What are minerals?

Inorganic elements or salts

-Bind with enzymes or other organic
molecules
-Help to regulate many bodily functions
- act as building blocks for many body
structures
- also needed for ICF and ECF electrolytes

Macrominerals ( needed in large amounts)

Microminerals, or trace elements ( required
in smaller amounts)
 Calcium
- concentration and absorption
Most abundant mineral element in the
body Accounts for 2% of body weight

Highest concentration in bones and

teeth

Efficient absorption requires adequate

amounts of vitamin D
 Calcium: Food Sources
-Found in many foods:
Especially milk and dairy products
Fortified cereals
Calcium-fortified orange juice
Sardines, salmon
 Calcium requirements are high for
who?
• Growing children
Women who are pregnant or breast-feeding
• Calcium: Function
• -Essential for normal maintenance and function of:
Nervous, muscular, skeletal systems
Cell membrane and capillary permeability
-Catalyst in many enzymatic reactions
-Essential in many physiologic processes:
Transmission of nerve impulses
Contraction of cardiac, smooth, and skeletal muscles
Renal function, respiration, and blood coagulation (cofactor in clotting
reactions)
• Calcium Deficiency states
• -Infantile rickets
-Adult osteomalacia
-Osteoporosis
- tetany
- muscle cramps
- renal insufficiency
• Calcium: Causes of Deficiency
-Inadequate intake of calcium or vitamin D
-Hypoparathyroidism
-Malabsorption syndrome
• Calcium: Indications
• Used to treat various deficiency states
Dietary supplement for women during
pregnancy and lactation
• Calcium: Toxicity
• -Hypercalcemia may occur with therapy:
Anorexia
Nausea
Vomiting
Constipation
-Severe hypercalcemia can cause:
Cardiac irregularities
Delirium
Coma

management of acute hypercalcemia may require

hemodialysis
• Calcium: Drug Interactions*
-Calcium salts will bind (chelate) with
tetracyclines to produce an insoluble
complex
- If hypercalcemia is present in
patients taking digitalis preparations,
serious cardiac dysrhythmias can
occur.
• Calcium different forms: uses
Calcium chloride
Calcium carbonate and calcium citrate
Calcium acetate
• Calcium chloride
- treatment of cardiac arrest and hypocalcemic tetany

Calcium carbonate (tums) and calcium citrate ( citracal)

- used as antacids and are also used to treat or prevent calcium
deficiency and to treat hyperphosphatemia.

Calcium acetate (Phoslo)

- is NOT used for calcium replacement. It is used only to control
hyperphosphatemia in patients with end-stage renal disease
• Magnesium: Function
• One of the principal cations of intracellular fluid
-Essential for enzyme systems associated with
energy metabolism
-Required for:
Nerve physiology
Muscle contraction
- produces an anticonvulsant effect by inhibiting
neuromuscular transmission in selected
convulsive states
• Magnesium Sources
• Dietary sources :
Green leafy vegetables
Meats, seafood, milk, cheese, yogurt
Bran cereal, nuts

-Required in higher amounts for those

with diets high in protein-rich foods,
calcium, and phosphorus
• Magnesium: Causes of Deficiency
• Malabsorption
Alcoholism
Long-term IV feedings
Diuretics
Metabolic disorders
(hyperthyroidism, diabetic
ketoacidosis)
• Magnesium: Indications
• -Nutritional supplement
-Treatment of magnesium deficiency
-Anticonvulsant in magnesium deficiency
-Preeclampsia and eclampsia
-Tocolytic drug for inhibition of uterine
contractions in premature labor
-Cardiac dysrhythmias
- short term treatment of constipation
• Magnesium: Adverse Effects
• Adverse effects caused by hypermagnesemia:
-Tendon reflex loss
-Difficult bowel movements
-CNS depression
-Respiratory distress
-Heart block
-Hypothermias

note: has additive CNS depressant effects when

taken with CNS depressants and neuromuscular
blocking drug
• Phosphorus
• Widely distributed in foods:
-Milk
-Yogurt
-Cheese
-Peas
-Meat
-Fish
-Eggs

Dietary deficiency is rare

• Phosphorus Deficiency
• Deficiency caused by nondietary
causes:
-Malabsorption
-Extensive diarrhea or vomiting
-Hyperthyroidism
-Long-term use of aluminum or
calcium antacids
-Hepatic disease
• Phosphorus: Functions
• -Required precursor for the synthesis of essential body
chemicals
-Building block for body structures
-Required for the synthesis of:
Nucleic acid
ADP
AMP
ATP
-Responsible for cellular energy transfer
-Necessary for the development and maintenance of
the skeletal system and teeth
• Phosphorus: Adverse Effects
• -Diarrhea
-Nausea and vomiting
-Other GI disturbances
-Confusion
-Weakness
-Breathing difficulties

NOTE: contraindicated in HYPOcalcemia

( due to inverse relationship)
• Zinc Functions
-Trace element
-Essential in metabolic reactions of proteins and
carbohydrates
-Important for normal tissue growth and repair,
especially wound repair
• Zinc Sources
• Found in:
Red meats, liver, oysters, milk products, eggs,
beans, nuts, whole grains, fortified cereals, certain seafoods
Others: Fluorine, Copper, Iodine,
Potassium, Sodium