Below is a list of major
minerals,
stating their functions and effects of deficiency.
Calcium.
Calcium eases insomnia and can
help regulate the passage of
nutrients through the cell walls.
Without the aid of Calcium your
muscles would not contract
correctly, your blood wouldn't clot
and your nerves would not carry
messages.
If Calcium were deficient
the body would take the Calcium needed
to function from the bones,
if the body were to take excess amounts
of Calcium to compensate for
the deficiency then bones would
become weak and brittle.
One of the major symptoms of a
deficiency
of this important mineral are skeletal abnormalities such
as
Osteopenia, osteomalacia, osteoporosis and rickets may all be
caused
by calcium deficiency.
Chlorine.
Chlorine is involved in the maintenance of the bodies acid-base
balance.
It aids
in digestion by contributing to synthesis of gastric hydrochloric
acid. Chlorine maintains electrical neutrality and fluid balance
needed
for appropriate normal muscle contraction and nerve
transmission.
Chlorine deficiency is rare because sodium chloride (table salt) is
readily found in
many processed foods. . Deficiency can cause a
trembling muscle
weakness with jerky motions, a tendency for drug
dependency or drug
abuse, dry skin, numbness, and poor digestion.
It causes a craving
for salty foods, which feeds and enhances the
chlorine excess.
Iodine.
Iodine helps to regulate the
rate of energy production and body
weight promoting proper growth.
It also promotes healthy hair,
nails, skin and teeth.
If a deficiency were
present the symptoms
could be
an enlarged thyroid gland, or goitre.
Other symptoms
can include dry skin, hair loss, fatigue and slowed
reflexes.
In the developing foetus, baby and young child, the effects of
iodine deficiency are serious, including stunted growth, diminished
intelligence and retardation.
Iron.
Iron is needed for the formation of haemoglobin, which carries
oxygen from the lungs to the body cells. It keeps your immune
system
healthy while helping to produce energy.
Iron deficient
people may
experience anaemia, fatigue, low blood pressure,
nail deformities
such as concave or nails with trenches running
across them. Iron
deficiency in infants can result in impaired
learning ability and
behavioural problems.
Magnesium.
Magnesium is needed for bone
protein, making new cells,
activating B Vitamins, relaxing nerves
and muscles, clotting
blood and energy production. Deficiency may show itself
by
causing fatigue, nervousness, insomnia, heart problems,
high blood
pressure, osteoporosis, muscle weakness
and cramps.
Manganese.
Manganese is a component of several enzyme systems, including
manganese-specific glycosyltransferases and phosphoenolpyruvate
carboxykinase,
concerning blood sugar, metabolism and thyroid
hormone function
and is essential for normal bone structure.
Manganese
may be essential for the utilisation
of vitamin B.
Deficiency is rare but problems such as a decrease in serum
cholesterol, depressed growth of hair and nails, scaly dermatitis,
weight loss, and impaired blood clotting have been known.
Phosphorous.
Phosphorus is important in the utilisation of carbohydrates,
fats,
and protein for growth, maintenance and repair. It is a
lso necessary
for the production of energy. It stimulates muscle
contractions
including those of the heart.
This mineral is
necessary for the formation of bones, teeth and
nerve cells.
Phosphorous deficiency can be
noticed by a loss of weight, r
etarded growth and general weakness.
Also poor mineralisations
of the bones and deficient nerve and brain
functions have
been noticed.
Potassium.
Potassium is essential for the
body's maintenance and
growth. It is necessary to keep the normal
water balance
between the cells and the body fluids.
Symptoms of
potassium deficiency include fatigue, slow reflexes,
muscle weakness and dry skin. If potassium levels are
depleted
quickly, a person could experience heart problems.
If potassium
levels are not replenished quickly, a person
could suffer heart
failure and even death.
Sodium.
This mineral is required by
the body to regulate the blood
pressure and blood volume. It helps
regulate the fluid
balance within your body. Sodium also helps in
the
functioning of muscles and nerves. Symptoms of sodium
deficiency
may include nausea, vomiting, dizziness, cramps,
exhaustion and
possibly circulatory failure.
Zinc.
Zinc is important in a
number of ways, ranging from
protein and carbohydrate metabolism to
the immune
system, wound healing, growth and vision. Zinc is a
vital component of many enzyme
reactions. This mineral
is necessary for insulin production, smell,
taste and
fertility, in the metabolism of the ovaries and testes,
and in liver function.
A deficiency may show itself as
white spots on the finger nails. The
first signs of zinc
deficiency are impairment of taste, a poor
immune response
and skin problems. Other symptoms of zinc deficiency
can include hair loss, diarrhoea, fatigue, delayed wound
healing,
and decreased growth rate and mental
development in infants.
Below is a list of trace elements,
listing the best sources.
Iron.
Organ meats, eggs, fish,
poultry, blackstrap molasses,
apricots and potato peelings.
Zinc.
Oysters, meats, liver,
organ meats, wheat germ, pumpkin
seeds,
beans and lentils,
sunflower seeds, whole
grains,
mushrooms, brewers yeast, soybeans, almonds, eggs and milk.
Copper.
Organ meats, seafood's, nuts,
legumes, molasses, raisins,
and whole grain cereals.
Manganese.
Beets, peas, citrus, bran,
green vegetables, kelp, egg yolk,
nuts and pineapple.
Iodine.
