Nutrition Lecture 4 Minerals and Trace Minerals

Inorganic elements
Functions: Regulate body functions, do not provide energy, essential to good health

Calcium, sodium, potassium, phosphorous, magnesium, sulfur, chloride

Most deficient in diet but body contains more calcium than any other mineral. Normal levels 8.9-10
Functions: Structure of bones, teeth, needed for muscle contraction, blood clotting

Calcitriol, PTH, and Calcitonin

Occurs with deficient Calcium levels

Can be exhibited by tapping over the facial nerve on the face just across from the ear causing a twitch of the facial muscle on that side of the face

Caused with Ca deficiency

Spasm of forearm and hand when a blood pressure cuff is inflated on that arm

Tetany, Chvostek's sign, Trousseau's sign, Osteoporosis, Rickets

Normal levels 2.5--4

Normal levels 135-145 meq/liter

Hyponatremia -Levels less than 135. S/S irritability, anxiety, muscle twitching,seizures

Hypernatremia - Levels over 145. S/S Thirst fatigue, flushed face, HTN

Normal levels 3.5-5

Hypokalemia - Levels less than 3.5. Can occur from chronic diarrhea, vomiting, and use of diuretics

Hyperkalemia -Levels more than 5. S/S irritability, abdominal cramps, irregular pulse, cardiac arrest.

Functions: transmit nerve impulses, relaxation of skeletal muscles, bone formation, stability of tooth calcium

Gives shape to hair and nails, component of amino acids

Best sources: protein foods

Needed for nerve impulses, muscle contractions

Normal levels 95-108

Deficiency in infants causes failure to thrive, in adults s/s are loss of appetite, muscle weakness,lethargy, alkalosis

Iron, Iodine, Fluoride, Zinc, Copper, Selenium, Chromium, Manganese, Cobalt, Molybdenum

Needed for hemoglobin formation

Along wth Calcium is most deficient in diet

Iron supplements cause constipation

Toxicity: Hemosiderosis, hemochromatosis