FOOD MINERAL

Deficiency symptoms of calcium

2012-02-23T17:41:00.005-08:00

99% of this major mineral is found in bone and teeth but it is also important for blood clotting, muscle contraction and nerve conduction.

Diet deficient in calcium affect the human body’s functions of bone formation and maintenance, transmission of nerve impulses, muscular contraction, and abilities for blood coagulation.

The symptoms of calcium deficiency includes rickets, osteomalacia, osteoporosis, scurvy, tetany, parathyroid hyperplasia, stunted growth, laryngospasm.

One of the first signs of a deficiency is a nervous affliction called tetany, which is characterized by muscle cramps, numbness and tingling in the arms and legs.

While ‘rickets’ is a condition when bone is malformation due to a softening of the bones. Other symptoms include: curvature of the spine and ribs, loss appetite, and lameness.

In the case of more prolonged deficit of calcium, ‘leaching’ of this element from the bones causes increased absorption of lead from polluted environments and its incorporations into bones and teeth.

Deficiency of calcium lowers the body resistance and for the children become as easy prey to respiratory and intestinal infections.

Deficiency symptoms of calcium

Calcium, softdrinks and osteoporosis

2012-02-21T21:26:00.000-08:00

Bone mass peaks in the early 30s. After this age most people lose approximately one percent of bone mass a year. As more and more bone is lost, the bone becomes weaker and more brittle, a condition known as osteoporosis.

A very serious effect of soft drinks on people’s health is the correlation between soft drink consumption and the increased risk of bone fractures and osteoporosis.

People who drinks instead of milk or other dairy products likely will have lower calcium intakes. Low calcium intake contributes to osteoporosis, a disease leading to fragile and broken bones.

The large amounts of sugar, bubbles caused by carbon dioxide, and phosphoric acid that are found in soft drinks remove nutritious minerals from bones allowing the bones to become weak and increasing the risk for them to break.

This is done by the phosphoric acid disrupting the calcium-phosphorous ratio, which dissolves calcium from the bones. This can cause calcium loss in bones. The phosphorus acid then pulls the calcium from their storage warehouse – that is, their teeth and bones.

The result is osteoporosis – that is, loss of density of bones, back and disc trouble, pyorrhea and of course, decayed teeth.

All soft drinks are made with a solution of phosphoric acid. This is in part what gives them their kick.

Many people consume soft drinks instead of necessary beverages like milk, so their bodies are not receiving enough nutrients, especially calcium.

By lowering bone mineral density it may be increasing osteoporosis risk.

This deficiency in calcium intake and increased consumption of soft drinks is a greater problem for women than for men.

On average, women reported drinking five carbonated drinks a week, four of them colas. Calcium intake was lower for women who drank the most cola.

The discrepancy between genders is because men traditionally eat more and consume more milk than their female counter parts, so soft drinks do not have as profound of an effect on men.
Calcium, softdrinks and osteoporosis

Calcium functions in human body

2012-02-07T07:22:00.000-08:00

#99% of total body calcium is found in bones and teeth. Calcium is responsible for construction, formation and maintenance of bone and teeth. This function helps reduce the occurrence of osteoporosis.

#It serves as an intracellular regulator.

#Calcium is a vital component in blood clotting systems and also helps in wound healing. Calcium helps to produce fibrin, the protein responsible for the structure of blood clots.

#Calcium helps to control blood pressure, nerve transmission, and release of neurotransmitters.

#Calcium is an essential component in the production of enzymes and hormones that regulate digestion, energy, and fat metabolism.

#It is co-factor for some enzymes, including some involved in blood clotting.

#Calcium helps to transport ions (electrically charged particles) across the membrane.

#It is an important link between electrical excitation and contraction in muscles.

# Nerve transmission requires calcium. When a nerve impulse is transmitted to the end of a motor neuron, it increases the permeability of the nerve ending to calcium.

#Calcium assists in maintaining all cells and connective tissues in the body.

Calcium functions in human body

Sodium chloride in food

2012-02-01T23:01:00.000-08:00

For most people in the United States, sodium is consumed in the form of sodium chloride (salt). Reported salt intake by US men is approximately 10 g per day, but for some salt intake may be as high as 25 g daily.

Excess sodium intake has been linked to elevated blood pressure and increased risk of cardiovascular disease and stroke.

