Chapter Nine: Water and
Minerals
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Identify the functions of water
Describe the process by which the body
regulates water intake and water
excretion
Identify normal causes of water loss
List causes of additional (less usual)
water losses
Chapter Eight, Cntd.
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Name the major minerals and the functions
and deficiencies of those at risk
Explain osteoporosis and the risk factors that
contribute to its development
Name the trace minerals and their functions
and deficiencies of those at risk
Explain how the use of alcohol affects
nutritional status
Water and Body Fluids
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Adult body is comprised of 60% water
Water functions
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Transports nutrients and waste products
Participant in chemical reactions
(metabolism)
Solvent for water soluble nutrients
Maintains blood pressure and body
temperature
Water Functions, Cntd.
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Lubricant and cushioning for joints
Shock absorber for eyes, spinal, and
placenta
Water Balance
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Regulators
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Thirst—outward sign of dehydration
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Diminished with age
Hypothalamus monitors lack or excess
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Triggers pituitary to release ADH (antidiuretic
hormone) when salts are too high and volume
of blood or blood pressure is too low
Kidneys respond by excreting or withholding
fluids
Water Losses
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Losses normally occur from:
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Urine—water required to excrete urine and
body wastes
Lungs as vapor
Feces
Skin in the cooling process
About 2½ quarts per day
Recommended Water Intake
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8-12 cups per day (pale yellow urine
indicates appropriate dilution)
Water, milk and juices are best sources
Alcoholic beverages and those
containing caffeine act as diuretics
Fruits, vegetables, meats and cheese
also contribute to water intake
Fluid and Electrolyte Balance
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Mineral salts when dissolved in water contain
electrical charges and are known as
electrolytes
Electrolytes and water are the most vital to
life—electrolytes hold water in compartments
where needed
Electrolytes outside the cell are sodium and
chloride
Electrolyte inside the cell is potassium
Electrolyte and Fluid Balances
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Balances can be upset by large fluid losses
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Vomiting
Diarrhea
Heavy sweating
Fever
Burns
Wounds causing blood loss
Electrolytes also help maintain the acidity pH
of body fluids
Major Minerals
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Needed in larger amounts in the body
Sodium:
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Principle electrolyte in the extracellular
fluid outside the cell
Maintains acid-base balance—muscle
contraction and nerve transmission
Sources: processed foods, salt added
while cooking (select iodized salt)
Major Minerals, Cntd.
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Sodium
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Average intake is about 3300 mg and Daily
Value recommendation is 2400 mg
Risks of too much are high blood pressure
or hypertension
Choose and prepare foods with less salt—
U.S. Dietary Goal
Major Minerals, Cntd.
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Chloride:
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Extracellular electrolyte
Usually associated with either sodium or
potassium
Part of HCL acid found in the stomach
Best source in table salt
Major Minerals, Cntd.
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Potassium
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Principal charged electrolyte found inside
the cell
Critical to keeping the heartbeat steady
Diets low in potassium can contribute to
elevated blood pressure
Sources: fresh food of all kinds, especially
fruits and vegetables—oranges & bananas
Major Minerals, Cntd.
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Calcium
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Necessary for growth of a healthy skeleton
and prevention of bone disease later in life
Most abundant mineral in the body
99% of calcium found in the bones and
teeth—provides rigidity
1% found in body fluids—vital to life
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Regulate muscle contractions
Transmits nerve impulses
Major Minerals, Cntd.
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Blood clotting
Cofactor to several enzymes
Deficiencies:
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Osteoporosis
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Porous, thin, fragile bones found mostly in
older women
Can also correlate with high blood pressure
Absorption can vary between 30-75%
Major Minerals, Cntd.
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Sources:
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Best are in the daily group (2-3 cups per
day of fluid milk or their equivalents)
Vegetables: mustard greens, kale, parsley,
watercress, and broccoli
Meat group: particularly sardines,
including bones and poultry
Major Minerals, Cntd.
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Phosphorus
2nd most abundant mineral in the body
Excess in the diet can cause excretion
of calcium—carbonated beverages and
high protein diet, especially from meat
sources
Trace Minerals
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Needed in smaller amounts in the body
Iron:
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Absorption is limited—10-15% absorbed
from dietary sources—can increase with
good Vitamin C sources eaten together
Function: component of the protein
hemoglobin that carries oxygen from the
lungs to tissues
Trace Minerals, Cntd.
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Deficiency—Iron deficiency anemia—most
prevalent in children and pre-menopausal
women
RDA is 10-15 mg per day
Sources: Most absorbable sources are
meats, poultry and fish, esp. organ meats;
plant sources are less absorbable
Toxicity: can cause death, especially in
small children
Trace Minerals, Cntd.
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Zinc:
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Multiple metabolic functions
Deficiency can cause growth retardation
and affects immune function
Sources are high protein foods
Iodine:
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Integral part of the thyroid hormone,
thyroxin
Trace Minerals, Cntd.
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Deficiency causes mental and physical
retardation
Problem in underdeveloped countries who
don’t have access to iodized salt
Sources: Iodized salt or foods grown in
iodine rich soil; high mountain areas have
little in the soil
Trace Minerals, Cntd.
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Fluoride
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Necessary for normal bone and tooth
development
Teeth are more resistant to decay
Sources: drinking water either naturally or
from fluoridated water
Nutrition and Alcohol Abuse
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Sources of Alcohol:
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Wine, wine coolers, beer, and hard liquor
Nutritional deficiencies can result from
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Depression of appetite—less food eaten
Interference with digestion, absorption,
metabolism and excretion of nutrients
Vitamins and minerals necessary for normal
metabolism interfered with so fewer nutrients
are available from food
TEST QUESTIONS
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Water is involve in all of the following
EXCEPT:
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A. Regulation of body temperature
B. conversion of lipids to amino acids
C. Lubricant around joints
D. Solvent for minerals and vitamins
Test Questions
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Which of the following body processes
in NOT dependent upon the presence of
calcium in the body fluids?
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A. Blood clotting
B. Muscle contraction
C. Transmission of nerve impulses
D. Transportation of oxygen in the
bloodstream
Test Questions
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A deficiency of _________ is one of the
world’s most common preventable
causes of mental retardation
A. Zinc
B. Selenium
C. Magnesium
D. Iodine