Nutrition: Minerals

What are minerals?

naturally occurring, inorganic, crystallin solids obtained from the diet or found in body reserves like bones

What is the total mineral content of a plant or animal?

ash

How much dry weight of minerals are in animal?

3-5%

What are the most abundant minerals?

Calcium and phosphorus

Macrominerals

required in the diet in large amounts

What are the 7 main macrominerals?

sodium, magnesium, calcium, phosphorus, chlorine, sulfur, and potassium

Microminerals

required in small amounts in the diet and not stored in the body as much

What are the microminerals?

cobalt, copper, iron, fluorine, iodine, manganese, molybdenum, selenium, and zinc

What are good foods with the most minerals?

forages containing grains

How are mineral elements absorbed?

they’re absorbed in the small intestine in ionic form like Na+ or Cl-

How does absorption of minerals occur?

active absorption or diffusion/ passive absorption

What are the factors affecting absorption of minerals?

age of animal

form of the element

pH of GI tract

binding or chelating components

excess or interactions with other minerals

How are macrominerals expressed?

as % of the total diet or dry matter ppm > 100mg/day

How are microminerals expressed?

expressed as ppm or mg/kg needed in small quantities < 100ppm

Calcium

stored in bones or teeth, readily available from flat bones like the jaw

Calcium deficiency

stunted growth and malformation of teeth and bones

What is Rickets?

metabolic bone disease of young, growing animals caused by clacium, phosphorus, or Vitamin D deficiencies

What is Osteomalacia?

the softening of bones in adults due to chronic calcium imbalance

Calcium toxicity

increased calcitonin secretion in connective tissue, muscle, and causes kidney stones

Phosphorus

helps with relaxation

What are some functions of phosphorus?

helps build muscle tissue, secretes milk, and metabolic functions such as parathyroid hormones

Phosphorus deficiency

loss of appetite, loss of calcium, reproduction problems, Rickets, Osteomalacia, and Nutritional Redwater

Sodium

part of the electrolytes as a positive charged ion (cation)

Functions of the mineral sodium?

osmosis pressure and acid-base balance

maintains water balance in tissues

part of pancreatic juice, bile, sweat, and tears

muscle contractions and nerve functions

Na ATP pumps

Chlorine

is a major component of HCl in the GI tract assisting with protein digestion, activates pepsin, and absorbs vitamin B12

What is Alkalosis?

chlorine deficiency due to alkali in blood causing listlessness, muscle cramps, and loss of appetite