FOOD MINERAL

Iron Losses

2009-11-09T18:36:00.000-08:00

Iron Losses
Determination of RDA for iron has been based upon the fact that in the United States, iron intake is frequently inadequate in four population groups.

Infants and young children (6 months to 4 years) because of low iron content of milk and other preferred food, rapid growth rate, and body reserves of iron insufficient to meet needs beyond 6 months.
Adolescents in their early growth spurt because of rapid growth and needs of expanding red cell mass.
Females during child bearing years because of menstrual iron losses
Pregnant women because of their expanding blood volume, demands of fetus and placenta, plus blood losses to be incurred in childbirth.

Basal iron losses that average about 0.7 to 1.0 mg/d are exhibit by the adult male and the post-menopausal.

Assuming an average iron absorption of 10-15% an intake of 10 mg iron daily appears generous for these population groups.

Basal losses of iron plus increased needs have been considered in formulating the RDA for those groups frequently at risk.
Iron Losses

Manganese

2009-10-19T17:30:00.000-07:00

Manganese
The adult body contains about 20 mg of manganese, found mainly in the liver, pancreas pituitary gland and bone.

Although it is considered a dietary essential, manganese is also toxic at high levels.

Manganese functions like other trace elements as an essential part of cell enzymes that catalyze any important metabolic reactions.

Absorption and retention of manganese are associated with serum ferritin concentration.

Manganese deficiency is rare, but it has been reported in cases of diabetes and pancreatic insufficiency and in protein-energy malnutrition states such as kwashiorkor.

Manganese toxicity occurs as an industrial disease, inhalation toxicity, in miners and other workers with prolonged exposure to manganese dust.

The excess manganese accumulates in the liver and central nervous system, producing severe neuromuscular symptoms similar to those of Parkinson’s disease.

The best food sources of manganese are of plant origin. Whole grain, cereal products and teas are the richest food sources, and fruits and vegetables are somewhat less rich.

Dairy products, meat fish and poultry are poor sources of manganese.
Manganese

Minerals and Blood Pressure

2009-09-25T23:50:00.000-07:00

Minerals and Blood Pressure
Studies have shown that nutritional supplementation, particularly with potassium, calcium and magnesium (non-chloride salts), along with antioxidants and zinc, can help reduce hypertension.

Sodium and Potassium
In order to reduce blood pressure sodium intake must be restricted while potassium intake is increased.

Individuals with high blood pressure should be aware of hidden salt in processed foods.

Although their salt intake is comparable, vegetarian generally have less hypertension and cardiovascular than non-vegetarian because their diet contain more potassium, complex carbohydrates, polyunsaturated fat, fiber, calcium, magnesium and vitamin A and C.

According to expert, regular consumption of potassium-rich-fruits such as avocadoes, bananas, cantaloupe, honeydew melon, grapefruit, nectarine, orange and vegetables such as asparagus, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, green peas, potatoes and squash can lower high blood pressure.

Steaming rather than boiling vegetables helps prevent vital nutrient loss.

Calcium
Calcium has been shown to lower blood pressure in hypertensive.

Because many with high blood pressure have a lower daily calcium intake than people with normal blood pressure, calcium rich foods, including nits and leafy green vegetables such as watercress and kale, should also supplement the diet.

A recent analysis of the research on calcium and hypertension shows that either increasing calcium in the diet or using calcium supplements will usually have a positive effect in systolic blood pressure.

Magnesium
In one study, magnesium supplementation lowered blood pressure in 19 of 20 hypertensive. Dietary magnesium is found in nuts (almonds, cashews, pecans), rice, bananas, potatoes, wheat germ, kidney and lima beans soy products and molasses.

Antioxidants and Zinc
Research has found that antioxidants are linked to an increase in nitric oxide activity.

Nitric oxide helps open blood vessels which in turn may help lower blood pressure.

Zinc may helpful because it activates superoxide dismutase (SOD), an antioxidant enzyme.
Minerals and Blood Pressure

Potassium and Blood Pressure

2009-09-03T22:47:00.000-07:00

Potassium and Blood Pressure
The role of potassium in lowering blood pressure has received less attention until recently.

International comparisons of blood pressure and potassium intake, have shown that a higher potassium intake appears to be associated with a lower prevalence of hypertension.