Sodium chloride is common table salt which is 40% sodium and 60 percent chloride.

Sodium chloride perhaps the oldest known preservative used. Even some foods are still being preserved solely by the addition of salt including raw meats and fish, often along with other processing methods such as canning and pasteurization.

Solutions containing 15-25% salt are used to bring the water activity aw, down to about 0.96. This has the effect of retarding the growth of most micro-organisms, including the majority of those responsible for meat spoilage.

Sodium chloride and other sodium containing food additives are also present in condiments, such as Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, ketchup, onion salt, garlic salt, and bouillon cubes, usually to enhance the flavor of foods.

Staphylococcus aureus and L. monocytogenes are two notable sodium chloride tolerant bacteria that are not inhibited by sodium chloride.

Sodium chloride in food

Mineral in Banana

2012-02-01T06:19:00.000-08:00

Mineral in Banana
Chemical analysis shows the banana to contain: water 73.3 per cent; protein 1.3; fat 0.06 per cent; total carbohydrate 22 per cent; mineral element 0.8 per cent.

The mineral content of the banana is largely potash, sodium and chlorine. Lime and iron exist in but small amount.

It also contain magnesium, copper, sulfur and calcium.

Banana help build bones and are very good for jaundice because of their iron content. They also aid acute gout and arthritis.

As one of the leading fresh fruit sources of potassium, bananas are in good supply all year long. One medium banana contains close to 400 mg of potassium, a mineral that plays a role in lowering blood pressure, sending oxygen to the brain and regulating the body’s water content.

Potassium also helps kidneys function properly. Potassium is also needed for muscle contraction. It helps the muscle that make heart pump and the muscle that digest the food.

The potassium level in the body can be restored to normal with a high potassium banana snack.

A fresh banana also supplies 120 mg sulfur, 8 mg silicon,. 33 mg of magnesium and 26 mg of phosphorus, along with ample amount of copper, chromium, iron, fluoride, manganese, selenium and zinc.

Bananas are high in potassium yet low in salt, making it perfect to reduce the risk of blood pressure and stroke.
Mineral in Banana

Magnesium and hypertension

2012-01-26T20:49:00.000-08:00

Magnesium is among foremost mineral influences the relaxing and tightening of the tiny smooth muscles lining the blood vessels.

The balance of magnesium and another mineral, calcium in and around the muscle cells lining the arteries is a primary determinant of their state of relaxation and constriction.

The sodium is apparently much less involved and is being dethroned as the chief culprit. Magnesium is decreased in hypertension and the incidence of hypertension is high in areas where drinking water is soft or where there is little magnesium in the soil.

With the deficiency, the walls of the arteries and capillaries tend to construct – a possible explanation for the hypertensive effect.

An adequate level of magnesium in bloods serum is important in stabilizing the cell membranes and allowing the small muscle cells that control blood pressure remain relaxed.

Magnesium and hypertension

Iron deficiency anemia symptoms

2012-01-16T22:47:00.001-08:00

The major deficiency disease for iron is hypochromic microcytic anemia, often called iron deficiency anemia.

Non specific symptoms of iron deficiency include fatigue, weakness, shortness of breath and symptoms of congestive heart failure. Fatigue is a particularly common complaint among patients.

Iron deficiency anemia is extremely common, occurring in about 10% to 15% of premenopausal women and frequently seem in persons with chronic gastrointestinal blood loss or poor iron absorption.

In this form of anemia, the red blood cells are smaller than normal and pale in color due to low amounts of hemoglobin.

The major consequences of iron deficiency anemia include a higher risks of maternal mortality, fetal growth retardation, increased prenatal and perinatal mortality and lowered physical activity.

When blood loss resulting in iron deficiency is indolent and protracted, it may take many years until patients seek medical attention.

Iron deficiency anemia symptoms

Minerals requirement for cattle

2012-01-16T01:55:00.000-08:00

The total mineral, or ash, content of the animal body represents a very small percentage of the total dry matter.

A number of inorganic elements are essential for normal growth and reproduction of animals.

Requirements for minerals are typically determined on metabolism or growth studies or from retention plus calculated absorption values.

Based on body composition of the bovine on ‘fat free’ basis, the composition was 72.9% water, 21.6 % protein and 5.3% ash. In addition, there is a very small amount of carbohydrate, which is found primarily in the liver muscle and blood.

