minerals

• Minerals


  • Mineral that helps prevent fainting
  • Mineral that helps keep bones and teeth strong
  • Mineral in milk
  • Mineral in bananas
  • Minerals in broccoli and spinach
  • Mineral in red meat
  • Minerals in water and toothpaste
  • Another name for sodium
• Minerals


  • Micronutrients vital for healthy body function
  • Classified into macro-minerals (needed in large amounts) and trace-minerals (needed in small amounts)
  • Both types are equally important for healthy body function
• Sources of calcium


  • Milk
  • Cheese
  • Yoghurt
  • Tinned fish (when bones are eaten)
  • Green vegetables, e.g. spinach
  • Fortified products, e.g. cereals, bread, flour
• Recommended Intake (RI) of calcium

  • Child/adult needs 800mg per day
  • Teenager/pregnant woman needs 1200mg per day
• Functions of calcium


  • Builds strong healthy bones and teeth in children and teenagers
  • Maintains good bone density (hardness) in adults and older people
  • Vitamin D is needed for calcium to be absorbed properly
• Lack of calcium and/or vitamin D


  Problems with bone formation, leading to rickets
• Lack of calcium


  Tooth enamel softening and teeth decaying easier
• Osteoporosis


  • Bone disease that causes bones to become weak
  • Occurs as we age and bones naturally begin to lose calcium
  • More common in women
  • Symptoms are porous, fragile bones that fracture easily
  • Cannot be cured but can be prevented
• Sources of iron


  • Red meat
  • Offal
  • Eggs
  • Fortified breakfast cereals
  • Beans and lentils
  • Dark green vegetables, e.g. kale
• Offal


  Edible internal organs, e.g. lamb's liver, kidneys
• Functions of iron


  Needed to manufacture haemoglobin, which carries oxygen around the body in the blood
• Anaemia


  • Condition caused by lack of iron
  • Symptoms include tiredness, dizziness, paleness, shortness of breath and headaches
  • Women and teenage girls need to be particularly careful to have enough iron
• Vitamin C is needed for iron to be absorbed properly by the body
• Potassium


  • Most common food is bananas
  • Helps prevent against cramps
• Sodium


  • Required to help control water balance in the body
  • Salt is a mixture of sodium and chloride
  • Adults should consume no more than 6g of salt per day
  • Many people in Ireland consume too much salt, which can lead to high blood pressure, coronary heart disease, strokes and kidney problems
• Ways to reducing salt intake

  1. Do not have salt on the table

  2. Read labels

  3. Do not add salt when cooking; instead flavour dishes with spices and herbs

  4. Avoid processed foods and salty snacks

  5. Use low-sodium products, e.g. LoSalt