Major element: Sodium

Sodium, element atomic no11, belongs to the first major group (I) of elements, which include lithium, sodium, potassium, rubidium, and cesium.

Sodium is the principal cation of the extracellular compartment. About 50 mmol/kg body weight of sodium is present in human body, of which about 50% is present in bones, 40% in extracellular fluids and the remaining 10% in soft tissues.

Sodium is present mostly maintains the osmotic pressure and maintains the osmotic pressure of the extracellular fluid.

In addition, it activates some enzymes, such as amylase. Sodium absorption is rapids; it starts 3 – 6 min after intake and is completed within 3 h. Daily intake of sodium averages 2.5 g (females) to 3.3 g (males); the adult’s minimum requirement ranges form 1.3 – 1.6 g/day (equal to 3.3 – 4.0 g/day NaCl).

The intake of too little or too much sodium can result in serious disorders. From a nutritional standpoint, the daily sodium intake should be limited o 2.3 g (equivalent to 6 g NaCl).

A low intake of sodium can be achieved by a nonsalty diet or by using diet salt. Biochemical functions of sodium including:
*Neuromuscular excitability
*Fluid balance
*Acid-base balance
*Membrane transport
Major element: Sodium

Magnesium Deficiency

Magnesium is a participant in many metabolic processes. Its concentration in the body is regulated by the kidneys.

Magnesium deficiency is an ubiquitous phenomenon in the human pathology - from the most developed to the third world countries, which may occur at all ages, more marked during growth, pregnancy and breast feeding. Magnesium deficiency may occur in man as a result of prolonged episodes of vomiting or malabsorption as in severe diarrhea.

Gastric juice contains a fair amount of magnesium and excessive vomiting could result in substantial losses of the mineral in addition to the loss resulting from the failure to retain ingested food.

Certain drugs – ammonium chloride and mercurial diuretics – result in loss of magnesium through the urine. Soft drinks and other popular beverages contain large amounts of phosphates, which interfere with magnesium absorption.

Magnesium deficiency has been reported in children with protein-calorie malnutrition due to primarily to diarrhea which increases fecal loss of the mineral. Recovery was more prompt when diets were supplements with magnesium.

Hypomagnesaemia is associated with chronic alcoholism and with the neuromuscular symptoms of alcoholic withdrawal. The most common symptoms and findings in hypomagnesaemia are neurological or psychiatric.

When pancreatitis is also present, magnesium replacement therapy becomes an important part of treatment because magnesium (and calcium) in blood may be decreased due to presumably to deposition in areas of adipose tissue.
Magnesium Deficiency

Roles of calcium in human body

Human bodies contain more calcium than any other mineral.  Calcium is the fifth most abundant element of the human body. It has a stabilizing function in shells, bones and teeth and in proteins in the extracellular fluid.

Calcium is vital for the formation of strong bones and teeth and for the maintenance of healthy gums.

It is also important in the maintenance of a regular heartbeat and in the transmission of nerve impulses.  The movement of calcium into nerve cells triggers the release of neurotransmitters at the junction between nerves.

Calcium lowers cholesterol levels and helps prevent cardiovascular disease. It is needed for muscular growth and contraction, for the prevention of muscle cramps. It may increase the rate of bone growth and bone mineral density in children.

This important mineral is also plays an essential in blood clotting.  Calcium participates in nearly every steps of the blood clotting cascade. It helps maintain normal blood pressure and prevent bone loss associated with osteoporosis as well. It also helps to prevent cancer.

Calcium provides energy and participates in the protein structuring of RNA and DNA.

It is also involved in the activation of several enzymes, including lipase, which breaks down fats for utilization by the body.

In addition, calcium maintains proper cell membrane permeability, aids in neuromuscular activity, essential to maintain the skin healthy, and protects against the development of preeclampsia during pregnancy.

Adequate calcium intake over one’s lifetime is essential for healthy bones and teeth that will remain strong into old age. Calcium phosphate salts crystalize in a foundation material composed of the protein collagen. The resulting hydroxyapatite crystals invade the collagen and gradually lend more and more rigidity to a youngster’s maturing bones until they are able to support the weight they will have to carry.

Calcium protects the bones and teeth from lead by inhibiting absorption of this toxic metal.
Roles of calcium in human body 

Mineral content in fruits

All vegetables and fruits contain important minerals, such as potassium, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, iron and zinc.

Fresh fruits and vegetables contribute about 26% of the magnesium and 19% of the iron to the U.S diet.