It is also probable that a low potassium intake has an independent effect on stroke mortality, which is separate from the effect of blood pressure.

Sodium and potassium cannot easily be considered separately, and when assessing their effects, potassium it is probably best to examine dietary or urinary sodium/potassium ratios.

It is interesting to note that in the USA, where hypertension is common in blacks, there are virtually no differences in sodium intake or urinary sodium excretion between blacks and whites but there are marked differences in potassium intake and excretion.

Black people tend to consume lower quantities of potassium rich foods which are usually of high quality and expensive.

This may explain partly some of the social and economic factors causing racial differences in blood pressure.
Potassium and Blood Pressure

An Elementary Guide to Minerals

2009-08-29T22:23:00.000-07:00

An Elementary Guide to Minerals
The early Greeks thought that all material on Earth was constructed of a combination of four basic elements: earth, water, air and fire.

Century later, alchemists looking for the formula for precious metals such as gold, decided that the essential elements were sulfur, salt and mercury.

In 1669 a group of German chemists isolated phosphorus the first minerals element to be accurately identified.

The classic guide to chemical elements is the periodic table, a chart division in 1869 by Russian chemist Dmitri Mendeleev (1834-1907), for whom mendelevium was name.

The table was revised by British physicist Henry Moseley (1887-1915), who came up with the concept of atomic numbers, numbers based on the number of protons (positively charge particles) in an elemental atom.

The periodic table is a clean, crisp way of characterizing the elements, and if you are now or ever were a chemistry, physics or premed student, you can testify first hand to the of memorizing the information it provides.
An Elementary Guide to Minerals

Magnesium

2009-08-08T05:57:00.001-07:00

Magnesium
The concentration of magnesium in the body is 250 mg/kg.

The daily requirement is 300 -400 mg. In a normal diet, the daily intake is 300-500 mg.

As a constituent and activator of many enzymes, particularly those associated with the conversion of energy rich phosphate compounds, and as a stabilizer of plasma membranes, intracellular membranes and nucleic acids, magnesium is a life supporting element.

Because of its indispensable role in bloody metabolism, magnesium deficiency causes serious disorders.

Magnesium

Benefits Associated with Nutrients from Seafood

2009-07-13T07:52:00.000-07:00

Benefits Associated with Nutrients from Seafood
The high nutritional quality of seafood makes it an important component of a healthy diet.

While protein is an important macronutrient in the diet, most American already consumes enough and do not need to increase their intake.

Fats and oil are also part of a healthy diet, but the type and amount of fat can be important - for example, with regard to cardiovascular disease.

Many Americans consume greater than recommended amounts of saturated fat as well as cholesterol from high-fat protein foods such as beef and pork.

Many seafood selections are lower in total and saturated fats and cholesterol than some more frequently selected anima protein foods such as fatty cuts of beef, pork and poultry and are equivalent in amount of fat to some leaner cuts of meat.

Since it is lower in saturated fats however by substituting seafood more often for other animal foods, consumers can decrease their overall intake of both total and saturated fats while retaining the nutritional quality of their protein food choices.

Seafood is also a primary source of EPA and DHA in the American diet.

The contribution of the nutrients to improving health and reducing risk for certain chronic disease in adult has not been completely elucidated.

There is evidence however, to suggest there are benefits to the developing infants such as increasing length of gestation, improved visual acuity and improve cognitive development.

In addition, there is evidence to support an overall benefit to the general population for reduced risk of heart disease among those who eat seafood compared to those who do not, and there may be benefits from consuming EPA and DHA for adults at risk for coronary heart disease.
Benefits Associated with Nutrients from Seafood

Cautions of Chromium

2009-07-11T06:43:00.001-07:00

Cautions of Chromium
Active, athletic individuals- people who engage in vigorous aerobic activities and consume higher amount of carbohydrates than the general population – have higher chromium requirements than nonathletes.

Chromium levels start to decrease as we age starting in our early forties.

Some smaller studies have confirmed that added chromium in the diet can reduce total body fat and increase the percentage of muscle.

If you have insulin-dependent diabetes you should not use chromium unless your health care practitioner prescribes it.