Mineral requirements of beef cattle can be grouped into major and trace mineral categories. However, trace minerals are needed in much lower concentrations and are usually designated by parts per million units.

Approximately 90% of the calcium and 70% of the phosphorus, plus magnesium, sulfur, sodium and chlorine are utilized in the bone and in cartilaginous organic matrix.

Thus, major consideration should be given to them during diet formulation.

Reasonably large quantities of phosphorus, potassium and sulfur are involved in muscle and gland tissues; sodium, potassium and chlorine, plus other elements, are in solution in the body fluids which establish pH and are involved in secretions, osmotic pressure and the irritability of the nerves and contractility of the muscles.

Trace minerals are extremely important nutrients, even though they are required in small amounts. Inadequate trace minerals consumption has been shown to affect reproduction performance, disease resistance, growth and thriftiness. The trace minerals include cobalt, copper, iodine, iron, manganese, molybdenum, selenium, zinc, and perhaps chromium and fluorine.

The trace minerals are present in body tissues is very low concentrations and often serve as components of metalloenzymes and enzyme cofactors or as components of hormones of the endocrine system.

Excesses of certain minerals may depress feed intake and growth rate.
Minerals requirement for cattle

Phosphorus in soft drinks

2012-01-14T01:52:00.001-08:00

Phosphorus like calcium, serves many roles in the biochemical reactions of cells and has a critical role in bone as part of the mineral complex hydroxyapatite. Bones are the major storehouse of phosphorus, holding nearly 85 percent of the body’s supply.

Food additives, especially those in soft rinks, supply up to 30 percent of the phosphorus to the body. One of these, phosphoric acid is added to many kinds of soda to help keep the carbonated bubbles from going flat.

It is diluted phosphoric acid that gives soda their distinctive tangy taste. Pure phosphoric acid is a colorless solid that resembles a crystal.

Phosphoric acid is a chemical compound made up of phosphorus, hydrogen, and oxygen, Among heavy coca drinkers who consume five or more per day, soda is an important contributor to phosphorus intake.

There is some epidemiological evidence that consumption of cola beverages is associated with demineralization of bones especially during childhood and adolescence.

Because good health is depends upon the body’s being able to maintain a one to one balance between calcium and phosphorus in the system.

Calcium is released from teeth and bones into the blood stream to help balance the phosphorus.

The calcium that is lost in the body because of excess phosphorus in the system can lead to osteoporosis. This will makes the bone more porous, brittle and susceptible to fracture.

Phosphorus in soft drinks

Selenium and cancer

2012-01-08T16:29:00.000-08:00

Selenium is an essential mineral, though only in trace amounts. Selenium has been found to function as a prevention against the formation of certain types of tumors.

Selenium as part of selenoproteins and antioxidant enzymes, helps prevent damage from free radicals generated by oxygen metabolism.

Selenium act as an antioxidant through the selenium-dependent enzyme glutathione peroxidase.

Experimental animal studies and human correlation studies generally support the role of selenium in reducing the risk of cancer.

One study found that men who took 200 micrograms of selenium daily over a ten-year period had roughly half the risk of developing lung, prostate and colorectal cancer as compared with men who did not.

Some expert believed that selenium exerts its protective role by virtue of its function as a cofactor for certain antioxidant enzyme systems responsible for the metabolism of fat.

Selenium inhibited tumor development in epithelial tissues of colon, mammary gland, liver, skin, stomach and esophagus. It is also interesting that selenium prevented cancer induced by carcinogen, virus and ultraviolet irradiation.

Selenium and cancer

Fluoride in Tea

2012-01-07T05:53:00.000-08:00

The tea plant naturally concentrates fluoride from soil and water. Fluoride accumulates mostly in the leaves of the tea plant, especially the mature or fallen leaf.

A large percentage of the total fluoride, 25-84%, is released during infusion, and tea is considered to be major source of fluoride.

Instant tea is a reasonably good choice of beverage, although in very large quantities, it can result in excessive fluoride intake.

Brewed tea also contains fluoride, though in lower concentrations than instant tea. In practice, fluoride content in tea as consumed will be higher if the beverage is made with fluoridated water.

Additionally, brewed tea is higher in antioxidant phytonutrients than instant tea and thus is preferable when available.

