Trace Minerals

Question 1

Foods with trace minerals

Answer 1

• grains (iron, zinc, copper, selenium, chromium)
• milk (zinc)
• meat and beans (selenium, iron, zinc, copper)

Question 2

Factors that increase bioavailability

Answer 2

1. Deficiency will increase absorption.
2. Cooking (denature protein to free up mineral)
3. Vitamin C (with iron); animal protein (with zinc)

Question 3

Factors that decrease bioavailability

Question 4

Iron

Chief Function

Answer 4

-Hb and myoglobin

Question 5

Iron

Deficiency

Answer 5

Most common nutrient deficiency

At risk: women, menstruating women, pregnant women, growing children/adolescents, celiac’s patients

Symptoms: anemia (causes fatigue, faintness, feeling cold, SOB), immunosuppression (Fe needed for immune enzymes), low IQ, pica, glossitis, angular stomatitis, spoon nails

Anemia: RBCs are hypochromic and microcytic;

Determine by looking at ferritin, transferrin, and hemoglobin (in that order). Ferritin test more most specific in catching early iron deficiency (vs. measuring hemoglobin)

Question 6

Iron

Toxicity

Answer 6

Hemochromatosis=excess iron in fibrotic tissue damage

Bronze diabetes (pigmentation of skin and DM)

Caused by iron overload from ingestion or transfusion, or genetic hyper-absorption

Symptoms: infection, skin pigmentation, organ damage

Question 7

Zinc

Chief Function

Answer 7

• part of insulin
• gene transcription as zinc fingers
• part of pancreatic digestive enzymes
• stabilizes cell membrane proteins and receptor proteins for vitamins A, D and thyroid hormone
• immune response
• gene expression
• sexual development
• taste and smell senses

-found in seafood

Question 8

Zinc

Deficiency

Answer 8

Acrodermatitis Enteropathica: recessive metabolic disorder that affects zinc uptake, resulting in dermititis around natural orifices and limbs, loss of hair, and diarrhea

• retardation of growth and sexual development
• loss of smell and taste
• poor appetite
• poor wound healing and impaired immunity
• hair loss
• skin and eye lesions

Question 9

Copper

Chief Function

Answer 9

• part of Hb
• part of lysyl oxidase needed for skin, hair, and CT
• promotes iron transport as part of ceruloplasmin
• part of enzymes needed for protection against free radicals

Question 10

Copper

Deficiency

Answer 10

• Menkes Syndrome: poor copper absorption

- Anemia, CT damage, and excessive bleeding

Question 11

Copper

Toxicity

Answer 11

WILSON DISEASE: copper deposits in brain, kidney, cornea, and liver with low blood copper levels

• low ceruplasmin levels
• Kayser-Fleischer ring around eyes; goes away with treatment
• treat with zinc, which can reduce copper absorption, or copper chelator

Liver damage

Question 12

Selenium

Chief Function

Answer 12

• part of antioxidant enzyme glutathione peroxidase
• regulates 5’deiodinase, needed for thyroid hormone
• immune function
• food content of selenium dependent on soil content
• Brazil nuts

-absorption is efficient and not regulated

Question 13

Selenium

Deficiency

Answer 13

Keshan Disease-found in areas with low selenium soil content

-causes enlarged heart and poor cardiac function

Question 14

Selenium

Toxicity

Answer 14

• nail and hair brittleness
• nervous system disorders
• garlic breath

Question 15

Iodine

Chief Function

Answer 15

-Thyroid hormone

• iodine content in food is dependent upon iodine content in soil
• saltwater, seafood, seaweed, iodinized salt

Question 16

Iodine

Deficiency

Answer 16

-Under active thyroid gland which can cause goiter, mental and health retardation, cretinism

Question 17

Iodine

Toxicity

Answer 17

Goiter

Underactive thyroid gland

Question 18

Fluoride

Chief Function

Answer 18

• Bone and teeth health by forming hydroxyappetite crystals

- not essential because body processes can occur without it

Question 19

2 Forms of Iron

Answer 19

1. Heme: only from animals; makes up 10% daily Fe intake, but it absorbed well
2. Non-heme: all of the iron from plant based foods is non-heme; makes up 90% of daily Fe intake, but is not as well absorbed

Question 20

Factors that enhance non-heme absorption

Answer 20

• increased body need
• vitamin C (changes oxidation state from +3 to +2 in order to be absorbed)
• animal tissue (MPF factor and heme iron promote absorption of non-heme iron)
• sugar
• acid (changes oxidation state from +3 to +2)

Question 21

Factors that inhibit non-heme absorption

Answer 21

• binding agents (oxalates, phytates, polyphenols, fiber)
• low gastric acid content, which could be due to PPIs or antacids
• infection (body doesn’t want to absorb iron that foreign organisms could use)
• large amounts of other minerals that could compete for absorption

Question 22

Ceruloplasmin

Answer 22

• involved in oxidation of iron from +2 to +3 so it can be put in transferrin; especially important for Fe recycling in macrophages (senescent erythrocytes are phagocytosed by macrophage, components broken down into heme and globin, Fe2+ from heme is converted to Fe3+ by ceruloplasmin in order to bind to transferrin)
• major copper containing protein in plasma; transports copper from liver to tissue

Question 23

Goitrogens

Answer 23

• reduce bioavailability of iodine

- found in raw vegetables, but destroyed in cooking

Question 24

Chromium

Answer 24

Enhances insulin action

Question 25

Cobalt

Answer 25

Needed for b12