Chromium supplements can make insulin function more effectively and, in effect, reduce insulin requirements.

People with diabetes therefore have to monitor their blood sugar levels very carefully when using chromium.

Chromium requirements differ from person to person, consult your health care provider to determine the correct amount of this mineral for you.

Some people experience light-headedness or a slight skin rash when taking chromium. If you feel light-headed, stop taking the supplement and consult you health care provider.

If you develop rash, either try switching brands or discontinue use.
Cautions of Chromium

Sodium

2009-07-03T04:08:00.001-07:00

Sodium
The value of salt has been recognized for centuries. The common expressions of “salt of the earth” and even the word “salary” all derive from high value placed upon salt throughout history.

The requirement for sodium is not well defined, but human dietaries generally contain more sodium than necessary.

Tissue formation, as in growth, requires about 1.1 -1.2 mg/kg of tissue gained; the requirement for maintenance should be considerably less.

Intakes vary widely; about 10 gm NaCl/day appears to be usual for most Americans, whereas intakes of 30 – 40 gm/day are not uncommon in Oriental countries where soy sauces and sodium glutamate are flavored as flavoring agents.

The human body contains about 1.8 gm Na/kg at free bodyweight, most of which is present in extracellular fluids.

The content of serum normally is about 140 mEg/liter .

Since sodium is the chief cation of the extracellular fluid, the control of the body fluid osmolarity and therefore body fluid volume is largely dependent on sodium ions and the ratio of sodium to other ions.
Sodium

Interaction of Iron with Other Nutrient

2009-06-14T21:59:00.001-07:00

Interaction of Iron with Other Nutrient
In animals, ingestion of very high levels of zinc has been shown to induce anemia; copper also to be involved in this interaction.

At the present time, however, there is no evidence that humans are ingesting sufficient zinc to induce anemia.

On the other hand, excessive iron supplementation is often a practice among humans and this excessive intake of nonheme iron may have detrimental effect on zinc nutrition.

It is believe that the basis of interaction between these two minerals is their competition for some portion of a common absorptive pathway.

As a general rule, excessive concentration of one divalent ion in the gastrointestinal tract may inhibit absorption of other divalent ions.

Conversely, a deficiency of one divalent ion may enhance the absorption of others.

At the metabolic level, an interrelationship appears to exist between iron and copper because the role of copper containing ceruplasmin as feroxidase.

Also ascorbic acid and iron are interrelated on that activation of several deoxygenases by ferrous iron appears dependent on the presence of ascorbate.
Interaction of Iron with Other Nutrient

Potassium

2009-05-06T18:45:00.000-07:00

Potassium
The concentration of potassium in the body is 2 g/kg.

At a concentration of 140 mmol/L, it is the most common cation in the intracellular fluid.

Potassium is localized mostly within the cells.

It regulates the osmotic pressure within the cells, is involved in cell membrane transport and also in the activation of a number of glycolytic and respiratory enzymes.

The potassium intake in a normal diet is 2 – 5.9 g/day. The minimum daily requirement is estimated to be 782 mg.

Potassium deficiency is associated with a number of symptoms and may be a result of undernourishment or predominant consumption of potassium-deficient foods, e.g., white bread, fat or oil.
Potassium

Main Elements: Sodium

2009-04-19T18:52:00.001-07:00

Main Elements: Sodium
The sodium content of the body is 1.4 kg. Sodium is present mostly as an extracellular constituent and maintains the osmotic pressure and maintains the osmotic pressure of the extracellular fluid.

In addition, it activates some enzymes, such as amylase.

Sodium absorption is rapids; it starts 3 – 6 min after intake and is completed within 3 h.

Daily intake of sodium averages 2.5 g (females) to 3.3 g (males); the adult’s minimum requirement ranges form 1.3 – 1.6 g/day (equal to 3.3 – 4.0 g/day NaCl).

The intake of too little or too much sodium can result in serious disorders.

From a nutritional standpoint, the daily sodium intake should be limited o 2.3 g (equivalent to 6 g NaCl).

A low intake of sodium can be achieved by a nonsalty diet or by using diet salt.
Main Elements: Sodium

Sources of Chromium

2009-03-10T10:27:00.000-07:00

Sources of Chromium
Chromium is found in the following food sources: beef, beer, brewer’s yeast, brown rice, cheese, turkey, fish and whole grains.

