THE MAJOR & THE TRACE

MINERALS
FDE 317 FOOD & NUTRITION
MODULE 10
The distinction between the major and trace minerals does not mean that one group is more important than the other—all
minerals are vital.
The major minerals are so named because they are present, and needed, in larger amounts in the body.

The Minerals:
An Overview
 Inorganic elements

 Vitamins; organic; easily destroyed

 Minerals; inorganic; retain their chemical identity
 once enter the body they remain same until excreted;
cannot be changed into anything else.
The Minerals:  cannot be destroyed by heat, air, acid, or mixing.

An Overview  little care is needed to preserve minerals during food

preparation.
 the ash that remains when a food is burned contains all
the minerals that were in the food originally.
 minerals can be lost from food only when they leach into
cooking water that is then poured down the drain.
 The body’s handling of minerals

 The minerals also differ from the vitamins in the

amounts the body can absorb and in the extent to which
they must be specially handled.
 Some minerals, such as potassium, are easily absorbed
The Minerals: into the blood, transported freely, and readily excreted by
the kidneys, much like the water-soluble vitamins.
An Overview  Other minerals, such as calcium, are more like fat-soluble
vitamins; they must have carriers to be absorbed and
transported.
 And, like some of the fat-soluble vitamins, minerals
consumed in excess can be toxic.
 Variable bioavailability

 The bioavailability of minerals varies.

 Some foods contain binders that combine chemically
with minerals, preventing their absorption and carrying
them out of the body with other wastes.
The Minerals:  Examples of binders include;
An Overview  phytates, which are found primarily in legumes, seeds,
nuts, and grains, and
 oxalates, which are present in rhubarb, beet greens, sweet
potatoes, and spinach, among other vegetables.
 These foods contain more minerals than the body actually
receives for use.
 Nutrient interactions

 Similar to vitamins, one mineral can affect another’s

absorption, metabolism, and excretion.
 The interactions between sodium and calcium, for
example, cause both to be excreted when sodium intakes
The Minerals: are high.

An Overview  Phosphorus binds with magnesium in the GI tract, so

magnesium absorption is limited when phosphorus
intakes are high.
 an excess of one mineral may create an inadequacy of
another and supplements—not foods—are most often to
blame.
 SODIUM

The Major
Minerals
 Potassium and sodium are
electrolytes needed for the body to
function normally and help maintain
fluid and blood volume in the body.
 However, a person can get high blood
pressure by consuming too much
sodium and not enough potassium.
 Potassium is found in vegetables, fruit,
seafood, and dairy products.
 Vegetables and fruits, such as
potatoes, tomatoes, leafy greens,
sweet potatoes, beans, and
bananas;
 dairy products, such as yogurt;
and
 seafood, such as salmon and
clams,
are good sources of potassium.
 The majority of sodium that people
consume comes from processed
foods.
https://www.cdc.gov/salt/potassium.htm
 CHLORIDE

The Major
Minerals
 POTASSIUM

The Major
Minerals
 CALCIUM

 Calcium is the most abundant mineral in the body.

 Only 1 percent of the body’s calcium is in the body
fluids.

 The remaining 99 percent of the body’s calcium is in the

The Major bones (and teeth), where it plays two roles.
Minerals  First, it is an integral part of bone structure, providing a
rigid frame that holds the body upright and serves as
attachment points for muscles, making motion possible.
 Second, it serves as a calcium bank, offering a readily
available source of calcium to the body fluids when a drop
in blood calcium occur.
 CALCIUM

 Although only 1 percent of the body’s calcium circulates

in the extracellular and intracellular fluids, its presence
there is vital to life.
 Calcium in the extracellular fluids helps maintaining
normal blood pressure and participates in blood clotting.
The Major  The calcium in intracellular fluids binds to proteins within
the cells and activates them.
Minerals  For example, when the protein calmodulin binds with
calcium, it activates the enzymes involved in breaking down
glycogen, which releases energy for muscle contractions.
 Many such proteins participate in the regulation of muscle
contractions, the transmission of nerve impulses, the
secretion of hormones, and the activation of some enzyme
reactions.
 Calcium homeostasis involves a system of
hormones and vitamin D.
 Whenever blood calcium falls too low or
rises too high, three body systems respond:
the intestines, bones, and kidneys.
CALCIUM

Calcium absorption
 Because many factors affect calcium absorption, the
most effective way to ensure adequacy is to increase
calcium intake.
 On average, adults absorb about 30 percent of the
calcium they ingest.
 The stomach’s acidity helps keep calcium soluble, and
vitamin D helps make the calcium-binding protein
needed for absorption.
 This relationship explains why calcium-rich milk is a
good choice for vitamin D fortification.
 CALCIUM

The Major
Minerals
 PHOSPHORUS (the second most abundant mineral in the body.)

The Major
Minerals
 MAGNESIUM

The Major
Minerals
 SULFATE
 Sulfate is the oxidized form of the mineral sulfur, as it exists
in foods and water.
 The body’s need for sulfate is easily met by a variety of
foods and beverages.
 In addition, the body receives sulfate from the amino acids
methionine and cysteine, which are found in dietary
The Major proteins.
 These sulfur-containing amino acids help determine the
Minerals contour of protein molecules.
 The sulfur-containing side chains in cysteine molecules can
link to each other via disulfide bridges, which stabilize the
protein structure.
 Because the body’s sulfate needs are easily met with
normal protein intakes, there is no recommended intake
for sulfate.
 Deficiencies do not occur when diets contain protein.
 IRON
 Iron has the ability to switch back and forth between two
ionic states.
 In the reduced state, iron has lost two electrons and
therefore has a net positive charge of two; it is known as
ferrous iron (Fe++).
 In the oxidized state, iron has lost a third electron, has a net
The Trace positive charge of three, and is known as ferric iron
(Fe+++).
Minerals  Ferrous iron can be oxidized to ferric iron, and ferric iron
can be reduced to ferrous iron.
 By doing so, iron can serve as a cofactor to enzymes
involved in the numerous oxidation-reduction reactions
that commonly occur in all cells.
 Enzymes involved in making amino acids, collagen,
hormones, and neurotransmitters all require iron.
 IRON
 Iron forms a part of the electron carriers that participate
in the electron transport chain.
 These carriers transfer hydrogens and electrons to
The Trace oxygen, forming water, and in the process, make ATP
for the cells’ energy use.
Minerals  Most of the body’s iron is found in two proteins:
 hemoglobin in the red blood cells and
 myoglobin in the muscle cells.
 In both, iron helps accept, carry, and then release oxygen.
heme (HEEM) iron: the iron in foods that
is bound to the hemoglobin and
myoglobin proteins; found only in meat,
fish, and poultry.
nonheme iron: the iron in foods that is not
bound to proteins; found in both plant-
derived and animal-derived foods.
MFP factor: a peptide released during
the digestion of meat, fish, and poultry that
enhances nonheme iron absorption.
 IRON

The Trace
Minerals
 ZINC

The Trace
Minerals
 IODINE

The Trace
Minerals
 SELENIUM

The Trace
Minerals
 COPPER

The Trace
Minerals
 MANGANESE

The Trace
Minerals
 FLUORIDE

The Trace
Minerals
 CHROMIUM

The Trace
Minerals
 MOLYBDENUM

The Trace
Minerals
  Whitney & Rady Rolfes (2019). Understanding
Nutrition. 15th Ed. Cengage Learning Inc., Boston,
References USA.