Major and Trace Minerals | academiascholars.com

QUESTION

Discuss the functional role, intake recommendation, and sources of both the major and trace minerals.
Discuss the diseases associated with deficiencies or toxicities of the major minerals.

Subject	Nutrition	Pages	12	Style	APA

Answer

Major and Trace Minerals

Human bodies require different minerals to remain healthy. These minerals must however remain in certain levels in the body since excess or lack of these minerals may hinder the normal functioning of the body. Some of the major nutrients include calcium, magnesium, chloride/sodium and potassium. The top trace minerals include chromium, zinc, iron and selenium. All these minerals function collectively to promoting the overall wellness of the body. As such, these major nutrients and trace minerals make the body to remain strong and physically fit (Mohammadifard et al., 2019). They also reduce stress levels and thus increased quality of life and individual’s performance. The table below indicates the type of mineral, functional role, the recommended intake and the possible sources of the mineral.

Mineral	Functional Role	Sources	Recommended intake (RDA for adults)
Calcium	Building of bones, muscle contractions, nerve impulses’ transmissions, blood clotting, enzymes and hormonal activation, sustainability of normal heart rates, balancing of electrolyte	Milk – 300 mg Yoghurt – 300mg Almonds – 100mg Cooked turnip greens – 100mg Sweet potato -50mg	1,000mg to 1,300 mg per day
Magnesium	Neuromuscular coordination, immunity support, heart beat regulation, metabolic functions necessary for exercises, synthesis of macronutrient and nerve impulses’ transmission (Mohammadifard et al., 2019)	Milk – 34mg Spinach – 78mg Brown rice – 86mg Hazenuts – 45mg Almonds – 77mg Lima beans – 63mg	310 mg to 420mg
Potassium	Acid-base balancing, heart’s electrical activity controls, Proteins and muscle building, utilization of carbohydrates and balancing of electrolyte	Banana – 422mg Orange – 237 mg Baked potato with skins – 926mg Sunflower seeds – 241mg Spinach – 420mg	4.7mg
Iron	Prevention of anemia or hemoglobin synthesis, cardiovascular performances, cellular functionality, metabolism, transmission of oxygen from lungs to body muscles and tissues	Meat, poultry and sea-foods are heme sources while fortified foods and plants are non-heme sources. Oyster -8mg Beef- 1.6mg Lentils – 8mg White beans -8mg Spinach – 3mg	8mg to 18mg
Chromium	Metabolism of proteins, carbohydrates and fats cholesterol and fatty acid synthesis glucose metabolism and action of insulin	Broccoli -11mcg (1/2 cup) Ham -10.4mcg Grape juice – 7.5mcg English muffin -3.6mcg	20mcg to 35mcg
Selenium	Antioxidant enzymes production to improve recovery and prevention of cell damaging, metabolism of thyroid hormone (Kieliszek, 2019)	Chicken -25mcg Sunflower seed kernel -18.6mcg Tuna -92mcg Brazil nuts 543mcg	55mcg
Zinc	Cell division, Breakdown of carbohydrates, Cell growth, Healing of wounds and Support of immune system	Cooked oysters -27-50mg Pork – 1.9 to 3.5mg Cashews – 1.6mg Baked beans – 0.9 to 2.9mg	8mg to 11mg

(2017) study employ

Various diseases are associated with toxicities or lack of these major minerals. Some of these diseases include rickets, scurvy or the disease of the pirates, anemia or lack of sufficient blood cells in the body (Mohammadifard et al., 2019). Lack of sodium causes goiter while excessive zinc causes gastrointestinal disorders. Apart from development of brittle bones, lack of calcium is also associated with excessive bleeding. Excess or lack of iron may lead to cardiovascular problems.

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References

Kieliszek, M. (2019). Selenium–fascinating microelement, properties and sources in food. Molecules, 24(7), 1298.

Mohammadifard, N., Humphries, K. H., Gotay, C., Mena-Sánchez, G., Salas-Salvadó, J., Esmaillzadeh, A., … & Sarrafzadegan, N. (2019). Trace minerals intake: risks and benefits for cardiovascular health. Critical reviews in food science and nutrition, 59(8), 1334-1346.

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