The fluoride in tea is not necessarily a bad things. Tea consumption has been linked with healthier teeth and gums and stronger bones, possibly in past due to its fluoride content.

It also contributes bones to resistant to decay by acids and demineralization.

The benefits of fluoride are greatest when exposure to it begins in infancy and continues during the development of a child’s teeth.

Fluoride is not a concern unless you are drinking more than two or three quarts of instant tea, or a gallon of regular brewed tea, daily.
Fluoride in Tea

Mineral content in vegetables

2011-12-31T23:01:00.001-08:00

Ash content represents the tidal mineral content in foods. The ash content of most fresh foods rarely is greater than 5%.

Mineral consumption varies widely in raw vegetables because of genetics. Leafy vegetables tend to have higher concentrations of nutrients that less mobile in the plant e.g. calcium and depend on direct water flow rather than recycling from leaves.

Vegetables can be excellent sources of several minerals, but the mineral content of vegetables can vary dramatically depending in the minerals in the soil where the plants are found.

Nowadays different postharvest strategies for improving the mineral intake from vegetables are being implemented.

These comprise increasing consumption of vegetables and increasing levels of essential nutrients through fortification methods.

The most important minerals in vegetables are iron, followed by calcium, phosphorus and potassium of equal value. Only one vegetables, parsley, is high in four of the five minerals.

Vegetables are grouped into yellow vegetables, leaf vegetables and other vegetables. Yellow vegetable and leafy vegetables are rich sources in calcium, iron.

But the iron content in vegetables are good sources of minerals like calcium and trace elements.

Higher concentration of calcium available in broccoli (100 mg/100g) and spinach (600 mg/100 g).

Magnesium has a strong present in vegetable and in general it contains in the range of 5.5-191 mg/100 g fresh weight.

Mineral content in vegetables

Salt as a mineral

2011-11-26T18:21:00.000-08:00

Halite is the mineral name for common salt – sodium chloride. Salt is essential for regulating bodily functions; the human body contains around 230g of salt.

Sodium is an unstable metallic element and chlorine is gaseous at normal temperatures.

Halite is also used as a food preservative, for seasoning and in agriculture e.g., salt licks for cattle, and in animal feed.

The 98 percent of the salt remains is basically pure sodium chloride, but many people feel that body responds differently to refined salt than of natural salts, probably because the trace minerals normally found in natural salt deposits are refined out of processed salt.

Nutritionally, the sodium in salt is vital to good health. Sodium regulates the fluids levels in the human body, and human could not survive without salt in their diet.

Salt is needed for nerve cell communication and processing information with brain cells. It strengthens bones, a osteoporosis is a result of salt an water shortage in the body.

Salt absorbed water. The circulation or distribution of water in the human organisms is due to the chemical action of the molecules of sodium chloride.

Humans do not actually need large amounts of sodium, and overconsumption can cause health problems.
Salt as a mineral

Selenium in Foods

2011-11-22T01:33:00.000-08:00

Many foods include (grain products, seafood, meat and poultry) are major sources of selenium. Seafood accounts for approximately 30% of the dietary selenium intake.

Drinking water has not been found to provide significant amounts of selenium in the diet.

The good news is there are some good dietary sources of selenium: Mushrooms, egg yolks, seafood, poultry and kidney, liver and muscle meats contain the mineral. Vegetables -- garlic, onions, broccoli, asparagus, tomatoes and others -- as well as whole grains and seeds can also be good sources of selenium.

Cereal products make a major contribution to intake because of the relatively large amount of them consumed in most diet.

However, because the amount of selenium in vegetables and grains depends on the selenium content in the soil in which they are grown.

Another good source of the element is nuts, particular Brazil nuts.

The selenium content of food is largely dependent on the content of volcanic ash in the soil on which the food was grown, with higher volcanic ash content yielding higher selenium levels. Soil that is irrigated by seawater, such as much of California's cropland, also contains higher levels of selenium.

Researchers also know that soil in the high plains of northern Nebraska and the Dakotas have very high levels of selenium.

Selenium from natural food sources has a higher bioavailability than functional foods or nutraceuticals and dietary supplements.
Selenium in Foods

Mineral – Iron and Iodine

2011-11-14T17:53:00.000-08:00

A number of minerals or elements are required for normal body functions. Human need minerals to satay healthy. People get minerals by drinking water and eating food.

