 31

Sodium, potassium, chloride (calcium/magnesium are also electrolytes, but is not their main function)
- involved in body’s electrical activity

Question 32

What occurs when electrolytes are in water?

Answer 32

In water, the electrolytes become positively/negatively charged ions ==> their movement leads to the creation of an electrical current, facilitating the electrical activity and function of our nerves, heart, muscles

Question 33

What is the main function of sodium?

Answer 33

Sodium main function is an electrolyte
- primary cation (positively charged ion) found in the extracellular space

Question 34

How does sodium contribute to fluid balance?

Answer 34

Water moves across a semi permeable membrane to equal out concentration differences
- if there is a lot of sodium on one side of a membrane, water will move towards that sodium to even out difference in concentration ==> fluid balance water water can build up in a tissue, causing it to swell

Question 35

What are sources of sodium?

Answer 35

• Naturally found in food
• Added during food prep
• Added at table
• Supplements and tap water
• processed foods

Question 36

What is sodium deficiency called?

Answer 36

Hyponatraemia = caused by excessive vomiting, sweating, diarrhea
Symptoms: nausea, vomiting, irritability, fatigue, loss of appetite, confusion, muscle weakness, and spasm
==> progress to loss of consciousness and coma

Question 37

Sodium toxicity occurs based on what?

Answer 37

Due to excessive loss of body water which concentrates sodium
Symptoms: thirst, weakness, nausea, and loss of appetite
==> can progress to confusion, muscle twitching, and brain hemorrhages

Question 38

What is hypertension and risk factors?

Answer 38

Regular consumption of high levels of sodium can lead to hypertension, which is high blood pressure

Risk Factors: age, African heritage, family history, kidney disease, diabetes, obesity, physical inactivity, stress, alcohol use, tobacco smoke, diet

• increases risk for CVD mortality