Unit 6: Water and Minerals Flashcards
What are some signs and symptoms of mild dehydration (
Thirst, rough, dry skin, dry mouth, impaired kidney function, fainting, low blood pressure, rapid pulse
What are some signs and symptoms of severe dehydration (>5% body weight loss)?
Pale skin, bluish lips and fingertips, confusion, shock, seizures, rapid, shallow breathing, weak, rapid, irregular pulse
What are our sources for water?
Liquids, foods and metabolic water
Where is our water lost?
Kidneys (urine), skin (sweat), lungs (breath) and GI tract (feces)
What organ is important in maintaining fluid and electrolyte balance?
The kidney. Acid-base balance as well.
What is the difference between major and minor minerals?
Major are found in amounts >5 g in the body. Minor (trace) are found in amounts
What are some examples of major minerals?
Calcium, chloride, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, sodium, sulfur
What are some examples of trace minerals?
Zinc, Iron, Iodine, Maganese, Copper, Fluoride
What is sodium?
Na. A positively charge ion that is used to maintain the volume of fluid outside of cells. Nerve transmission and muscle contractions
What is the DRI and UL for sodium?
DRI is 1500 mg, UL is 2300 mg/day
When does water intoxication occur?
Occurs with excessive water consumption and kidney disorders that reduce urine production. Dilutes sodium concentration of blood, contributes to hyponatremia
What happens during water excretion regulation?
The hypothalamus, which monitor’s blood salts stimulates the pituitary gland to release antidiuretic hormone (ADH) which causes the kidney to reabsorb water.
Aldosterone also has the same effect.
What major minerals are critical to nerve transmission and muscle contractions?
Sodium, potassium, calcium and magnesium
What major minerals are involved in energy metabolism?
Phosphorus and magnesium
What major minerals contribute to the structure of bones?
Calcium, phosphorus and magnesium
What major mineral helps determine the shape of proteins?
Sulfur
What can happen when there are high intakes of sodium?
Hypertension, cardiovascular disease and cerebral hemorrhage
What is a DASH diet?
A diet designed to help lower Na intake and increase K intake with fruits and vegetables, low fat or fat free milk, whole grains, poultry, fish.
What is chloride?
Cl. A major negative ion that accompanies Na outside of cells, help to maintain fluid and electrolyte balances and the acid-base balance. Also in stomach acid.
What is the main source of chloride?
Salt that is added to foods and naturally occurring
How much sodium does the average canadian diet contain?
3100 mg of sodium per day
What happens to K during dehydration?
K is lost within the cell. Dangerous because if they are lost in the brain, they lose their ability to detect the need for fluids.
What should be done when a patient is taking diuretics?
Take under doctor supervision. Eat potassium rich foods to compensate for losses.
What is potassium deficiency characterized by?
Increased blood pressure, kidney stones and salt sensitivity. Due to excessive losses.
What is potassium toxicity characterized by?
Irregular heartbeats, muscle weakness and glucose intolerance.
How does potassium deficiency occur?
Medications (diuretics, steroids, cathartics), diabetic acidosis, dehydration or prolonged vomiting or diarrhea
What is calcium?
Most abundant mineral in the body. Stored in bones, teeth and fluids outside cell
What happens if we don’t have adequate calcium blood levels?
The body with take calcium from the bones to maintain the blood levels.
Small intestine will absorb more and kidneys with excrete less
Who needs more calcium and why?
Children and adolescents to help achieve peak bone mass.
What occurs when calcium withdrawals exceed deposits?
Osteoporosis, porous and fragile bones, fractures will occur later in life.
What are some sources of calcium?
Milk and alternatives food group, leafy green vegetables (don’t actually provide), canned sardines and salmon, almonds, fortified tofu, juice and soy beverages.
What are some symptoms of calcium toxicity?
Constipation, interference with the absorption of other minerals and an increased risk of kidney stone formation.
What is phosphorous?
P. The second most abundant mineral in the body. Found in all body tissues,
What are some sources of phosphorous?
Milk products, beef, fish and some legumes.
What occurs in phosphorous toxicity?
Calcification of non-skeletal tissues (especially in those with chronic kidney disease)
What is magnesium?
Mg. Stored in bone, critical to many cell functions. Kidneys conserve it too.