Minerals play significant roles in virtually every metabolic process occurring within the body.

Iron is required, since it is an essential part of both the blood pigment, hemoglobin, and muscle pigment, myoglobin.

Some body enzymes also have composites that include iron. Deficiencies of iron cause anemia. It is the most common nutrient deficiency, affecting more than 1.2 billion people.

Liver, animal muscle tissues, eggs, oats meal, wheat flour, cocoa, and chocolate are good source of iron. Approximately 10.0 mg of iron are required daily.

For many people that meal is breakfast, which may also include citrus juice whose vitamin C may increase the absorption of nonheme iron.

Iodine is required by all vertebra animals, including the human, since it is a component of the hormone, thyroxine, produced by the thyroid gland.

Thyroid hormone is constructed from iodide and the amino acid tyrosine and has two form thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3) based on the number of iodide atoms.

This hormone regulates metabolic levels. Deficiency of iodine leads to low level metabolism, lethargy, and goiter. Iodine deficiency has existed for centuries.

Requirements of iodine are believed to be about 0.1 mg daily. In food iodine is mostly in its ion form – iodide. Sea food and salt water fish are the beat sources of iodine. In areas where the water is known to be deficient in iodine, iodized table salt may be used in place of regular table salt.
Mineral – Iron and Iodine

Mineral in cocoa

2011-11-12T04:48:00.001-08:00

Cocoa and its products contain substantial amounts of essential dietary minerals. Minerals composition can vary between different cocoa varieties and within the same variety because of different variable.

Cocoa contains several minerals such as potassium, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, copper, iron and calcium which have important roles in the metabolism of the human body.

The most nutrient dense sources of copper are cocoa and dark chocolate. Copper is an important mineral in human nutrition.

Copper is necessary for bone metabolism, brain and nerve cell development, heart rhythm, immune responsiveness, nerve transmission and function and the synthesis of hemoglobin. One cup of unsweetened cocoa powder contain copper 163% of daily recommended values.

While iron is importance for hemoglobin and the formation of healthy blood cells, iron is an essential element in numerous other biological functions. Iron in cocoa unsweetened is about 66% of daily recommended values. Mineral in cocoa

Minerals in Mango

2011-11-09T01:09:00.000-08:00

Mango is full of nutritious quality. A ripe mango has 86 percent of water, 0.3 % mineral salt, calcium 0.01%, phosphorus 0.02%, iron 5 mg per 100 grams

Other mineral in mango is silica, a mineral that gives structural support to human hair, muscles, bones, teeth and skin.

Silica also plays a role in keeping the skin tight and smooth by supporting both bone and collagen formation.

Other key minerals in mangoes including magnesium, sodium, zinc, copper, and manganese.

Iron in mango is needed for the formation of red blood cell.

Calcium and magnesium in mango are good for building strong bones and teeth. Calcium also important for the healthy functioning of the muscles including the heart and nerves.

While for zinc it is needed for the body growth, healing and the metabolism of protein and carbohydrates.
Minerals in Mango

Selenium and thyroid function in fat metabolism

2011-11-06T19:32:00.000-08:00

Selenium is one of the mineral needed for proper functioning of the thyroid gland.

Selenium is required by the enzyme iodothyronine deiodinase to convert T4 (thyroxine) to T3 (triiodothyronine).

Selenium is a crucial component of the enzyme. Without it, T3 cannot be produced in the right amounts, and organs will function as if they were hypothyroid even though blood levels are normal.

Both T4 and T3 are thyroxine based hormones responsible for regulation of metabolism. An important component in the synthesis of thyroid hormones is iodine, which aids the development and functioning of the thyroid gland.

Thyroid hormone plays a major role in controlling the expenditure of energy, in the liberation and metabolism of stored fats and in determining the basal metabolic rate, the proper functioning of the thyroid is of considerable importance for the individual attempting to lose weight.

Selenium deficiency in animal studies had lead to hair loss, growth retardation, reproductive failure and pancreatic problems.

There is an evidence suggest that low thyroid function contributes to heart disease. Selenium deficiency cause the activity of the enzyme iodothyronine deiodinase to decline. This lead to hypothyroidism.

Hypothyroidism refers to the insufficient of activity of the thyroid gland.

