What
can Mineral Deficiencies Do?
What Can Mineral Deficiencies Do?
By: Dr. George Obikoya
Minerals are essential to the functioning of organ
systems and our entire body. Some of these minerals exist in large
amounts in our body such as calcium. Others such as manganese exist
in trace amounts but are, nonetheless, critical to our health and
well- being.
Minerals are inorganic substances (unnatural and
man made) and they regulate processes within the body. Minerals
are in different structures within the body to create enzymes, hormones,
skeletal bones, skeletal tissues, teeth and fluids. Calcium and
phosphorus are the two most common minerals found in the body. Some
of the other prevalent minerals found in the body are; iron, zinc,
sodium, potassium, magnesium, fluoride, sulfur, copper, and chloride.
If mineral levels are overabundant in the body,
such as sodium, they may facilitate negative effects in the body.
High sodium levels may elevate blood pressure. If mineral levels
are inadequate in the body, such as iron, they may facilitate negative
effects in the body. Low iron levels in women can produce anemia
(a deficiency in blood iron levels). Anemia can restrict oxygen
and carbon dioxide removal from the cells. Low calcium levels can
facilitate irregular muscle contractions, bone density loss, blood
clotting and improper brain functioning.
Here is a run-through of the main minerals your
body needs and the effects of their deficiency:
Calcium is essential for building and maintaining
healthy bones, muscle contraction and blood clotting mechanism.
Calcium is also essential to build healthy teeth. Calcium deficiency
symptoms include muscle aches and pains, muscle twitching and spasm,
muscle cramps and reduced bone density. Vitamin D is essential for
proper calcium absorption and utilization.
A lack of calcium can cause rickets in children
and osteoporosis in adults. Both conditions cause softening and
weakening of the bones and can result in proneness to fractures.
Postmenopausal women are especially likely to have calcium deficiency
because of the reduction in estrogen during this period in their
lives.
Estrogen helps to keep calcium in the bones. Women,
particularly older ones, need to supplement their diets with calcium.
Calcium and vitamin D are important for maintaining bone density
and reducing the risk of fractures. In elderly, ambulatory, white
women over the age of 65 who were not using estrogen replacement,
supplementation of calcium and vitamin D produces a significant
improvement in bone density and reduction of fractures.
Through a combination of diet and supplements, women receiving hormone-replacement
therapy (HRT) should get at least 1200 mg/d of calcium, while the
goal should be 1500 mg/d for women not receiving HRT. Recommendations
for vitamin D intake are now 400 IU/d for women aged 51 through
70, and 600 IU/d for those over 70 years of age.
Children and teenagers, those on restricted diets (avoiding dairy
products), the elderly, vegans and those concerned about osteoporosis
also have higher needs for calcium.
Chromium is involved in the processes that make glucose available
for energy. It is also important for the metabolism of amino acids
(the ‘building blocks’ of proteins) and fats. Deficiency symptoms
include glucose intolerance or insulin resistant hyperglycaemia
(excess sugar in the blood), raised serum lipids and weight loss.
Studies have shown that chromium helps to lower blood sugar in individuals
with type II Diabetes.
Older people (over 55) plus those who exercise regularly as this
may increase the loss of chromium from the body in urine, and will
need chromium supplementation. Note, however, that some chromium
supplements contain yeast, which can interfere with certain prescription
medicines. Individuals with diabetes should only take chromium under
medical supervision. Chromium is unsuitable for pregnant or breast-feeding
women, or for epileptics.
We need copper for proteins involved in growth, nerve function and
energy release. It is vital for the formation of some important
proteins. It is a critical functional component of a number of essential
enzymes, known as cuproenzymes. Two copper-containing enzymes, ceruloplasmin
(ferroxidase I) and ferroxidase II are involved in iron metabolism.
Copper is stored in appreciable amounts in the liver. It also has
anti-oxidant properties and involved in the regulation of gene expression.
One of the most common clinical signs of copper deficiency is an
anemia that is unresponsive to iron therapy but corrected by copper
supplementation. The anemia results from defective iron mobilization.
Copper deficiency may also result in abnormally low numbers of white
blood cells, which can make you susceptible to infections and unable
to combat them when they occur.
Iron-deficiency anemia is a form of anemia caused by lack of iron.
The body needs iron to make hemoglobin, a substance in red blood
cells that carries oxygen from the lungs to body tissues.
Much of the iron our body is stored in the bone marrow that makes
blood cells. When there is not enough iron in the bloodstream, the
body uses the bone marrow reserves. If this iron stored in the bone
marrow is low, red blood cells do not form properly: they are smaller
than usual (microcytosis) and fewer.
As a result, less hemoglobin is available to transport oxygen throughout
the body. Iron-deficiency anemia is the leading nutritional deficiency
in the world and the most common type of anemia. In the United States,
approximately 5% of women and 2% of men have iron-deficiency anemia.
When you have iron-deficiency anemia, you will likely have fatigue,
dizziness, irritability, headaches, difficulty concentrating, shortness
of breath during exercise, a pale appearance, brittle nails, and
cracked lips.
You should not take too much iron supplements. Besides the risk
of constipation, a recent study reported in Journal of the American
Medical Association, shows that women who store too much iron in
their body may be at increased risk for type 2 diabetes.
Magnesium plays important roles in the structure and the function
of the human body, involved in more than 300 essential metabolic
reactions, including energy production. The adult human body contains
about 25 grams of magnesium. Signs of magnesium deficiency include
low calcium, hence the diseases associated with it, low serum potassium
levels (hypokalemia), retention of sodium, low circulating levels
of parathyroid hormones (PTH,) neurological and muscular symptoms
such as tremors, muscle spasms, tetany, loss of appetite, nausea,
vomiting, and personality changes.
Manganese is a mineral element that is both nutritionally essential
and potentially toxic. It is involved in bone development, wound
healing, and it has anti-oxidant properties. It is also actively
involved in the metabolism of carbohydrates, amino acids and cholesterol.
Signs of manganese deficiency include impaired growth, impaired
reproductive function, skeletal abnormalities, impaired glucose
tolerance, and altered carbohydrate and lipid metabolism.
The other trace minerals such as Molybdenum, selenium, phosphorus,
iodine, potassium, sodium and zinc play important roles in our health
and well-being and their deficiencies can create a variety of health
problems for us. Thus, iodine lack can cause goiter, an enlargement
of the thyroid gland and its associated symptoms and an important
health problem throughout much of the world. A high-quality liquid
multivitamin will contain all the minerals that your body needs.
Americans spend almost $2 billion on vitamin and mineral supplements
each year. There is doubt that this is money well spent all told.
A good multivitamin is the foundation of health
and nutrition. Take a look at our scientific reviews of many of
the popular brands for factors such as ingredients, areas of improvement,
quality level, and overall value. If you are looking for a high
quality liquid multivitamin, we suggest that you take a look at
the Multivitamin
Product Comparisons.
References
Clark LC, Combs GF, Turnbull BW, et al., Effects of selenium supplementation
for cancer prevention in patients with carcinoma of the skin. JAMA,
1996; 276:1957 1963
Dawson-Hughes B, Harris S, Krall E, Dallal G. Effect of calcium
and vitamin D supplementation on bone density in men and women 65
years of age or older. N Engl J Med. 1997; 337: 670 676.
Journal of the American Medical Association, February 11, 2004.
Hetzel BS, Clugston GA. Iodine. In: Shils M, Olson JA, Shike M,
Ross AC, eds. Nutrition in Health and Disease. Vol 9th. Baltimore:
Williams & Wilkins; 1999:253-264.
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