Why do we need Minerals
Getting
the Minerals We Need- A Very Serious Matter
Introduction
Do
you want to be as healthy as you can when you get older?
Do you want to stay at about the same height as your normal
adult height, or do you want to become much shorter and
maybe stooped over some? Do you want your bones to stay
as dense as possible and be less likely to fracture, or
do you want your bones to become more porous and break more
easily? Hip fractures cause the greatest health problems
and the greatest number of deaths. Half of all elderly adults
hospitalized for hip fracture cannot return home or live
independently after the fracture. Breaking a hip is one
of the leading causes of admissions into a nursing home.
Elderly people are more likely to die within six months
to one year once they have broken a hip, greatly due to
the immobility and complications arising from immobility
as well as the increased strain on the heart and other body
organs. We all want to be able to take care of ourselves
in our old age by staying as mobile as we can for as long
as we can. Maintaining healthy bones is very important in
preventing bone fractures and in staying more mobile. Minerals
play a key role in bone health.
For
us to stay mobile, we also need to keep our muscles in good,
working order. We can do that by getting the minerals we
need through eating mineral-rich food and being physically
active to improve strength, mobility and flexibility. Minerals
are important for muscles to function. Muscles can't contract
without certain minerals.
Minerals
are also important for our heart and circulatory system
to function as it should. Minerals are important for our
heart to beat regularly and to help prevent a buildup of
fluid in our feet or other body parts. Excessive fluid buildup
increases the work-load on our heart.
Are
you like many Americans and don't eat enough fruits, vegetables,
milk and other foods that are our best sources of minerals,
an important group of nutrients? Minerals do so much for
us, yet good food sources are often low or missing from
the food we eat. We need to think about the kinds of foods
that we eat and be sure to include mineral-rich foods such
as fruits, vegetables, milk and other foods.
We
want to be as healthy as we can be for as long as we live,
yet not eating foods that give us minerals can result in
our having bones that become brittle and break easily, contribute
to heart complications and can give us problems with swelling
in our feet, legs or other parts of our body.
What
You Will Learn
In
this lesson, you will learn about the two main groups of
minerals - major minerals and trace minerals. You will learn
why minerals are important. You will also learn which foods
are the best sources of the minerals. You will learn about
the minerals that are required to be on the nutrition label
- sodium, calcium and iron.
Food
Guide Pyramid Review
A
balanced diet that provides a variety of foods is the best
guarantee of our getting all essential nutrients. All food
groups should be included, and none should be overused.
Use the USDA Food Guide Pyramid in planning the foods you
will eat each day. Get the recommended number of servings
from each food group since no food group contains all of
the nutrients needed.
What
Are Minerals?
Minerals
are a group of nutrients needed by your body. They are important
in regulating body processes and in giving your body structure.
Have you ever experienced swelling in your fingers, ankles
or feet? Minerals have an important role in keeping a healthy
fluid balance. Minerals are also needed for your muscles
to work or contract and for impulses to be carried over
the nerve pathways. Certain minerals also help form bones.
Bones make up the structure of your body. With such important
jobs, we need to be sure to eat foods rich in this important
group of nutrients.
Minerals
can be classified into two main groups, based on how much
you need. You need all the minerals, though, no matter whether
you need just a little or need more. Major minerals are
those needed in amounts of more than 250 milligrams (mg)
daily. Calcium, phosphorus and magnesium are in this group,
along with three electrolytes - sodium, chloride and potassium.
Trace minerals are those needed in very small or trace amounts
of less than 20 mg daily. These include chromium, copper,
fluoride, iodine, iron, manganese, molybdenum, selenium
and zinc. This lesson will focus on the minerals required
on the nutrition label. They include sodium, calcium and
iron.
Angstrom Minerals Product And Price List
The information on this page has been extracted from http://www.agctr.lsu.edu/Subjects/eatsmart/mineral.htm