One of the symptom is low temperature due to a drop in metabolism. Chemical processes in the body also slow down as well. This lead to abnormal fat metabolisms. Consequently, arteries are more prone to accumulate plaque.
Selenium and thyroid function in fat metabolism

Sodium and hypertension

2011-11-01T00:28:00.000-07:00

The consumption of salt and other sodium sources should be limited. Sodium has been shown to lead to hypertension (high blood pressure) and it is recommended to keep daily consumption level between 110 and 3300 mg.

40% of salt is sodium, which seems to be major precipitant of hypertension. The human body needs only about 1/5 teaspoon (220 mg) of salt a day, but most adult consume up to 30 times as much as their bodies actually need.

Diets high in salt can raise blood pressure in at least two ways. First, sodium can cause the body to retain water increasing volume of blood in the arteries and thus increasing blood pressure.

Second, sodium causes small arteries to constrict, which produces a greater resistant to blood flow.

The majority of sodium in the United States diet is from sodium added during food processing and by restaurant and other food service such as cafeterias and catering services.

Most people with hypertension are sodium sensitive, that is, increasing or reducing intake of sodium alters blood pressure.

Some hypertensive people are sodium resistant; that is, changes in sodium intake do not affect blood pressure.

There is hypothesis that aerobic exercise training in older people with hypertension changes sensitivity with individuals switching from being sodium sensitive to sodium resistant.

Among those with hypertension, approximately 30 to 50 percent are sensitive to salt and can improve blood pressure by reducing salt consumption.
Sodium and hypertension

Selenium and vitamin E complementary roles

2011-10-29T17:40:00.001-07:00

Selenium’s principal function is to inhibit the oxidation of lipids (fats) as a component of the intracellular enzymes glutathione peroxidase.

It is a vital antioxidant, especially when combined with vitamin E. It protects the immune system by preventing the formation of free radicals and destroys lipid peroxides that form and are released into cells.

Oxidation is the metabolic process by which fats, carbohydrates and preteens are converted to carbon dioxide, water and energy, burned to produce the energy needed for body functions.

However, oxidation of the body’s structural and functional component is harmful. The body must have a antioxidant defense mechanism to protect it from oxidation-induced damage. Selenium have a closely associated with vitamin E in its mode of function as a major component of this mechanism.

Glutathione peroxides occurs mainly in the cytosol and reduces peroxides before they can attack cell membranes, whereas vitamin E acts within the membrane itself as a second line of defense.

Selenium deficiency and vitamin E deficiency are so interrelated that it is usual to refer to the diverse group of disorders ascribed to their deficiencies as vitamin E-selenium deficiency.
Selenium and vitamin E complementary roles

Iron deficiency anemia

2011-10-21T21:14:00.000-07:00

Iron is an essential component of virtually all ling cells and it certainly is a necessary for all human cells. It is an essential minerals in diet and most of the iron in human body is contained in the hemoglobin.

Iron is incorporated into a large number of cellular proteins. Many are involved in enzyme catalysis and electron transport, whereas others are involved in carrying oxygen or storing and transporting iron itself.

Iron deficiency anemia is the most common nutritional deficiency condition in the world, widespread in both developing and developed country.

It is prevalent in developing countries where there is insufficient nutritious food. People with eating disorders, in particular anorexia nervosa or bulimia are also prone to iron deficiency anemia.

It may also result from inadequate dietary iron intake, malabsorption, blood loss or rarely intravascular hemolysis with hemoglobinuria.

A common cause of iron deficiency anemia is menstruation, especially heavy menstruation in teenage girls, who may also be in need of greater levels of iron during growth spurts.

The clinical manifestations of chronic iron deficiency anemia include fatigue, anorexia, headache, lassitude, tachycardia, neurologic disorders, pallor of the skin and mucosae and koilonychia.

Iron exist in two major forms in food. The first is heme iron, which is found only in animal sources. The second type is inorganic iron, whose absorption is strongly influenced by factors present in foods ingested at the same time.

Once the iron in ingested food has been absorbed and has entered the blood, only small amounts are lost form the body, except when bleeding occurs. There is no physiological mechanism for secreting iron, so iron homeostasis depends on its absorption.
Iron deficiency anemia

Low levels of potassium

2011-10-15T17:52:00.000-07:00

The kidneys normally regulate potassium level without any difficulty, but in kidney failure this control is lost. This impaired renal function causing loss of potassium in the urine or to inadequate intake.

