Nutritional News
Mineral Fundamentals
Minerals are essential in the diet and
each plays a unique and often multifactorial role as they act at all levels of
the body – cells, tissues, organs and the
whole organism. All of our body
processes depend upon the action of
minerals to activate the enzymes which
perform bodily functions we take for
granted. Without proper mineral ratios
we could not set into motion the
properties and functions of enzymes,
vitamins or amino acids. Cellular
functions require a proper chain of
events that start with minerals.
Minerals are broken down into two
categories – Macro and Trace. Macro
minerals, which the body requires a little
more than the trace minerals, include
Calcium, Chloride, Magnesium,
Potassium, Sodium and Phosphorus.
The body requires different levels of
each mineral. Keep in mind that any
substance can be toxic at certain levels
regardless of how essential it may be.
Calcium, the most abundant in the body
is required for developing and
maintaining strong bones and teeth. It
requires the presence of phosphorus,
magnesium and vitamins D and K for
adequate absorption. Calcium rich
foods include sesame seeds, sardines,
collard greens and spinach. Chloride is
an electrolyte that works with sodium,
potassium and carbon dioxide to
maintain the acid-base balance in your
body and keep the proper balance of
fluids. Salt is an easy way of consuming
sodium chloride but keep in mind that
whole foods like tomatoes, lettuce,
celery and olives are also a source of
chloride. Magnesium is an essential
mineral necessary for bone and teeth
formation and for the normal function of
nerves and muscles. It is also necessary
for many of the enzymes in your body to
work properly. Spinach, kale, nuts and
fish are all rich in magnesium.
Phosphorus, the second most abundant
mineral in your body, helps build strong
teeth and bones, filters out waste in the
kidneys and helps your body store and
use energy.
Volu me
Seeds, cheese and fish are good
sources of phosphorus. Potassium is
active in muscle-nerve
communications and in moving
nutrients into cells while moving waste
out of the cells. White beans, spinach,
potatoes with skin and dried apricots
are all high sources of potassium.
Sodium is essential for your body to
maintain the proper fluid balance,
transmit nerve impulses and assist in
muscle contraction and relaxation.
Trace minerals are a group of minerals
that the body needs in very small
amounts. The recommended dietary
allowance for most vitamins and
minerals can range anywhere from
800 to 1200 milligrams per day where
the trace minerals range anywhere
from 0.2 to 15 mg per day depending
on the mineral. Trace minerals include
Iron, Selenium, Zinc, Chromium,
Copper, Iodine, Manganese and
Molybdenum.
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Feb ,
2015
Fun Food Facts!
The avocado is well known
to be used as a base in
Mexican dips or as a spread
on tortillas but in the
Philippines, Brazil and
Southern India, they are
frequently used for
milkshakes and occasionally
added to ice cream and
other desserts.
Did You Know?
Some of the vitamins in foods are
compromised during preparation
because they are vulnerable to
heat and light however meats, fish
and poultry must be cooked well
in order to destroy dangerous
organisms.
Vitamins are more likely to lose part of
their punch before they reach the
table compared to minerals because
minerals do not contain carbon and
are not destroyed by heat or light.
Unlike other nutrients, minerals are in
their simplest chemical form and their
content in plant foods varies with the
soil content and the maturation of the
plant. Minerals in food tend to be
robust no matter how you handle
them with the exception of losing
some if you use liquid for cooking and
then discard it.
Resources:
Harvard Health
University of Maryland Medical Center
Vitamins C & B are the most
vulnerable to heat and light
Ultraviolet and fluorescent light
damage riboflavin
When food is kept hot for more
than 2 hours, it loses more than
10% of any available folic acid,
vitamin C and vitamin B6
Cooling, storing and reheating
foods can leach away more than
30% of folic acid and vitamin C
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