MINERAL AND ITS RELEVANCE IN HUMAN NUTRITION
TABLE OF CONTENT
Title Page
Certification
Dedication
Acknowledgments
Table of the Content
CHAPTER ONE
1.0 Introduction
1.1 Biological Function of Minerals
1.2 Food Sources of Minerals
CHAPTER TWO
2.0 Factors affecting the Concentration and Availability of the Mineral Elements
2.1 Interrelationship and Interferences among the Mineral Elements
2.2 Importance of the Mineral Elements
2.3 Methods of Analysis for the Minerals
CHAPTER THREE
3.0 Minerals and its Relevance in Human Nutrition
3.1 Calcium
3.2 Phosphorus
3.3 Sodium
3.4 Potassium
3.5 Cobalt
3.6 Copper
3.7 Iron
3.8 Manganese
CHAPTER FOUR
4.0 Summary and Conclusion
4.1 Summary
4.2 Conclusion
References
CHAPTER ONE
1.0 INTRODUCTION
Mineral are inorganic substances present in all body tissues and fluids and their presence is necessary for the maintenance of certain physiocochemical processes which are essential to life. Minerals are chemical constituents used by the body in many ways. Although they yield no energy, they have important roles to play in many activities in the body (Eruvbetine, 2003). Every form of living matter requires these inorganic elements of minerals for their normal life processes (Ozcan, 2003). Minerals may be broadly classified as macro (major) or micro (trace) elements. The third category is the ultra trace elements. The macro-minerals include calcium, phosphorus, sodium, chloride, potassium and magnesium while the micro-elements include iron, copper, cobalt, iodine, zinc, manganese, molybdenum, fluoride, chromium, selenium and sulfur (Eruvbetine, 2003).The macro-minerals are required in amount greater than 100 mg/dl and the micro-minerals are required in amounts less that 100mg/dl (Murray et al., 2000). The ultra trace elements include boron, silicon, arsenic and nickel which have been found in animals. Evidence for requirements and essentialness of others like cadmium, lead, tin, lithium and vanadium is weak.
Micronutrients deficiencies are a major public health problem in many developing countries, with infants and pregnant women especially countries at risk (Betra and Seth, 2002). Infants deserve extra concern because they need adequate micronutrients to maintain normal growth and development (Rush, 2000). The micronutrient deficiencies which are of greater public health significance are iron deficiencies, causing varying degrees of impairment in cognitive performance, lowered work capacity, lowered immunity to infections, pregnancy complications e.g. babies with birth weight, poor learning capacity and reduced psychomotor skills (Batra and Seth, 2002). Medical reports show that very severe anaemia is direct cause of maternal and child mortality (Chakravarty and Ghosh, 2000). There have been suggestions that more than anything else, lack of adequate information about the composition of varied feed resources in some regions have been the major drawback to their utilization, rather than real shortage (Aletor and Omodara,1994).
1.1 Biological Functions of Minerals
Minerals are essential for good health and growth. Certain amounts of minerals are needed to keep our bodies functioning properly. Minerals elements have two important body functions which are building and regulating. Their building functions affect the skeleton and all soft tissues, including the blood. Their various regulating functions include heartbeat, blood clothing, maintenance of blood pressure and water balance, nerve responses and transport of oxygen from lungs to tissues. These minerals are phosphorus, sodium, potassium, magnesium, cobalt etc.
Phosphorus
Phosphorus is an element that belongs to group 5 elements in the periodic table. It combines with calcium, helps strengthen bones and teeth. It is also the part of everybody tissue, phosphorus becomes part of enzymes and other compounds needed for absorption and use of body nutrients.
Sources of phosphorus include phosphate food activities, green leafy vegetables and fruits especially banana (Burton et al., 2006).
Potassium
Potassium is an element in the periodic table; it belongs to group 1 element. Potassium reacts with water to give potassium hydroxide and hydrogen gas. Potassium is the principal cation in intracellular fluid and functions in acid-base balance regulation or osmotic pressure, conduction of nerve impulse, muscle contraction particularly the cardiac muscle, cell membrane function etc. Sources of potassium include vegetables, fruits and nuts.
Sodium
Sodium is an element in the periodic table. It belongs to group 1 element which is known as alkali metal with atomic number 11 and the oxidation state of +1. Sodium reacts with water to give sodium hydroxide (basic oxide) and liberation of hydrogen gas. It also reacts with oxygen to form sodium peroxides. Sodium is the principal cation in extracellular fluids. It regulates plasma volume and acid-base balance, involved in the maintenance of osmotic pressure of the body fluids, preserves normal irritability of muscles and cell permeability etc. Sources include table salt, salt added to prepared foods and most natural foods contain sodium (Damon, 2004).
Magnesium
Magnesium is one of the element in the periodic table. It belongs to group II element which is known as Alkaline Earth metal with the Atomic Number 12 and the oxidation state of +2. Magnesium reacts slowly with steam water to form magnesium oxides and liberation of hydrogen gas. It also reacts with halides to form magnesium chloride. Magnesium is an active component of several enzyme systems in which thymine pyrophosphate is a cofactor. Magnesium is also an essential activator for the phosphate-transferring enzymes myokinase, diphophopyridinucleotide kinase, and creatine kinase. Sources include leafy green vegetables (containing chlorophyll) (Food and Nutrition Board, 2004).
Cobalt
Cobalt is required as a constituent of vitamin B12and its metabolism is the same as for vitamin B12. In addition to its role in vitamin B12, cobalt is also a cofactor of enzymes involved in DNA biosynthesis and amino acid metabolism (Arinola et al., 2008c).
