Macro + micro minerals

• Deficiency


  Inadequate intake via diet, Poor absorption: Gastrointestinal (GI) or digestive disorders, Chelation
• Calcium


  Found in dairy and leafy greens, present as an insoluble salt
• Calcium Absorption


  1. Reliant on vitamin D

  2. Affected by vitamin D deficiency

  3. If vitamin D deficient then dissolution of bone occurs – osteoporosis
• Calcium Absorbed


  • Only in its ionised form
  • Ionised at acidic pH (stomach)
  • Binds to other dietary constituents at higher pH (intestine) thus limiting its absorption
• Calcium in the blood


  • 40% bound to proteins (mainly albumin)
  • 10% complexed with sulfate, phosphate or citrate
  • 50% in the free ionised, ie "active", form
• Calcium Bioactivities


  • Building bones and teeth
  • Clotting blood
  • Sending and receiving nerve signals
  • Muscle contraction
  • Hormone release (and release of other chemicals)
  • Keeping a normal/regular heartbeat
  • Ca2+‐dependent enzymes
• Phosphorus


  • Found in Meats, nuts and grains
  • Predominantly absorbed as inorganic phosphate
  • Absorbed in the upper small intestine
• Phosphorus Bioactivities


  • Building bones and teeth
  • Important in carbohydrate and fat metabolism
  • Necessary for biosynthesis of proteins needed in the body
  • Necessary for biosynthesis of ATP
  • In conjunction with the B vitamins, it assists with: kidney function, muscle contraction, normal heartbeat and nerve signalling
• Magnesium Dietary sources


  • Legumes
  • Whole grains
  • Vegetables (especially broccoli, squash, and green leafy vegetables)
  • Seeds
  • Nuts
• Magnesium Bioactivities

  • Helps maintain normal nerve and muscle function
  • Supports a healthy immune system
  • Keeps heart rate steady
  • Helps retain bone strength
  • Helps regulate blood glucose levels
  • Aids in the production of energy and protein
• Diets high in protein, Ca or Vit D

  Will increase the need for Mg
• Iron


  • Essential for carrying O2 around the body and in muscle cells
  • Found in abundance in meat products and leafy vegetables
  • Two types: Haem (heme) iron (found in animal tissues) and non‐haem iron (found in plants as well as in meat and egg)
  • Haem iron is more readily absorbed than non‐haem iron
  • Many sources of non‐haem iron also contain phytates which reduce iron availability
• Iron deficiency causes


  • Inadequate dietary intake
  • Blood loss
  • Increased need (adolescence growth spurts, pregnant and lactating women)
  • Exercise
  • Inability to absorb iron
• Zinc

  • Necessary for the catalytic activity of ~100 enzymes
  • Plays a role in immune function, protein synthesis, wound healing, DNA synthesis, and cell division
  • Supports normal growth and development during pregnancy, childhood, and adolescence
  • Required for proper sense of taste and smell
• Zinc dietary sources


  • Oysters
  • Other select seafood (eg lobsters and crabs)
  • Poultry
  • Red meat
  • Whole grain
  • Fortified breakfast cereals
  • Dairy
• Zinc absorption


  • Needs hydrolysis from amino acids and nucleic acids before absorption
  • Proton pump inhibitors and H2 receptor antagonists reduce gastric acid secretion and may prevent hydrolysis so decreasing availability of Zn
• Signs of zinc deficiency


  • Alopecia
  • Growth retardation in children
  • Skeletal abnormalities
  • Defective collagen synthesis
  • Poor wound healing
  • Dermatitis
  • Hypogeusia
  • Poor immune functions
  • Delayed sexual maturation
• Copper dietary sources


  • Seafood, especially oysters, squid, Lobster, Crab, and Octopus
  • Organ meats
  • Plant origins include nuts, seeds, legumes and dried fruits
• Copper dietary absorption


  • Enhanced by amino acids e.g. histidine, cysteine and methionine and glutathione
  • Enhanced by vitamin C, citric, gluconic, lactic and acetic acids which act as binding ligands to improve solubilization
• Copper dietary inhibitors


  • Zn in amounts ~40 mg
  • Fe when ingested in larger amounts
  • Ca and P
  • Excessive antacid ingestion
• Cu and Zn


  • Work synergistically to promote fundamental life‐ sustaining process
  • Are also antagonistic (ie if levels of one declines, the levels of the other rises)
• Arsenic


  • Organic form is less toxic than inorganic form
  • Inorganic As form is found in soils, sediments and ground water
  • Organic As forms (As bound to organic molecules) are abundant in seafood (fish and oysters)
• Arsenic use


  • Ultimately needed for DNA synthesis
  • Deficiency impairs metabolism of methionine, histones and heat shock proteins
• Boron dietary sources


  • Avocados
  • Peanuts
  • Pecans
  • Raisins
  • Grapes
• Boron function


  Embryogenesis, bone development, cell membrane function and stability and immune response