What are some sources of magnesium?
Nuts, legumes, “hard water”, seafood, whole grains, dark green vegetables and dark chocolate
Whole foods rather than processed
What happens in magnesium deficiency?
Rare. Uncontrollable muscle contractions, hallucinations, swallowing difficulties and growth failure.
Related to cardiovascular disease, heart attacks and hypertension
What is sulfate?
Involved in the synthesis of many important sulfur-containing compounds (amino acids in skin, hair and nails)
What are some important sulfur-containing compounds?
Antioxidants, B vitamins (biotin and thiamin)
What is iron used for?
Stored in the bone marrow and sent to the liver to be packed into new red blood cells. Salvaged, when RBC are broken down in liver and spleen.
What is hepcidin?
A hormone that is central to iron balance regulation. Lowers iron secretion.
What does iron deficiency cause?
Fatigue, pica (craving of ice, chalk, starch and other nonfood substances)
Who is iron deficiency most common in?
Overweight children and adolescents, pregnancy and infants and toddlers
What happens in iron toxicity (iron overload or hemochromatosis)?
Hard to get rid of. Intestinal tract will continue to absorb iron at a high rate despite being buildup in tissues.
Fatigue, depression, abdominal pain.
What can iron supplements do?
Leading cause of fatal, accidental poisonings among Canadians under 6.
Who needs more iron?
Menstruating women, vegetarians
What are some food sources of iron?
Meats, fish, poultry, legumes, eggs, cooking on cast iron pans
Where is heme bound iron found?
Meat, fish and poultry. More readily absorbed in the body.
Where is nonheme bound iron found?
Plant foods and meats
How can nonheme iron absorption be increased?
Meat, fish and poultry that contains MFP factor
Vitamin C
What are some substances that inhibit iron absorption?
Tannins (tea and coffee), Calcium and phosphorous (milk) and Phytates (with fibre whole-grains and legumes)
What does zinc do?
Works with proteins in every organ and helps activate over 50 enzymes in the body. Vitamin metabolism
What does zinc deficiency cause?
Growth impairment, immune system impairment, affects digestive functions, abnormal taste, abnormal night vision, loss of appetite, slow wound healing
What happens in zinc toxicity?
Loss of appetite, impaired immunity and death, can reduce HDL levels and block copper and iron absorption
What are some food sources of zinc?
Meats, poultry and milk products.
Legumes and whole grains (not as well absorbed)
How does yeast help zinc absorption?
Breakdown the phytates in fibre that bind zinc
What is selenium?
An antioxidant, helps proper functioning of iodine-containing thyroid hormones
What are some food sources of selenium?
Meats, seafood and grains and vegetables (dependent on soil grown in)
What is iodine?
Part of the thyroid hormones which regulate metabolic rate, growth, reproduction and regulating body temperature.
What happens when iodine is deficient?
Cells in the thyroid glands enlarge, attempting to trap the iodine in. This forms a lump in the neck called a goiter. Sluggishness, weight gain
What happens to infants whose mothers were iodine deficient during pregnancy?
Born with cretinism which is an extreme and irreversible mental and physical impairment.
Must be treated in first 6 months of pregnancy to avoid.
What happens when you excessively intake iodine?
Enlargement of the thyroid gland.
Deadly poison
What are some sources of iodine?
Iodized salt (1/2 tsp), ocean, soil
What is copper?
Part of enzymes that assist wound healing, collagen manufacturing and maintaining sheaths around nerve fibres. Helps cells use iron.
What are some sources of copper?
Organ meats, seafood, legumes, nuts, seeds, whole grains
What is maganese? Where is it found?
Works with enzymes, found in plant foods.
What does fluoride do? Where is it found?
Inhibits the development of dental caries through the role it plays in the mineralization of teeth and bones
In drinking water (45% of Canadians), toothpaste and mouthwash
What happens when you consume excess fluoride?
Fluorosis, discolouration of developing teeth
What does chromium do? Where is it found?
Plays a role in how body metabolizes carbohydrates and fat, works with insulin
Found in liver, nuts, cheese, yeast, whole grains, fruits and vegetables
What happens when there is a chromium deficiency?
Problems with blood sugar regulation
What are the other trace minerals?
Molybdenum, nickel, silicon, cobalt and boron