Sea lettuce, kelp, seafood,
carrots, pears, onions, tomatoes,
pineapples and peas.
Chromium.
Whole cereal grain, brewers
yeast, raw sugar cane and
mushrooms.
Selenium.
Tuna, herring, brewers yeast,
wheat germ & bran, broccoli
and whole grains.
Molybdenum.
Legumes, whole grain cereals,
milk, liver and dark green
vegetables.
Cobalt.
Organ meats, oysters, clams,
poultry, milk, green leaf
vegetables and fruits.
Sulphur.
Eggs, meat, fish, cabbage,
Brussel sprouts, horseradish,
shrimp and chestnuts.
Below is a list of the main sources of
carbohydrates.
Carbohydrates can be divided into two broad groups:
complex or
starchy carbohydrates and simple
carbohydrates or sugars.
Simple carbohydrates are made up of single sugars
or two sugars
joined together. These sugars are quickly
broken down within the
mouth and stomach and are
absorbed into the blood stream, causing a
rapid rise in
blood sugar levels. This rapid rise causes the body to
produce a sharp rise in insulin levels within the body
and results
in the sugars being converted into fat, something
we should always
try to avoid. These sugars are known
for giving a ‘Quick lift’ the
downside is that simple
carbohydrates will very quickly leave us
feeling more
tired than before.
A good example of a simple sugar is sucrose. This is the
type of
sugar that we put in tea and coffee. It is also found
in many cakes,
pastries, biscuits, soft drinks and other
confectionery products.
The downfall of these foods is
that most also contain a lot of fats,
so they should be
kept to a minimum. Milk and also some fruit and
vegetables contain simple sugars, called lactose and
fructose
respectively. These however, in foods, are
not absorbed rapidly
because there are other substances
in these foods that prevent this.
Complex or starchy carbohydrates are an important
source of energy. Because the molecules are made up
of many sugars,
it takes longer for the molecules to be
broken down in the stomach.
This means that the sugars
are released more slowly into the blood
stream, avoiding
unwanted peaks in blood sugar levels. Starchy
carbohydrates
are the body's favourite fuel. This is because starch
provides
most of the glucose our body needs. Glucose is the
preferred
energy source for muscles and the other tissues and organs
of the body.
Good sources of starch are bread, oats, pasta,
cereals, potatoes,
beans, lentils, noodles, rice and fruit.
Proteins are essential in everybody's diet. They are complex
substances found in many foods and are made up of thousands
of small
units called amino acids. Proteins contain about four
k.calories per
gram, There are two main sources of protein,
plants and animals.
These sources differ in the quality of protein
they provide Meat and
fish are excellent sources of protein.
However, you can also get
protein from cereals, dairy
products, nuts, lentils, pulses and some
vegetables. The proteins
in meat and fish provide all the amino
acids the body needs,
and in approximately the right proportions.
For this reason, they
are called 'complete proteins.” The proteins
from plants are
called 'incomplete proteins" because they do not
contain all
the amino acids the body needs. No single plant contains
all
the amino acids the body needs. However, it is possible to
obtain all the amino acids the body needs from a vegetarian
diet,
provided a good variety of grains, pulses, cereals and
vegetables
are eaten.
Within the average British diet the sources of protein are as
follows.
Meat and meat products. 36%
Cereal and cereal products 23%
Milk and milk products 16%
Fish and fish dishes 7%
Other foods 6%
Vegetables and pulses 5%
Potatoes and savoury snacks 4%
Egg and egg dishes 3%
Nutrients can be lost in
the preparation of food including cooking;
the nutrient value of food is almost
always altered by the kind of
processing it undergoes. The water
soluble vitamins are the most
vulnerable to processing and cooking
but careful cooking and
storage will help retain the nutrients in
your food. There are a
variety of things that happen during the
growing, harvesting,
storing and preparing of food that can affect
its nutritional content.
For example most plant crops are produced
with the aid of
fertilised soils. Fertiliser tends to reduce the
vitamin C content
of the crop, while increasing its protein value.
While milling
Cereals, such as wheat, are ground to remove the
fibrous husks.
The husks contain most of the plant's dietary fibre,
B-group
vitamins, photochemical and some minerals. Before a food is
canned or frozen, it is usually heated very quickly with steam
or
water; this is called the blanching process. The water soluble
vitamins, including vitamin C and B-complex, are easily
destroyed by
blanching. Most vegetables are peeled or trimmed
prior to cooking to
remove the tough skin or outer leaves.
However, the bulk of
nutrients, such as vitamins, tend to lie
close to the skin surface
of most vegetables. Some vitamins
actually dissolve in water, so you
can lose your vitamins to the
cooking water, if you prefer to boil
your vegetables. Alternative
cooking methods, such as grilling,
roasting, steaming, stir-frying
or microwaving generally preserve a
greater amount of vitamins
and other nutrients.
Chemical
Contamination: We are all subjected to chemical
contamination, which can be harmful and can cause sensitivities
among other things. The contamination occurs in two main areas.
The
first being herbicides, pesticides or weed killer residues left
on
fruit and vegetables after spraying, also the presence of traces
of
synthetic hormones and antibiotics within meat.
The second
are additives of chemicals to foods to improve their
appearance
making the product more appealing to the eye therefore
increasing the saleability value.
When the total burden of these
ingested pollutants exceeds our
bodies’ ability to detoxify, these
substances are integrated within
our bones, fat, brain and other tissues. |
