Principles of Nutrition-

NUTR 001
Spring 2016-2017

Minerals
Dr. Sara Khalife
 Minerals

• Essential minerals are inorganic substances and classified as

either:

• Macrominerals: are those required in amounts of 100

mg/day. These are calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, sulfur,
sodium, chloride, and potassium.
• Microminerals or trace elements: are those required in
amounts less than 100 mg/day. These are iron, zinc, iodine,
fluoride, selenium, cobalt, copper, chromium, and
manganese.
 General Functions of Minerals

1. Maintenance of acid-base balance

2. Catalysts or cofactors for biological reactions
3. Components of essential body compounds
4. Transmission of nerve impulse
5. Regulation of muscle contractility
6. Growth of body tissue
7. Maintenance of water balance
 General Functions of Minerals

1. Maintenance of acid-base balance:

• Minerals influence the pH. Minerals that are acidic in
solution are chlorine, sulfur and phosphorus. These are
predominating in foods containing protein such as meat,
poultry, fish, eggs, and cereal products.
• Minerals that are basic in solution or alkaline are calcium,
sodium, potassium and magnesium. These are
predominating in fruits, vegetables and nuts.
 General Functions of Minerals

2. Catalysts or cofactors for biological reactions

• Zinc catalyses many reactions involved in CHO, fat and
protein metabolism.
• Calcium is a catalyst for blood clotting and facilitates the
absorption of vitamin B12.
• Magnesium and sodium facilitate the absorption of CHO.
 General Functions of Minerals

3. Components of essential body compounds

• Iodine as part of thyroxine, the hormone that controls
energy metabolism.
• Hemoglobin is an iron-containing compound is essential for
the transport of oxygen and carbon dioxide between lungs
and tissues.
• Chlorine is essential for HCL and therefore digestion.
 General Functions of Minerals
4. Transmission of nerve impulse
• Potassium, sodium, and calcium are minerals that are essential
for transmission of nerve impulses.
 General Functions of Minerals

5. Regulation of muscle contractility

• Calcium stimulates muscle contraction.
• Sodium, potassium, and magnesium exert a relaxing effect.
 General Functions of Minerals

6. Growth of body tissue

• Calcium and phosphorus are the building minerals of bones
and teeth.
• Magnesium and iron are involved indirectly in the growth
process as catalysts in the synthesis of body compounds or
release of energy needed for growth.
 General Functions of Minerals

7. Maintenance of water balance

• Sodium, potassium, and chloride are essential minerals for
the maintenance of water balance and osmotic pressure.
 Macrominerals

• Minerals essential at levels of more than 100 mg/day for

adults include calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, sulfur,
sodium, potassium, and chloride.
 Macrominerals

Calcium
Calcium is the most abundant mineral in the body. It makes up
about 1-2 % of the body weight and 39 % of the total body
minerals. Of this 99 % is in the bones and teeth, and the
remaining 1 % is in the blood and tissues.
 Macrominerals

Calcium
Functions
1. Building and maintaining bones and teeth.
2. Necessary for normal growth.
3. It influences the transmission of ions across membranes of cell organelles.
4. It influences the nerve transmission and regulation of heart beat.
5. It initiates the formation of a blood clot.
6. Catalyst or co-factor for biological reactions:
• Absorption of vitamin B12.
• Action of pancreatic lipase.
• Secretion of insulin by the pancreas.
• Contraction of muscles.
 Macrominerals

Calcium
• Absorption of calcium
• Calcium is absorbed in the upper part of the duodenum. Only 20-30 % of the
ingested calcium is absorbed.
 Macrominerals
• Factors affecting calcium absorption
• A. Factors favouring absorption
• Increased needs such as growth, pregnancy, lactation, and
calcium deficiency.
• Presence of active vitamin D which stimulate intestinal
calcium absorption.
• Presence of lactose favour absorption.
• Presence of protein enhance calcium absorption due to
presence of amino acids such arginine and lysine.
• Presence of acid medium.
• Calcium/phosphorus ratio of 1:1 or 2:1 promotes absorption.
 Macrominerals

