| Columbia Encyclopedia: dietary mineral |
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In the diet, certain substances necessary for the maintenance of life and good health. Some are essential components of bodily substances, such as the calcium in bones and the iron in hemoglobin, whereas others help regulate the activities of
| Wikipedia: Dietary mineral |
Dietary minerals are the chemical elements required by living organisms, other than the four elements carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, and oxygen present in common organic molecules. The term "mineral" is archaic, since the intent of the definition is to describe ions, not chemical compounds or actual minerals.
Dietitians may recommend that minerals are best supplied by ingesting specific foods rich with the element(s) of interest. Sometimes minerals are ingested as mineral dietary supplements, the most common being iodine in iodized salt.
The dietary focus on minerals derives from an interest in supporting biochemical reactions with the required elemental components.[1] Appropriate intake levels of certain chemical elements are thus required to maintain optimal health. According to nutritional experts, the requirements are met simply with a conventional balanced diet.[citation needed]
Contents |
Some sources state that sixteen minerals are required to support human biochemical processes by serving structural and functional roles as well as electrolytes:[2] Sometimes a distinction is drawn between this category and micronutrients. Most of the essential minerals are of relatively low atomic weight:
| H | He | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Li | Be | B | C | N | O | F | Ne | |||||||||||
| Na | Mg | Al | Si | P | S | Cl | Ar | |||||||||||
| K | Ca | Sc | Ti | V | Cr | Mn | Fe | Co | Ni | Cu | Zn | Ga | Ge | As | Se | Br | Kr | |
| Rb | Sr | Y | Zr | Nb | Mo | Tc | Ru | Rh | Pd | Ag | Cd | In | Sn | Sb | Te | I | Xe | |
| Cs | Ba | La | * | Hf | Ta | W | Re | Os | Ir | Pt | Au | Hg | Tl | Pb | Bi | Po | At | Rn |
| Fr | Ra | Ac | ** | Rf | Db | Sg | Bh | Hs | Mt | Ds | Rg | |||||||
| * | Ce | Pr | Nd | Pm | Sm | Eu | Gd | Tb | Dy | Ho | Er | Tm | Yb | Lu | ||||
| ** | Th | Pa | U | Np | Pu | Am | Cm | Bk | Cf | Es | Fm | Md | No | Lr | ||||
| The four organic basic elements | Quantity elements | Essential trace elements | Pervasive but no identified biological function in humans |
The following play important roles in biological processes:
| Mineral | RDA/AI | Description | Category | Insufficiency | Excess | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Potassium | 4700 mg | Quantity | is a systemic electrolyte and is essential in coregulating ATP with sodium. Dietary sources include legumes, potato skin, tomatoes, and bananas. | hypokalemia | hyperkalemia | |
| Chloride | 2300 mg | Quantity | is needed for production of hydrochloric acid in the stomach and in cellular pump functions. Table salt is the main dietary source of chloride. | hypochloremia | hyperchloremia | |
| Sodium | 1500 mg | Quantity | is a systemic electrolyte and is essential in coregulating ATP with potassium. Dietary sources include table salt (sodium chloride, the main source), sea vegetables, milk, and spinach. | hyponatremia | hypernatremia | |
| Calcium | 1000 mg | Quantity | is needed for muscle, heart and digestive system health, builds bone, supports synthesis and function of blood cells. Dietary sources of calcium include dairy products, canned fish with bones (salmon, sardines), green leafy vegetables, nuts and seeds. | hypocalcaemia | hypercalcaemia | |
| Phosphorus | 700 mg | Quantity | is a component of bones (see apatite) and energy processing and many other functions.[3] In biological contexts, usually seen as phosphate.[4] | hypophosphatemia | hyperphosphatemia | |
| Magnesium | 420 mg | Quantity | is required for processing ATP and for bones. Dietary sources include nuts, soy beans, and cocoa. | hypomagnesemia, magnesium deficiency |
hypermagnesemia | |
| Zinc | 11 mg | Trace | is pervasive and required for several enzymes such as carboxypeptidase, liver alcohol dehydrogenase, and carbonic anhydrase. | zinc deficiency | zinc toxicity | |
| Iron | 8 mg | Trace | is required for many proteins and enzymes, notably hemoglobin. Dietary sources include red meat, leafy green vegetables, fish (tuna, salmon), eggs, dried fruits, beans, whole grains, and enriched grains. | anaemia | iron overload disorder | |
| Manganese | 2.3 mg | Trace | is a cofactor in enzyme functions. | manganese deficiency | manganism | |
| Copper | 900 µg | Trace | is required component of many redox enzymes, including cytochrome c oxidase. | copper deficiency | copper toxicity | |
| Iodine | 150 µg | Trace | is required for the biosynthesis of thyroxine. | iodine deficiency | ||
| Selenium | 55 µg | Trace | a cofactor essential to activity of antioxidant enzymes like glutathione peroxidase. | selenium deficiency | selenosis | |
| Molybdenum | 45 µg | Trace | the oxidases xanthine oxidase, aldehyde oxidase, and sulfite oxidase[5] | molybdenum deficiency |
Many elements have been suggested as essential, but such claims have usually not been confirmed. Definitive evidence for efficacy comes from the characterization of a biomolecule containing the element with an identifiable and testable function. One problem with identifying efficacy is that some elements are innocuous at low concentrations and are pervasive, so proof of efficacy is lacking because deficiencies are difficult to reproduce.[1]
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| ash | |
| molybdenum | |
| sodium |
| What period of human culture is named after an element that is also a dietary mineral? Read answer... | |
| Man can easily survive with out AG or Au but take away this trace dietary mineral and you are in eminent risk of a vitamin B deficiency? Read answer... | |
| Can a man easily survive without silver and gold but take away this trace dietary mineral and you are in eminent risk of a vitamin B deficiency? Read answer... |
| What does mineral dietary supplement mean? | |
| What are dietary supply of essential minerals? | |
| What are the harmful effects of insufficient intake of dietary mineral to human beings? |
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