Major Minerals

Name Food Sources Functions Deficiency/Toxicity Recommended Amount

Intake
Calcium Milk, cheese Development of bones Deficiency • The recommended
Sardines and teeth Osteoporosis amount of calcium for
Salmon Transmission of nerve Osteomalacia male and female adults,
Some dark impulses Rickets ages 19-50, is 1,000
green, leafy Blood clotting Tetany milligrams daily. The
vegetables Normal heart action Retarded growth amount increases to
Normal muscle activity Poor tooth and bone 1,200 milligrams daily
formation for those over age 51.

Phosphorus Milk,cheese Development of bones Deficiency • 700 milligrams daily for

Lean meat and Poor tooth and bone both adult males and
Poultry teeth formation females.
Fish Maintenance of normal Weakness
Whole-grain acid Anorexia
cereals base balance of the blood General malaise
Legumes Constituent of all body
Nuts cells
Necessary for
effectiveness
of some vitamins
Metabolism of
carbohydrates, fats, and
proteins
Potassium Oranges, Contraction of muscles Deficiency • for adult males and fe-
bananas Maintenance of fluid Hypokalemia males is 4.7 grams
Dried fruits balance Muscle weakness each day.
Vegetables Transmission of nerve Confusion
Legumes impulses Abnormal heartbeat
Milk Osmosis Toxicity
Cereals Regular heart rhythm Hyperkalemia
Meat Cell metabolism Potentially life-
treatening irregular
heartbeats

Sodium Table salt Maintenance of fluid Deficiency • adult males and fe-
Beef, eggs balance Nausea males is set at 1.5
Poultry Transmission of nerve Axhaustion grams each day. Be-
Milk, cheese impulses Muscle cramps cause sodium and
Osmosis Toxicity chloride are found to-
Acid-base balance Increase on blood gether in most foods,
Regulation of muscle and pressure the recommendation is
nerve Edema also set for sodium
irritability chloride. For adult
males and females the
recommended amount
of sodium chloride is
3.8 grams each day
(about 1 ½ teaspoons of
salt).
Chloride Table salt Gastric acidity Deficiency • For adult males and fe-
Eggs Regulation of osmotic Imbalance in gastric males the recommen-
Seafood pressure acidity ded amount of sodium
Milk Osmosis Imbalance in blood PH chloride is 3.8 grams
Fluid balance Nausea each day (about 1 ½
 Acid-base balance Exhaustion teaspoons of salt).
Formation of
hydrochloric acid
Magnessium Green, leafy Synthesis of ATP Deficiency • for adult males, age 19-
vegetables Transmission of nerve Normally unknown 30 is 400 milligrams
Whole grains impulses Mental, emotional, and daily, and 420 milli-
Avocados Activation of metabolic muscle disorders grams for age 31 and
Nuts enzymes above.
Milk Constituent of bones, • adult females, age 19-
Legumes muscles, 30 is 310 milligrams
Bananas and red blood cells daily, and 320 milli-
Necessary for healthy grams for age 31 and
muscles above.
and nerves

Sulfur Eggs Maintenance of protein Unknown There are no recommen-

Poultry structure ded intake levels for diet-
Fish For building hair, ary sulfur.
nails,and all
body tissues
Constituent of all body
cells

Iron Muscle meats Transport oxygen and Deficiency • For adult males is 8
Poultry carbon Iron deficiency anemia milligrams daily.
Shellfish dioxide characterized by weak- • Adult females age 19-
Liver Component of ness, dizziness, loss of 50 need 18 milligrams,
Legumes hemoglobon and weight, and pallor while females age 51
Dried fruits myoglobin Toxicity and older need only 8
Whole grain or Component of cellular Hemochromatosis milligrams daily.
 enriched enzymes essential for (genetic)
breads and energy production Can be fatal to children
cereals May contribute to
Molasses heart disease
Injure liver

Iodine Iodized salt Regulation of basal Deficiency • The recommended in-

Seafood metabolic Goiter take of iodine is 150
rate Cretinism micrograms for both
Myxedema male and female adults.

Zinc Seafood, Formation of collagen Deficiency • The recommended

especially Component of insulin Dwarfism, hyponadism, amount of zinc is 11
oysters Component of many vital anemia milligrams daily for
Liver enzymes Loss of appetite adult males and 8 milli-
Eggs Wound healing Skin changes grams daily for adult fe-
Milk Taste acuity Impaired wound healing males.
Wheat bran Essential for growth Decreased taste acutiy
Legumes Immune reactions

Selenium Seafood Contituent of most body Deficiency • The recommended in-

Kidney tissue Unclear, but related to take level is 55 micro-
Liver Needed for fat Keshan disease grams for both adult
Muscel meats metabolism Muscle weakness males and females.
Grains Antioxidant functions Toxicity
Vomiting
Loss of hair and nails
Skin lessions

Manganese Whole grains Component of enzymes Deficiency • The recommended in-

Nuts Bone formation Unknown
 Fruits Metabolic processes Toxicity take for adult males is
Tea Possible brain disease 2.3 milligrams. For
adult females the re-
commendation is 1.8
milligrams.
Fluoride Fluoridated Increase resistance to Deficiency Adult males and females
water tooth Tooth decay need 4 milligrams of flu-
Seafood decay Possibly osteoporosis oride daily.
Component of bones and Toxicity
teeth Discoloration of teeth

Chromiun Meat Associated with glucose Deficiency Adult males ages 19-50
Vegetable oil and lipid metabolism Possibly disturbances of need 35 micrograms each
Whole-grain glucose metabolism day. Males 51 years of
ceral & nuts age and older need 30
Yeast micrograms daily. Adult
females ages 19-50 need
25 micrograms daily,
while females age 51 and
older need 20 micro-
grams each day.
Molybdenum Dark green, leafy Enzyme functioning Deficiency • The recommended
vegetables Metabolism Unknown amount of molybdenum
Liver Toxicity is 45 micrograms daily
Cereal Inhibition of copper for both adult males
Legumes absorption and females.

Copper Liver Essential for formation of Deficiency • The recommended in-

Shellfish, oysters hemoglobin and red Anemia take for copper is 900
Legumes blood Bone disease micrograms for adult
Nuts cells Disturbed growth and males and females.
Whloe grains Component of enzymes metabolism
Wound healing Toxicity
Needed metabolicaly for Vomiting; diarrhea
the Wilson's disease
release of energy (genetic)