Fruit are generally not as rich in minerals as vegetables are. The mineral content is generally higher in organically grown fruits that have been raised in enriched soil without pesticides.

Minerals are basic components in secondary metabolic pathways that produce valuable phytochemical for normal human health.

Minerals are important for the various metabolic activities of the living tissue and even more so far the fruit, which exhibits tremendous activity during the ripening process.

The following fruits are important contributors to the supply of indicated minerals in the U.S diet:
Potassium: banana, peach, orange, apple, dried fruits such as apricot and prune
Phosphorus: banana, orange, peach, fig, raisin, grape, cherry
Calcium: tangerine, grapefruit, orange
Iron: strawberry, banana, apple, orange

Potassium is the most abundant individual mineral element in fruits. It normal varies between 60 and 600 mg per 100 g of fresh tissue. In fruits, potassium occurs mainly in combination with various organic acids. 

Calcium is not only associated with preventing osteoporosis, but it also appears it have protective effects in some types of cancer, most recently colon cancer.
Mineral content in fruits

Calcium in human body

Calcium is the most abundant mineral in the human body. The average adult body contains approximately 25000 mmol (1 kg) of which 99% is bound in the skeleton.

The skeleton serves as a bank of minerals for the body. The body can borrow from the skeletal stores when blood calcium levels drop and return calcium to bones as needed. 

In circulating blood, calcium concentration is typically 2.25-2.5 mmol. Approximately 40-45% of this quantity is bound to plasma protein, approx 8-10% is complexed with ion such as citrate and 45-50% is dissociated as free ions.

About 10-40% of dietary calcium is absorbed in the small intestine with the help of vitamin D. The level of calcium absorption from dietary sources drops to 7 in post-menopausal women. The body will absorb more calcium if there is a deficiency.

Numerous end organs participate in the regulation of calcium. The gastrointestinal tract and kidney, along with bone, are major regulators of calcium balance.

Calcium receptors in liver may monitor the calcium concentration in plasma, sending signals to the brain and affecting other peripheral sites in the body.

Calcium has many important functions in the body.
Calcium functions including:

#Calcium is responsible for construction, formation and maintenance of bone and teeth. Bone consists of osteoid, a collagenous organic matrix, on which is deposited complex inorganic hydrated calcium salts know as hydroxyapatites.
#Calcium is a vital component in blood clot formation and also helps in wound healing.
#Calcium helps to control blood pressure, nerve transmission
#Co-factor for enzymes and proteins that regulate digestion, energy, and fat metabolism.
#Calcium helps to transport ions (electrically charged particles) across the membrane.
#Calcium is essential for muscle contraction and relaxation
#Maintain normal heart rhythm
#Calcium assists in maintaining all cells and connective tissues in the body.
#Calcium may be helpful to reduce the incidence of premature heart disease, especially if adequate intakes of magnesium are also maintained.
#Calcium may help to prevent periodontal disease (gum disease).
#Initiation of DNA synthesis
#Cell signaling and neurotransmitter release

Calcium Deficiency 
Calcium deficiency in conjunction with high sodium intake is related to a higher risk of hypertension. The deficiency can lead to loss of calcium from the bone (initially from the jaw and the backbone), which can lead to deformity.

Calcium deficiency also can cause extreme nerve sensitivity, muscle spasms, and leg cramps (called tetany) at very low levels in the blood.
Calcium in human body

Iron and Iodine in Human Body

A number of minerals or elements are required for normal body functions. Human need minerals to satay healthy. People get minerals by drinking water and eating food.

Minerals play significant roles in virtually every metabolic process occurring within the body.

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. Deficiencies of iron cause anemia. It is the most common nutrient deficiency, affecting more than 1.2 billion people.

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.

For many people that meal is breakfast, which may also include citrus juice whose vitamin C may increase the absorption of nonheme iron.

Iodine is required by all vertebra animals, including the human, since it is a component of the hormone, thyroxine, produced by the thyroid gland.

Thyroid hormone is constructed from iodide and the amino acid tyrosine and has two form thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3) based on the number of iodide atoms.

This hormone regulates metabolic levels. Deficiency of iodine leads to low level metabolism, lethargy, and goiter. Iodine deficiency has existed for centuries.

Requirements of iodine are believed to be about 0.1 mg daily. In food iodine is mostly in its ion form – iodide. Sea food and salt water fish are the beat sources of iodine. In areas where the water is known to be deficient in iodine, iodized table salt may be used in place of regular table salt.
Iron and Iodine in Human Body