Functions and Food Sources of Minerals

Mineral nutrients

1. Minerals Functions and Sources Group Presentation in Earth and Life Science Grade 11

2. Minerals Minerals are substances found in food that your body needs for growth and health. Minerals are necessary for three main reasons: building strong bones and teeth; controlling body fluids inside and outside cells; turning the food you eat into energy.

3. Minerals Minerals are found in foods such as meat, cereals (including cereal products such as bread), fish, milk and dairy foods, vegetables, fruit (especially dried fruit) and nuts.

4. Minerals There are two kinds of minerals: Macrominerals Trace minerals or microminerals

5. Minerals Macrominerals are minerals your body needs in larger amounts. Your body needs just small amounts of trace minerals or microminerals .

6. Macrominerals These include calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, sodium, and chloride.

7. MACROMINERALS Mineral Functions Sources Calcium Needed for forming bones and teeth. Helps nerves and muscles function. Canned salmon with bones, sardines, milk, cheese, yogurt, cabbage, broccoli, and calcium-fortified orange juice. Magnesium Needed for forming bones and teeth. Needed for normal nerve and muscle function. Green leafy vegetables, nuts, bran cereal, seafood, milk, cheese, and yogurt. Phosphorus Needed for forming bones and teeth. Needed for storing energy from food. Milk, yogurt, cheese, red meat, poultry, fish, eggs, nuts, peas, and some cereals and breads.

8. Potassium Needed for normal nerve and muscle function. Needed for keeping the right amounts of water in the different parts of your body. Milk, bananas, tomatoes, oranges, melons, potatoes, sweet potatoes, prunes, raisins, spinach, turnip greens, collard greens, kale, most peas and beans, and salt substitutes (potassium chloride). Sodium Needed for normal nerve and muscle function. Needed for keeping the right amounts of water in the different parts of your body. Salt, milk, cheese, beets, celery, beef, pork, sardines, and green olives. Mineral Functions Sources

9. Mineral Functions Sources Chloride Needed for keeping the right amounts of water in the different parts of your body. Salt, seaweed, rye, tomatoes, lettuce, celery, olives, sardines, beef, pork, and cheese.

10. Trace minerals or microminerals These include iron, copper, iodine, zinc, fluoride, and selenium.

11. Mineral Functions Sources Iron Helps red blood cells deliver oxygen to body tissues. Helps muscles function. Red meats, poultry, fish, liver, soybean flour, eggs, beans, lentils, peas, molasses, spinach, turnip greens, clams, dried fruit (apricots, prunes, and raisins), whole grains, and fortified breakfast cereals. Copper Helps protect cells from damage. Needed for forming bone and red blood cells. Organ meats, shellfish (especially oysters), chocolate, mushrooms, nuts, beans, and whole-grain cereals.

12. Mineral Functions Sources Iodine Needed for thyroid gland function. Seafood, iodized salt, and drinking water (in regions with iodine-rich soil, which are usually regions near an ocean). Zinc Needed for healthy skin. Needed for wound healing. Helps your body fight off illnesses and infections. Liver, eggs, seafood, red meats, oysters, certain seafood, milk products, eggs, beans, peas, lentils, peanuts, nuts, whole grains, fortified cereals, wheat germ, and pumpkin seeds.