Diarrhea and use of diuretics or laxatives all disrupt potassium levels. Low levels of potassium also may occur as a result of vomiting, receiving steroid medications or when the body is in very low acid state – alkalosis.

Tobacco and caffeine are also known to recue reduce potassium absorption.

Using large amounts of licorice over long periods can deplete the body’s potassium supply.

Potassium is needed for hormone secretion, The secretion of stress hormones causes a decrease in the potassium to sodium ration both inside and outside the cells. As a result, stress increases the body’s potassium requirements.

Low potassium levels may result in muscle pain, hyporeflexia, nausea , vomiting and orthostatic hypotension.

Signs of a potassium deficiency include dry skin, acne, insatiable thirst, mental confusion, sodium retention, muscular fatigue and headaches.
Low levels of potassium

Cow’s Milk Minerals

2011-10-07T17:53:00.000-07:00

Milk is an important source of growth supporting minerals, such as potassium, magnesium, phosphorus and zinc.

These minerals are especially important during catch up growth after a period of weight loss.

Mineral in milk are mainly present as soluble salts or in colloidal form associated with caseins.

Milk contains about 30 different minerals, but only a few of them are present in greater than trace amounts.

The mineral and trace elements content of cow milks is not constant but is influenced by a number of factors, such as stage of lactation, nutritional status of the mother, and environmental and genetic factors.

The two most abundant are calcium and phosphorus.

Although milk is rich in calcium, it may not be the best way to obtain this mineral. The dosages appropriate for the needs of small calves not for human beings.

Calcium constitutes about 30 percent of the total minerals in milk. In turn, about 30 percent of the total calcium is soluble.

Cow milk contributes a little to dietary intakes of sodium, but some dairy products, such as chesses and butter contain added salt and can be significant sources of sodium in some countries.
Cow’s Milk Minerals

Sources of potassium

2011-10-06T08:01:00.001-07:00

High amounts are found in apricots, avocados, blackstrap, molasses, brewers yeasts, brown rice, dates, dulse, figs, dried fruit, garlic, nuts, raisin, winter squash, torula yeast, wheat bran, yams and yoghurt.

Bananas are the single best source of potassium in the US diet. Vegetables and fruits, especially potatoes, spinach, and melons are important dietary potassium sources. This mineral I widely distributed in many types of foods.

Meat, fish, poultry and dairy products are also good sources. Milk, coffee and tea are also significant sources of potassium.

Herbs that contain potassium include catnip, hops, horsetail, nettle plantain, red clover, sage and skullcap.

Generous intake of fruits and vegetables, as recommended by the Pyramid food guidance system, will help increase potassium intake.

Food processing tends to remove potassium and add sodium, thereby contributing to the imbalances intake of these tow minerals.
Sources of potassium

Food Sources of Minerals

2011-10-03T20:01:00.000-07:00

Minerals in foods include a range of inorganic elements that are required by living organisms to support biochemical processes, including building bones and teeth, transmitting nerve signals, energy conversions from food and vitamin biosynthesis.

All foods from both plants and animals contain varying amounts of minerals. The mineral material may be present as inorganic or organic salts or may be combined with organic material, as the phosphorus is combined with phosphoproteins and metals are combined with enzymes.

Animals tissue contain minerals in the proportions that the animal needs, so animal derived foods are more reliable mineral sources.

Minerals from animals foods can be absorbed more easily than those from plants.

Plants foods can be excellent of several minerals but the mineral content of plants can vary dramatically depending on the minerals in the soil where the plants are found.

More than 60 elements may be present in foods.

It is customary to divide the minerals into two groups, the macro-minerals or essential minerals and the trace elements.

The macro minerals includes potassium, sodium, calcium, magnesium, chloride, sulfate, phosphate and bicarbonate. These minerals required at more than 100 mg/day by the adult.

Trace elements are all others and are usually present in amounts below 50 parts per million (ppm).

There is also a group of minerals called ultra trace minerals, including vanadium, tin, nickel, arsenic, and boron that are being investigated for possible biological function.

Some mineral elements have been documented to be toxic to the body and should, therefore, be avoided in the diet.

The levels of trace elements/minerals in foods very according to inherent, environmental and processing factors.
Food Sources of Minerals