A number of minerals or elements are required for normal body functions. Certain mineral matters are indispensable to the growth of the body; the chief of these are water, common salt and certain commons of calcium, magnesium, iron, sodium and potassium; also chlorine which is present in common salt and sulphur, phosphorus and silicon.
Minerals are unlike other nutrients in that they consist of single atoms and carry a charge in solution.
The properties of being charge carried by minerals allows them to combine with other minerals to form stable complexes in bone teeth, cartilage and other tissues.
Iron is required, since it is an essential part of both the blood pigment, hemoglobin, and muscle pigment, myoglobin. Some body enzymes also have composites that include iron.
Iron absorption occurs following entry of iron into the intestinal mucosa cell through the brush border membrane.
Deficiencies of iron cause anemia. Liver, animal muscle tissues, eggs, oats meal, wheat flour, cocoa, and chocolate are good source of iron. Approximately 10.0 mg of iron are required daily.
In human iodine is a component of the hormone, thyroxine, produced by the thyroid gland. This hormone regulates metabolic levels.
Deficiency of iodine leads to low level metabolism, lethargy, and goiter. Requirements of iodine are believed to be about 0.1 mg daily. Sea food and salt water fish are the beat sources of iodine.
Iodine deficiency can be especially harmful in unborn babies and young children because the brain is developing at these stages of life.
Iodine deficiency can cause mental retardation or death in newborns and infants.
In areas where the water is known to be deficient in iodine, iodized table salt may be used in place of regular table salt.
The World Health Organization recommends that iodized salt contains one molecule of iodine for every 100,000 salt molecules.
In United States, iodized salt contains one iodine molecule in every 10,000 molecules of salt.
Mineral Overview