It may also be found in dried beans, black strap molasses, broccoli, calf liver, chicken, corn and corn oil, dairy products, dried liver, dulse, eggs, green beans, mushrooms and potatoes.

Herbs that contain chromium include catnip, horsetail, licorice, nettle, oat straw, red clover, sarsaparilla, wild yam and yarrow.
Sources of Chromium

Magnesium Deficiency

2009-02-09T21:52:00.000-08:00

Magnesium Deficiency
Magnesium deficiency may occur in man as a result of prolonged episodes of vomiting or malabsorption as in severe diarrhea.

Gastric juice contains a fair amount of magnesium and excessive vomiting could result in substantial losses of the mineral in addition to the loss resulting from the failure to retain ingested food.

Certain drugs – ammonium chloride and mercurial diuretics – result in loss of magnesium through the urine.

Magnesium deficiency has been reported in children with protein-calorie malnutrition due to primarily to diarrhea which increases fecal loss of the mineral.

Recovery was more prompt when diets were supplements with magnesium.

Hypomagnesaemia is associated with chronic alcoholism and with the neuromuscular symptoms of alcoholic withdrawal.

When pancreatitis is also present, magnesium replacement therapy becomes an important part of treatment because magnesium (and calcium) in blood may be decreased due to presumably to deposition in areas of adipose tissue.

Magnesium content of adipose tissue has been shown to be markedly increased in humans dying from acute pancreatitis and in animals in whom pancreatitis was induce experimentally.

Cellular loss of magnesium may be a primarily biochemical mechanism in the etiology of various types of myocardial lesions.

The high content of magnesium in hard water cited as a possible reason for the lower incidence of sudden death from heart disease in areas of hard water as compared to soft water areas.
Magnesium Deficiency

Metabolism and Excretion of Iron

2009-01-17T04:51:00.000-08:00

Metabolism and Excretion of Iron
Despite the importance of dietary iron in maintaining the long term adequacy of body iron, the amount of iron needed were it not for the avid conservation and constant recycling of body iron.

The daily enteric absorption of iron amounts to only about 0.06% of the total body iron content. The iron from degraded hemoglobin is continually reused for erythropoiesis.

The red blood cells (RBCs) live for about 120 days and are then trapped and phagocytosed by the reticuloendothelial cells (RE), primarily in the spleen.

Although transferrin accepts iron from the gastrointestinal tract, most of the iron entering the plasma for distribution by transferrin is contributed by sites of hemoglobin destruction (phagocytes of RE cells) and sites of stored iron (ferritin and hemosiderin).

The RE serves as storage site for ferritin and hemosiderin in the bone marrow, spleen and to a large extent in the liver.

There is also some evidence that iron stored in skeletal muscle is located in the RE cells lying between the muscles fibers. In the liver, parenchyma is also a storage site for iron.

The requirement for transferrin iron is determined by the needs of the bone marrow for red cell synthesis. Therefore in chronic hemolysis, the quantity of iron passing through the plasma can expand six to eight times normal.

On the other hand, when erythropoiesis declines dramatically, the quantity of iron in the plasma pool may decrease to as little as one third of normal.

In normal adult male, daily iron losses are approximately between 0.9 an 1.0 mg/d (12 to 14 ug/kg/d). Most of these losses are via the gastrointestinal tract, with about 0.45 due to blood loss, which occurs even in healthy individual.

About 0.2 to 0.3 mg iron is lost by desquamated of surface cells from the skin, and a very small amount, about 0.1 mg, is lost in the urine.

Total losses of premenopausal women, however, are estimated at about 1.3 to 1.4 mg/d because of iron loss in menses. Average daily iron loss in menses is about 0.6 mg, but this amount can vary considerably. In some women iron loss due to menses alone may exceed 1.4 mg/d.

The increased excretion of iron in normal persons with the excessive intakes is due to the above average concentration of iron in the ferritin of desquamated mucosal cells.
Metabolism and Excretion of Iron

Minerals in General

2009-01-03T06:55:00.000-08:00

Minerals in General
Minerals are the constituents which remain as ash after the combustion of plant and animals tissues. Minerals are divided into:

Main elements

Trace elements

Ultra trace elements

The main elements (Nam, K, Ca, Mg, Cl, P) are essential for human beings in amounts >50 mg/day. Sulfur also belongs to this group.

