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Minerals (Ca Calcium, Functions To form, strengthen and maintain bones…
Minerals
Ca
Calcium
Functions
To form, strengthen and maintain bones and teeth
For blood clotting
To keep nerves and muscles working properly including the heart
To help with normal growth in children
What happens if you don't have enough??
Can cause rickets in children and ostemalacia in adults
Rickets and osteomalacia are most likely to occur when there is a deficiency in vitamin D, which means too little calcium is absorbed.
Osteoporosis - a condition which causes a reduction in bone density and strength which causes bones to become brittle and fracture easily.
You are more at risk of calcium deficiency if you:
Are on a diet free from lactose or cow milk
Have coeliac disease
Have osteoporosis
Are breastfeeding
Are past the menopause
Which food sources supply it??
Dairy foods
Green leafy vegetables; broccoli, cabbage, okra
Whole grain cereals
Soya drinks with added calcium
Fish with edible bones; sardines, pilchards
Bread, food made with fortified flour
What happens if you have too much??
Taking high doses of calcium (over 1,500mg a day) could lead to stomach pain and diarrhoea
Calcium can build up in the kidneys and can be fatal
OSTEOPOROSIS occurs when the struts which make up the mesh-like structure within bones become thin, causing bones to become fragile and break easily. Brittle bones like in the hip joint may lead to surgery.
Fe
Iron
Two types of iron:
Haem iron (also called ferrous iron) is easily absorbed by the body
Non-haem iron (also called ferric iron) is less easily absorbed in the body
What happens if you don't have enough??
Iron deficiency anaemia, symptoms include being tired, weak, lethargic (no energy), and having a pale completion
Teenage girls often need additional iron to compensate for iron depletion due to menstruation (monthly periods)
Pregnant women and nursing mothers need additional iron to provide sufficient iron for both themselves and their growing baby.
Iron must be combined with vitamin C in order to be absorbed efficiently by the body
What happens if you have too much??
The side effects of taking high doses (over 20mg) or iron include:
Constipation
Vomiting
Stomach pain
Nausea
Very high doses of iron can be fatal, so iron supplements should be kept out of the reach of children.
Which food sources supply it??
Haem iron:
Red meat, offal (liver, kidney, heart)
Non-haem iron:
Whole grain cereals
Green leafy vegetables such as watercress, curly kale
Beans, nuts
Dried fruit; raisins, apricots
Fortified breakfast cereals
Curry powder
Blackstrap molasses
Cocoa
All wheat flour (apart from wholemeal) is fortified with iron by law
Functions
Helps to make haemoglobin in the red blood cells which carry oxygen to the body cells
IRON DEFICIENCY ANAEMIA - where there are fewer red blood cells than is normal, meaning that organs and tissues will not get as much oxygen as they usually would
K
Potassium
Functions
Helps to balance body fluids
Helps to lower blood pressure
Needed to keep heart muscles healthy
Improves bone health and helps to prevent muscle cramps
Potassium works with sodium to balance body fluids and to control the nerves and muscles. Potassium helps to remove excess sodium and may help to prevent high blood pressure
Which food sources supply it??
Fruit and vegetables: bananas, potatoes, broccoli, parsnips, brussels sprouts
Pulses, nuts, seeds
Fish, shellfish
Beef
Chicken, turkey
Coffee
Salt substitutes
What happens if you don't have enough??
Occurs in cases of malnutrition (kwashiorkor)
Diarrhoea
Can also cause heart failure
What happens if you have too much??
Too much potassium can cause stomach pain, nausea and diarrhoea
Any excess can be excreted through the kidneys
P
Phosphorus
What happens if you have too much??
Can trigger involuntary muscle convulsions
High doses of phosphorus supplements for a short time can cause diarrhoea or stomach pain
High doses for a long time can reduce the amount of calcium in the body, which means that bones are more likely to fracture
What happens if you don't have enough??
Unlikely to happen as it is found in so many food sources
Which food sources supply it??
A wide range of animal and plant foods
Red meat
Dairy foods
Fish
Poultry
Bread
Brown rice
Oats
Functions
Helps to build strong bones and teeth
Works with calcium
Important for energy release and other metabolic processes