Minerals
Mighty Minerals
• Bones – need calcium, phosphorus, and
magnesium
▫ Most important during teen years
▫ If body doesn’t get enough, it will take these away
from your bones which will result in osteoporosis
– bones become porous and can break easily
• Blood – important to get enough minerals like
iron to prevent anemia which makes you feel
tired and weak
▫ Most important for women due to reproductive
health
Calcium
Functions
•Builds and strengthens bones and
teeth
•Helps blood clot
•Keeps heart muscles and nerves
working properly
•Helps regulate the use of other
minerals in the body
Sources
•Milk and milk products
•Whole fish, leafy green
vegetables, and broccoli
deficiency
•Poor bones and osteoporosis
Sodium, Chlorine, and potassium
functions
•Sodium, chlorine, and potassium
work as a nutrient team to
maintain the balance of body
fluids
•Control osmosis – process where
fluids flow in and out of the cells
through the cell walls
•Helps nervous system and
muscles function properly
•Helps cells absorb nutrients
sources
•Sodium is in processed foods
•Sodium and chlorine are found
in table salt
•Potassium is found in meat,
milk, bananas, citrus fruits, and
dark green leafy vegetables
• Deficiency:
▫ Severe diarrhea,
vomiting
• Excess
▫ Too much sodium
can lead to high
blood pressure
Iron
functions
•Helps form hemoglobin, which is
a protein pigment found in red
blood cells
▫ Hemoglobin takes oxygen from
lungs and carries it to cells
throughout the body
sources
•Body stores iron and uses it
over and over again
•Liver, egg yolks, legumes,
leafy green vegetables, meats
deficiency
•Anemia can occur
▫ Blood lacks red blood cells,
hemoglobin, or total volume
Iodine
Functions
Essential part of thyroxine –
which is the hormone
produced by the thyroid gland
Thyroxine increases
oxidation rates in body cells
Sources
•Seafood and seaweed
•Iiodized salt
Deficiency
•Thyroid gland has to work hard to
produce enough thyroxine and
can enlarge which is called
endemic goiter
•If not enough during the prenatal
period and early childhood
mental retardation may occur
Zinc
Functions
•Helps certain enzymes release
oxygen from lungs
•Aids in digestion of proteins
•Helps heal wounds and form
blood
Sources
•Meat, poultry, seafood, eggs,
milk
Fluorine
Functions
•Helps prevent dental carries
•Maintains healthy bones
Sources
•Drinking water
•toothpaste
Deficiency
•Dental carries