• Factors affecting calcium absorption

B. Factors depressing absorption
• Lack of or insufficient amount of active vitamin D.
• Presence of oxalic acid in spinach
• Presence of phytic acid found in bran.
• Presence of dietary fiber.
• High dietary fat.
• High intake of caffeine.
• Presence of alkaline medium.
• Mental and physical stress.
• Lack of physical exercise.
• Medication such as cortisone, antacids, anticonvulsants, and
thyroxine
 Macrominerals

Calcium
Food Sources
• Milk and milk products are the richest dietary sources
of calcium. Dark green leafy vegetables, cereals, nuts,
beans and fish with bones such as sardines are good
sources of calcium.
 Macrominerals

• The content of calcium in some common foods

Food Serving mg
Yogurt One cup 345
Milk One cup 297
Skimmed milk One cup 302
Cheese (different) 28 gm 155-278
Sardines 85 gm 372
Spinach, cooked ½ cup 138
Molasses tablespoon 137
Beans one cup 141
Almonds ¼ cup 92
Orange medium 52
Broccoli ½ cup 36
Whole bread one slide 32
Poultry 28 gm 13
Apple medium 10
 Macrominerals

Calcium Related-Health Problems

1. Osteoporosis:
• A metabolic disorder in which there is a reduction in
bone mass with normal composition. It affects females
more than males especially after menopause.
2. Osteomalacia (adult rickets):
• It results from excess demands of calcium as repeated
pregnancies and prolonged lactation coupled with low
intake of calcium and lack of vitamin D.
 Macrominerals

Calcium Related-Health Problems

3. Rickets:
• It occurs in infants due to calcium deficiency or vitamin D
deficiency.
4.Tetany.
• Occurs in newborn infants or during pregnancy due to very low
intake of calcium or too much phosphorus. It results in muscle
spasms.
5. Hypertension:
• Research suggested a relationship between low calcium intake
and increased blood pressure and hypertension.
 Microminerals or Trace Elements

• Trace elements essential at levels of 20ug/day for adults

include iron, zinc, iodine, fluoride, selenium, copper,
cobalt, molybdenium, and manganese. Foods of animal
sources are superior source of trace elements except
manganese, which is readily available from plant sources.
 Microminerals or Trace Elements
Iron
• Iron was the first to be recognized as essential trace
element in body tissues. The total amount of iron in the
body measures 3-5 grams, varying with gender, age, size,
nutritional status, general health and iron stores.
 Microminerals or Trace Elements

Iron
Distribution
Iron is distributed in the body as follows:
A. Functional iron:
• Hemoglobin: Between 60-75 % of total iron in the body is
in hemoglobin.
• Myoglobin: Only 3 % of iron is in myoglobin.
• Cytochromes: They are present in every living cell and are
essential for cellular respiration. They contain about 5-15
% of the total iron in the body.
 Microminerals or Trace Elements
Iron
Distribution
B. A Storage and transport iron:
• - Storage iron: about 30 % of iron is stored in liver, spleen,
and bone marrow. It is quite variable, being higher in men
than women.
• - Transferrin: it is a protein transports iron in the blood. It
represents only 0.1 % of the total iron.
 Microminerals or Trace Elements

Iron
Absorption of Iron
• Dietary iron exists as heme iron that found in hemoglobin
in foods of animal origin and represents 5-10 % of dietary
iron, and non-heme iron found in foods of plant origin.
The absorption of iron from animal foods may be 10-30 %
compared to only 2-5 % for iron from plant foods.
 Microminerals or Trace Elements

Factors affecting iron absorption:

