Dietary mineral



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Dietary minerals are the iodized salt." Dirt eating, called pica or geophagy is practiced by some as a means of supplementing the diet with elements. The chemical composition of soils will vary depending on the location.

organic compounds, some of which contain heavy elements such as iodine and cobalt. The dietary focus on "minerals" derives from an interest in supporting the biosynthetic apparatus with the required elemental components.[1] Appropriate intake levels of certain chemical elements is thus required to maintain optimal health. Commonly, the requirements are met with a conventional diet. Excessive intake of any element (again, usually as an ion) will lead to poisoning. For example, large doses of selenium are lethal. On the other hand, large doses of zinc are less dangerous but can lead to a harmful copper deficiency (unless compensated for, as in the Age-Related Eye Disease Study).

Dietary minerals classified as "macromineral" are required in relatively large amounts. Conversely "microminerals" or "trace minerals" are required relatively in minute amounts. There is no universally accepted definition of the difference between "large" and "small" amounts.

 

Macrominerals

A variety of elements are required to support the biochemical processes, many play a role as RDA > 200 mg/day) are in alphabetical order (parenthetical comments on folk medicine perspective):

  • Calcium (for muscle and digestive system health, builds bone, neutralizes acidity, clears toxins, helps blood stream)
  • Chloride (for production of hydrochloric acid in the stomach)
  • ATP and related reactions (health, builds bone, causes strong peristalsis, increases flexibility, increases alkalinity)
  • apatite) and energy processing and many other functions (bone mineralization)[3]
  • electrolyte (heart and nerves health)
  • Sodium is an electrolyte
  • methionine amino acids and some cofactors

Trace minerals

A variety of elements are required in trace amounts, unusually because they play a role in enzymes.[1] Some trace mineral elements (RDA < 200 mg/day) are (alphabetical order):[citation needed]

Other trace minerals

Many elements have been suggested as required in human nutrition, but such claims are often suspect as pseudoscience. One problem with identifying efficacyis arises because many elements are innocuous at low concentrations, so proof of efficacy is lacking. Definitive evidence for efficacy comes from characterization of a biomolecule with an identifiable and testable function. Of the many ultratrace elements still lacking solid proof, chromium picolinate.


Food sources

  • Dairy products, calcium-fortified foods, canned fish with bones (salmon, sardines), and green leafy vegetables for calcium
  • Nuts, soy beans, and cocoa for magnesium
  • Table salt (sodium chloride, the main source), sea vegetables, olives, milk, and spinach for sodium
  • Legumes, potato skin, tomatoes, and bananas for potassium
  • Table salt is the main dietary source for chlorine
  • Meat, eggs, and legumes for sulfur
  • Red meat, leafy green vegetables, fish (tuna, salmon), eggs, dried fruits, beans, whole grains, and enriched grains for iron

See also

References

  1. ^ a b Lippard, Stephen J.; Jeremy M. Berg (1994). Principles of Bioinorganic Chemistry. Mill Valley, CA: University Science Books, 411. ISBN 0935702725. 
  2. ^ Nelson, David L.; Michael M. Cox (2000-02-15). Lehninger Principles of Biochemistry, Third Edition, 3 Har/Com, W. H. Freeman, 1200. ISBN 1572599316. 
  3. ^ Corbridge, D. E. C. (1995-02-01). Phosphorus: An Outline of Its Chemistry, Biochemistry, and Technology, 5th, Amsterdam: Elsevier Science Pub Co, 1220. ISBN 0444893075. 
  • Donatelle, Rebecca J. (2004-03-29). Health: The Basics, 6th edition, San Frnacisco: Benjamin Cummings, 480. ISBN 0805328521. 
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Mineral supplements (Selenium		Sodium selenate - Sodium selenite
 
This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Dietary_mineral". A list of authors is available in Wikipedia.