FSHN 185: Essential Minerals in Nutrition Quiz

Mineral bioavailability can be affected by various factors such as fiber, phytate, and oxalates, which may inhibit absorption. The correct answer highlights these factors and showcases the importance of considering interactions between minerals and vitamins for optimal absorption.

Calcium, Iron, and Zinc are commonly identified as the minerals most likely to be deficient in North America due to dietary habits and intake patterns. These minerals play essential roles in various bodily functions and processes, and deficiencies can lead to a range of health issues.

Minerals play a crucial role in various bodily functions such as fluid balance, energy metabolism, antioxidants, bone structure, and blood components. Incorrect answers like Vitamin synthesis, Muscle building, and Nervous system regulation do not represent major functions of minerals.

Fluid balance is crucial for maintaining homeostasis in the body. Each component plays a vital role in regulating hydration levels and various bodily functions.

Sodium chloride, or salt, can be found naturally in some foods, added by individuals during cooking or at the table, and also added in large amounts by food manufacturers in processed foods.

Calcium, magnesium, fluoride, and phosphorous are essential minerals that contribute to bone structure. Each mineral plays a specific role in maintaining healthy bones and can be found in various food sources as mentioned in the correct answer.

The correct answer provides the peak bone mass age, the age at which bone loss typically begins, the term for major bone mass loss, what it is, and who/what is at an increased risk for bone mass loss. The three incorrect answers provide false information about peak bone mass age, age at which bone loss begins, significant loss period, bone conditions, bone structure, and risk factors, along with different characteristics and factors that don't align with the correct answer.

Enhancers of calcium absorption include Vitamin D and stomach acid, while inhibitors include phytates, oxalates, and tannins. The incorrect answers do not accurately reflect factors that affect calcium absorption.

The correct answer focuses on the challenge of meeting calcium needs without dairy, addresses poorly absorbed plant sources, and provides tips for choosing fortified foods, dairy substitutes, tofu, RTE cereals/snacks, and green vegetables in a vegetarian diet.

Sulfur controls the acid-base balance in the body by being a component of body proteins, particularly food proteins.

In the human body, bones are primarily categorized into two types - cortical (compact) bone and trabecular (spongy) bone. Smooth, flat, soft, flexible, round, and irregular bones do not represent distinct categories of bones.

Bone is primarily made up of a protein framework (collagen) that provides the structure, strengthened by mineral deposits like calcium and phosphorus. The other options provided do not accurately represent the composition of bone.

Collagen is the most abundant protein found in various connective tissues in the body, while Hydroxyapatite is the mineral form of calcium phosphate that makes up the hard tissues in bones and teeth.

Heme iron comes from animal products and is absorbed more efficiently, while nonheme iron is found in plant foods and released from cooking utensils.

Heme iron is a complex of iron and a porphyrin ligand, where Fe represents the chemical symbol for iron. The basic chemical structure of heme iron is represented by Fe chem structure.

Factors such as fiber, phytates, tannins, oxalates, and other minerals play a significant role in affecting the absorption of nonheme iron. Cooking method, vitamin C intake, and exercise level do not directly impact the absorption of nonheme iron.

Non-heme iron follows a specific path in the digestive tract involving conversion, retention, and eventual absorption into the bloodstream where it participates in various biological processes.

Iron transportation in the body is tightly regulated through the binding of absorbed iron to storage and transport proteins, as well as the regulation of transferrin receptor gene expression based on body storage iron levels.

Iron stores are primarily stored in ferritin in specific organs, while iron losses occur through blood loss and cell shedding. The incorrect answers provided do not reflect accurate information on iron storage and losses.

When iron intake is inadequate, the body first depletes its iron stores, followed by diminished iron in the plasma, and finally missing iron from the red blood cells leading to iron deficiency anemia.

Iron deficiency anemia is characterized by a lack of healthy red blood cells due to insufficient iron in the body. This leads to symptoms such as fatigue, weakness, changes in mental/emotional state, increased susceptibility to infections, adverse pregnancy outcomes, impaired development, and cravings for non-nutritive substances like ice (pica).

Iron deficiency anemia is more prevalent in certain groups due to increased iron requirements or decreased intake. These incorrect options do not fall under the high-risk categories for this condition.

Acute iron toxicity is characterized by ingestion of a single large dose at one time, while chronic toxicity is caused by iron overload, most commonly due to conditions like hemochromatosis or overconsumption of iron supplements. Excess free iron in the body promotes the formation of free radicals and causes cell damage over time.

Iron deficiency and excess can have damaging effects on various cellular components, but in rats, the primary targets are the mitochondria and mitochondrial DNA.

Zinc is an important trace element in the body that plays a key role in various functions, particularly in enzyme activity and tissue repair.

Zinc from animal food is better absorbed because zinc in plant sources is often bound by phytates.