A. Enhancing factors:
1. Increased needs such as in anemic people, pregnancy, and
growth.
2. Vitamin C as a reducing agent enhances absorption and
counteracts the effect of inhibitory factors as tannins in tea and
phytates in bread.
3. Increased acidity such as presence of HCL.
4. Form of iron in the diet [heme iron and ferrous form of iron is
better absorbed].
5. Composition of the meal as the presence of meat, fish, and
poultry [MFP] enhance the absorption of non-heme iron.
6. Smaller dose of iron is better absorbed than larger one.
 Microminerals or Trace Elements

Factors affecting iron absorption:

B. Inhibiting factors:
1. Presence of dietary fiber in the meal.
2. Consumption of tea or coffee immediately after meals due to
presence of tannins in tea.
3. Presence of phytic acid in whole grain cereals.
4. High intakes of calcium and phosphorus.
5. Presence of steatorrhea or diarrhea which interfere with the
absorption.
6. Achlohydria [lack of HCL secretion] decrease absorption.
 Microminerals or Trace Elements
Iron
Food Sources
• The best source of dietary iron is from animal origin such
as liver (the best source), oysters, shellfish, kidney, heart,
meat, poultry and fish.
• Dried beans, molasses, dark green vegetables, dried
fruits, and whole grain bread are the best plant sources
that contain non-heme iron.
 Microminerals or Trace Elements
Iron Deficiency: most common nutrient deficiency all over
the world. Food Portion size Iron (mg)*
Animal origin:
- - Chicken. 90 1.0
- - Liver, beef. 90 5.8
- - Liver, chicken 90 7.2
- - Tuna. 90 0.6
- - Oysters. 90 5.5
- - Egg one 0.6
Plant origin:
- - Lentils ½ cup 3.3
- - Beans ½ cup 1.8
- - Nuts 28 gm 2.4
- - Molasses 0ne tablespoon 5.0
- - Potato, baked. one middle 2.7
- - Broccoli one middle 2.1
- - Green peppers one middle 0.9
- - Spinach. one cup 1.5
- - Whole-bread. 25 gm 1.0
 Microminerals or Trace Elements

Iodine
• The body contains 20-30 mg of iodine. Over 75 % of this
iodine is concentrated in the thyroid gland, which uses it
in the synthesis of thyroxin hormone.
 Microminerals or Trace Elements

Iodine
Functions
1. Regulator of growth and development:
• As part of the thyroid hormone, thyroxin, iodine stimulates
metabolism and therefore it plays a major role in regulating
growth and development.
2. Other functions:
• Conversion of carotene into active vitamin A.
• Absorption of CHO from the intestine.
• Synthesis of protein.
• Synthesis of cholesterol.
• Reproduction.
 Microminerals or Trace Elements

Iodine
Food Sources
• Iodine occurs in food and water. Seafood such as lobsters,
oysters, sardines, and salt-water fish are rich sources.
• The iodine content of the vegetables depends on the
iodine content of the soil.
• The iodine content of the cow’s milk and eggs is
determined by the iodides available in the diet of the
animals.
• Iodized salt.
 Microminerals or Trace Elements
Iodine
Deficiency
• Lack of iodine intake is associated with the development of
goiter, which is an enlargement of the thyroid gland.
 Microminerals or Trace Elements
Essential Micronutrients
Micronutrient Food source Biological role

Iodine Sea food, iodized salt Essential for thyroid

function
Zinc Milk, liver, meat, fish, Constituent of many
shellfish, legumes, enzymes. Involved in
nuts, whole grains. the synthesis &
degradation of CHO,
protein, & fat.
Selenium Brazil nuts, seafood, Essential for fat &
liver, meat, poultry. lipid metabolism
Grains & vegetables
[depend on soil].
Fluoride Sea fish, tea, drinking Essential for teeth,
water bone, thyroid gland &
skin
Copper Liver, meats, nuts, Essential for blood
dried legumes. formation.

Chromium Oysters, liver, Essential for CHO

potatoes metabolism &
cholesterol synthesis
Manganese Whole grains, Is important in many
legumes, nuts, & tea. enzyme reactions.
Involved in
development of bone