Trace elements (Fe, I, F, Zn, Se, Cu, Mn, Cr, Mo, Co, Ni) are essential in concentrations of <50 mg/day; their biochemical actions have been elucidated.

Ultra – trace element (Al, As, Ba, Bi, B, Br, Cd, Cs, Ge, Hg, Li, Pb, Rb, Sb, Si, Sm, Sn, Sr, TI, Ti, W) are elements whose essentially has been tested in animal experiments over several generations and deficiency symptoms have been found these extreme conditions.

For one of these elements, if it is possible to detect a biochemical function in a vital tissue or organ, the element is assigned to the trace elements.

Main and trace elements have very varied functions, e.g., as electrolytes, as enzymes constituents and a building materials, e.g., in bones and teeth.

The importance of minerals as food ingredients depends not only on their nutritional and physiological roles. They contribute to food flavor and activate or inhibit enzymes- catalyzed and other reactions and they affect the texture of food.
Minerals in General

Absorption and Transport of Iron in Human Body

2008-12-23T08:37:00.001-08:00

Absorption and Transport of Iron in Human Body
Entry of iron into the body us carefully regulated by its absorption, a very complex and poorly understood process. This regulation of absorption in the normal, healthy individual is closely tied to the level of the iron stores; absorption increases when iron stores are low and decreases as stores become greater. The rate of erythropoiesis also appears to influence iron absorption.

Food iron is presented to the body either as heme iron, found only in animal products, or as non-heme iron, which comprises all the iron occurring in plant foods and about 60% of that in animal foods.

Whether the iron is heme or non-heme has a major influence in the amount of the mineral absorbed. Since heme iron is so limited in most diets absorption of non-heme iron deserves the greater emphasis.

Overall absorption is estimated to range from 10 – 15%. Iron absorption can occur throughout the small intestine but is most efficient in the proximal portion, particularly the duodenum. Heme iron is absorbed as an intact metalloporphyrin, perhaps having first been split from global chain while in lumen of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract.

Heme is well absorbed but rates of absorption are inversely related to iron stores and may range form 15% to 35%. Within the mucosal cells the absorbed heme is broken down by a heme oxygenase, and the iron released moves through the mucosal cells in the form of small molecules.

The non-heme iron is less well absorbed with rate of absorption ranging from approximately 2% to 20%. Its specific rate of absorptions highly dependent on the amount of iron stores and the influence of concomitantly ingested dietary components.

Also affecting rate of absorption are existing conditions within the lumen of the proximal GI tract. The chemical form of the non-heme iron that enters the mucosal cells, the nature of receptor sties, and the trans-mucosal transport are unknown.
Absorption and Transport of Iron in Human Body

Deficiency of Chromium

2008-12-12T08:00:00.000-08:00

Deficiency of Chromium
Researchers estimate that two out of every three Americans are hypoglycemic, pre-hypoglycemic or diabetic. The ability to maintain normal blood sugar levels is jeopardized by the lack of chromium in our soil and water supply and by a diet high in refined white sugar, flour and junk foods. A number of human and animal studies have found that chromium supplements can improves insulin sensitivity and blood sugar in the face of insulin resistance, elevated blood sugar levels, impaired glucose tolerance and diabetes.

A deficiency of chromium can lead to anxiety, fatigue, glucose intolerance, (particularly in people with diabetes), inadequate metabolism of amino acids and an increased risk of arthrosclerosis. Excessive intake (the level depends upon individual tolerance) can lead to chromium toxicity, which has been associated with dermatitis, gastrointestinal ulcers, and kidney and liver impairment.

Supplemental chromium is best absorbed by the body when it is taken in a form called chromium picolinate (chromium chelated with picolinate, a naturally occurring amino acid metabolite). Picolinate enables chromium to readily enter into the body’s cells, where the mineral can then help insulin do its job much more effectively.
Deficiency of Chromium

Chromium

2008-12-08T19:28:00.000-08:00

Chromium
Because it is involved in the metabolism of glucose, Chromium (sometimes also called glucose tolerance factor of GTF) is needed for energy. It is vital in the synthesis of cholesterol, fats, and proteins. This essential mineral maintains stable blood sugar levels through proper insulin utilization, and can be helpful both for people with diabetes and those with hypoglycemia. Studies have shown that low plasma chromium levels can be an indication of coronary artery disease.

