A.

MAJOR MINERALS

1. Calcium - Calcium is mineral found in many foods. The body needs calcium to maintain strong bones
and to carry out many important functions.

Functions

 Stored in bones and teeth, to support their structure and hardness.

 For muscles to move.
 For nerves to carry out messages.
 To help blood vessels.
 Move blood throughout the body.
 To help release hormones and enzymes.

Food Source

 Milk, yogurt, cheese, broccoli, malunggay, saluyot, fish(galunggong), canned sardines, salmon,
grains, breads, pastas, cereals, fruit juices, soy, rice and tofu.

Deficiency

 Reduced growth
 Rickets
 Osteomalacia
 Osteoporosis and bone fracture(the bone becomes porous and fragile).

2. Magnesium - A mineral involved in many processes in the body including nerve signalling the
building of healthy bones, and normal muscle contractions. About 350 enzymes are known to depend on
magnesium.

Functions

 Protein synthesis
 Muscle and nerve functions
 Blood glucose control
 Blood pressure regulation.

Food sources

 Green leafy, vegetables, spinach, legumes, nuts, seeds, whole grains, tap water, mineral water,
bottled water.

Deficiency
  Magnesium deficiency (hypomagnesemic tetany)

3. Sodium - Is key to helping send electrical signals between cells and controlling the amount of fluid in
the body, your body needs it for your cells to work the right way.

Functions

 It helps with functions of nerves and muscles

 Keep the right balance of fluid
 Responsible for maintaining acid-base balance
 It allows the passage of materials like glucose through the cell wall and maintains normal muscle
irritaboor excitability

Food sources

 Bread, pizza, cold cuts and bacon, cheese, soups, pasta, meat, egg dishes, tocino, tapa, ham,
hotdog.

Deficiency

 Hyponatremia
 excess (edema)

4. Potassium - Is a mineral and an electrolyte, it helps your muscle work including the muscles that
control your heart beat and breathing.

Functions

 Potassium maintains fluid and electrolyte balance

 Muscular contraction
 It is also important in carbohydrate and protein metabolism

Food sources

 Orange, tomato, bananas, potatos, beans, fish, cheese, poutry and nuts.

Deficiency

 Hypokalemia (low serum potassium)

 Muscular weakness
 Excess Hyperkalemia (elevated serum potassium)

5. Phosphorus - The body needs phosphorus for many functions such as filtering waste and repairing
tissue and cells.

Functions
  Component of building bones and teeth
 manages how body stores and uses energy
 Produce DNA-RNA the bodies genetic building blocks

Food sources

 Meat, poultry, fish, milk and other dairy products, eggs, nuts and seeds, beans, garlic, potatoes,
dried fruits.

Effects of excess

 Natural phosphates cause no harm when taken in excess as these are simply voided in the
stools, but elemental phosphorus is highly poisonous as it cause an erosion of the bone.

6. Sulfur - Occurs in almost every protein cell and comprises about 0.25% of body weight. It is
concentrated in the cytoplasm but is found in highest concentrations in the hair, skin, and nails.

Functions

 Sulfur maintains protein structure because of the linkages between parallel peptide chains.
 It also activates enzymes.
 It participates in detoxification reactions by which toxic materials conjugate with active sulfate
and convert them to non-toxic forms which are excreted in the urine.

Food sources

 Protein contains about 1% sulfur so that a diet adequate in protein will contain enough sulfur.
Effects of deficiency or excess
 A hereditary defect in tubular reabsorption of amino acid cystine may lead to excessive
excretion in the urine causing cystinuria. However, repeated production of cystine in the
kidney also causes the formation of cystine kidney stones.

7. Chlorine - A major anion in the extracellular fluid. The cerebrospinal fluid has the highest
concentration of chlorine. The normal range for plasma level id from 95-105 mEq/liter or
340-370mg/100mL. A relatively large amount of ionized chlorine is found in the GI secretion as HCI. It
may also be found to some extent within the cells.

Functions

 Chlorine maintains flyid and electrolyte balance and acid-base balance.

 It contributes to the acidity necessary in the stomach (HCI).

Food sources

 Table salt (NaCl)

Effects of deficiency

 Alkalosis result when there is an excessive loss of chlorine ions from the gastric secretions
during continued vomiting, diarrhea, or tube drainage.