Additional chromium is needed during pregnancy because the developing fetus increases demand for this mineral. Chromium supplements can help an expectant mother maintain healthy blood sugar levels during pregnancy.

The average American diet is chromium deficient. Only one in the Americans has an adequate amount of chromium in his or her diet. There are five main reasons for this:

The form of chromium in many foods is not easily absorbed (only 0.4 to 2.5 percent of dietary chromium is absorbed)

Not enough foods containing chromium are consumed

Much of the chromium is lost during processing

Many people do not like the foods that are the best sources of chromium

High quantities of sugar in the diet cause of loss of chromium from the body

Chromium

Calcium Diets

2008-12-05T20:00:00.000-08:00

Calcium Diets
Calcium is found in dairy foods, salmon (with bones), sardines, seafood and dark green leafy vegetables. Food sources include almonds, asparagus, blackstrap molasses, brewer’s yeast, broccoli, buttermilk, cabbage, carobs, cheese, collards, dandelion green, dulse, figs, filberts, goat’s milk, kale, kelp, milk, mustard greens, oats, prunes, sesame seeds, soybeans tofu, turnip greens, watercress, whey and yogurt.

Herbs that contains calcium include alfalfa, burdock root, cayenne, chamomile, chickweed, chicory, dandelion, eyebright, fennel seed, fenugreek, flaxseed, hops, horsetails, kelp, lemongrass, mullein, nettle, oat straw, paprika, parsley, peppermint, plantain, raspberry leaves, red clover, rose hips, shepherd’s purse, violet leaves, yarrow, and yellow dock.

A diet that is high in protein, fat and/or sugar affects calcium uptake. The average American diets of meats, refined grains, and softdrinks leads to increase excretion of calcium. Consuming alcoholic beverages, coffee, junk foods, excess salt, and/or white flour also leads to the loss of calcium by the body. A diet based on foods such as vegetables, fruits and wholesome grains, which contain significant amounts of calcium but lower amounts of phosphorus, is preferable.

Oxalic acid (found in almonds, beet greens, cashews, chard, cocoa, soybeans and spinach) interferes with calcium absorption by binding with it in the intestines and producing insoluble salts that cannot be absorbed. The normal consumption of foods containing oxalic acids should not pose a problem, but overindulgence in these foods inhibits the absorption of calcium. Oxalic acid can also combine with calcium to form calcium-oxalate kidney stones. However, that taking magnesium and potassium supplements can prevent the formation of this types of stone.
Calcium Diets

Calcium: Function and Deficiency

2008-12-01T18:16:00.000-08:00

Calcium: Function and Deficiency
Calcium is vital for the formation of strong bones and teeth and for the maintenance of healthy gums. It is also important in the maintenance of a regular heartbeat and in the transmission of nerve impulses. Calcium lowers cholesterol levels and helps prevent cardiovascular disease. It is needed for muscular growth and contraction, for the prevention of muscle cramps. It may increase the rate of bone growth and bone mineral density in children.

This important mineral is also essential in blood clotting and helps prevent cancer. It may lower blood pressure and prevent bone loss associated with osteoporosis as well. Calcium provides energy and participates in the protein structuring of RNA and DNA. It is also involved in the activation of several enzymes, including lipase, which breaks down fats for utilization by the body. In addition, calcium maintains proper cell membrane permeability, aids in neuromuscular activity, helps to keep the skin healthy, and protects against the development of preeclampsia during pregnancy, the number one cause of maternal death. If high blood pressure develops due to pregnancy, it can be reduced by calcium intake.

Calcium protects the bones and teeth from lead by inhibiting absorption of this toxic metal. If there is a calcium deficiency, lead can be absorbed by the body and deposited in the teeth and bones.

Calcium deficiency can lead to the following problems: arching joints, brittle nails, eczema, elevated blood cholesterol, heart palpitation, hypertension (high blood pressure), insomnia, muscle cramps, nervousness, numbness in the arms and/or legs, a pasty complexion, rheumatoid arthritis, rickets and tooth decay. Deficiencies of calcium are also associated with cognitive impairment convulsions, depression, delusions and hyperactivity.
Calcium: Function and Deficiency

Minerals in Fruits

2008-11-23T16:25:00.001-08:00

Minerals in Fruits
Fresh fruits and vegetables contribute about 26% of the magnesium and 19% of the iron to the U.S diet.

The following fruits are important contributors to the supply of indicated minerals in the U.S diet:

Potassium: banana, peach, orange, apple, dried fruits such as apricot and prune.

Phosphorus: banana, orange, peach, fig, raisin

Calcium: tangerine, grapefruit, orange

Iron: strawberry, banana, apple, orange
Minerals in Fruits

Boron

2008-11-10T20:24:00.001-08:00

Boron
Boron is needed in trace amounts for healthy bones and muscle growth because it assists in the production of natural steroids compounds within the body. It is also necessary for the metabolism of calcium, phosphorus and magnesium.

Boron enhances brain function, promotes alertness and plays a role in how the body utilizes energy from fats and sugars. Most people are not deficient in boron. However, elderly people usually benefits from taking a supplement of 2 to 3 milligrams daily because they greater problems with calcium absorption. Boron deficiency accentuates vitamin D deficiency.

Born helps to prevent post menopausal osteoporosis and build muscle. New research indicates that taking supplemental boron can shrink prostate tumor size, lower blood levels of prostate specific antigen and may help prevent prostate cancer. Studies have shown that in areas of the world where the level of boron in the soil is low there are the greater numbers of people suffering from arthritis.

Boron is found naturally in apples, carrots, grapes, dark green leafy vegetables, raw nuts, pears and whole grains.
Boron

Iron in Human Body

2008-11-01T00:46:00.001-07:00

Iron in Human Body
The essentiality of the microminerals iron is due to its presence in heme, a molecule crucial to energy transformation and therefore crucial to life itself. The atom of iron in the center of the heme molecule allows the transport of oxygen to tissues (hemoglobin); the transitional storage of oxygen in tissues, particularly cardiac muscle (myoglobin); and the transport of electrons through the respiratory chain (cytochromes).

Iron has several oxidation states, depending on its chemical environment. The only states that are stable in the aqueous environment of the human body (and food) are the ferric form and the ferrous. Nevertheless, the iron atom in the center of heme is highly reactive and allows the formation of coordinate bonds with six other atoms.

Although most of the body’s iron is found as a component of heme, some of the mineral is found in storage form, and some is associated with certain nonheme enzymes.

In adult, functional components, hemoglobin comprises about 85%; myoglobin approximately 10%; the enzymes approximately 1%. The total amount of iron found in person is related not only to body weight but also is influenced by a variety of physiologic conditions, including age, sex, pregnancy, and state of growth. For example, the amount of iron stored in the premenopausal woman is likely to be much less than in the postmenopausal female or in the male.
Iron in Human Body

Microminerals in General

2008-10-21T00:00:00.000-07:00

Microminerals in General
A precise definition for the essential microminerals (or trace minerals) has not been established. Some define essential microminerals as one that comprises less than one hundredth of one percent of total body weight. Others define it as a nutrient the body needs in concentrations of one part per million or less. These minerals initially gained the nomenclature of trace because their concentrations in tissue were not easily quantified by early analytical method.

Iron appears to be mineral that divides the macrominerals from microminerals; consequently, some define an essential trace mineral as one that is needed by the body in a concentration equal to or lower than iron.

Although fourteen microminerals are designated as essential, questions currently exist about essential of three of trace minerals, i.e., chromium, fluorine and vanadium. Their essentiality is questioned because they fail to meet all the proposed criteria for an essential trace mineral:

It is present in all healthy tissue of living things.
Its concentration from one animal to the next is fairly constant.
Its withdrawal from the body induces reproducibly the same physiological and structural abnormalities, regardless of species studied.
The abnormalities induced by deficiencies are always accompanied by specific biochemical changes.
These biochemical changes can be prevented or cured when the deficiency is prevented or cured.

Microminerals in General