Transcript MIGHTY MINERALS - Malibu High School

MIGHTY MINERALS
PLUS
I feel a metaphor coming on…
equals
Think of your body as a house.
VITAMINS
Are the tiny little maids and butlers, scurrying
about to turn on the lights and make sure that
the window are closed to keep the heat from
escaping.
MINERALS
Minerals are more sturdy stuff, the mortar and
bricks that strengthen the frame of the house
and the current that keeps the lights running.
What are Minerals?
Once again, I’M GLAD
YOU ASKED!
Minerals are ELEMENTS,
substances composed of
only one kind of atom.
They are INORGANIC.
They occur naturally in
nonliving things such as
rocks and metal ores.
Two Categories
MAJOR MINERALS
Your body stores
varying amounts of
minerals, but keeps
about 1/6 of an ounce
of each of the major
minerals and principal
electrolytes on hand.
TRACE ELEMENTS
Present in much, much
smaller amounts…
that’s why they’re
called trace.
Major Mineral: Calcium
When you step on the scale in the morning, you
can assume that about three pounds of your
body weight is calcium, most of it packed into
your bones and teeth.
Eat your milk, dairy products, fish, dark green leafy
vegetables please.
Other Major Minerals
• Phosphorous: strong bones and teeth
• Magnesium: make body tissues,
especially bone
Electrolytes
The major minerals sodium, potassium, and
chlorine are called ELECTROLYTES.
What Do Electrolytes Do?
Your body maintains its fluid balance
through the action of ELECTROLYTES.
These are mineral compounds that, when
dissolved in water, become electrically
charged particles called ions.
What Else?
• Electrolytes are present in the human
body, and the balance of the electrolytes
in our bodies is essential for normal
function of our cells and our organs.
Electrolytes: We Love
The Things You Do…..
• Help to maintain a healthy fluid balance in
the body.
• Help to maintain a normal acid-base
balance in the blood making them vital to
life.
• Work together in a "pump" system to help
transport glucose and amino acids in the
body.
Can too much water harm
someone?
The answer is "Yes."
If a person consumes several gallons of
water in a short period of time, it could
upset the normal fluid/electrolyte balance
in the body. The same result can occur if
someone is sweating profusely, but rehydrating only with water.
Both of these circumstances can be fatal,
but both are extremely rare.
Trace Elements: Iron
No! Not that Kind of Iron!
Iron Transports Oxygen
in Red Blood Cells
This Kind of Iron!
Best food sources of iron
are organ meats (liver,
heart, kidneys), red meat,
egg yolks, wheat germs,
and oysters.
Ummm…I’m sorry, but ewww!
ZINC: Another Trace Element
Zinc protects nerve and
brain tissue, bolsters the
immune system and is
essential for healthy
growth.
The largest quantities of
zinc in the MALE body
are in the testes.
Men need zinc to produce
healthy, viable sperm.
Trace Element: Iodine
• Iodine helps to make thyroid hormones, and is needed
for normal growth and development.
• Seafood and plants grown near the ocean. But we get
most of our iodine from plain table salt with iodine added.
• Surprisingly, we get a lot of iodine from milk because the
machines it is processed and stored in are cleaned with
iodine-based disinfectants.
Not Enough Iodine?
A moderate iodine deficiency leads to a goiter (a swollen
thyroid gland). A more severe deficiency early in life
may cause a form of mental and physical retardation
called cretinism.
Other EXCITING Trace Elements
Include such stars as: Selenium, Copper (anti-oxidant),
Maganese, Flouride, Chromium, Molybdenum.
No, you do not need to memorize all these for the test!
Wait, I’ve Actually Heard of One of Those Trace Elements!
FLOURIDE
• Except for the common cold, dental cavities are
the most common human medical problem.
• Fluoride combines with other minerals in teeth
and makes the minerals harder to dissolve.
• More than 50% of the people in the United
States have access to fluoridated public water
supplies.
• The result is a lifelong 50% to 70% reduction in
cavities.
A Raging Controversy
While many people believe the levels of
flouride put into drinking water to be safe,
some people fear health problems such as
a connection with bone cancer.
Passions run high. At a council meeting in
January in Watsonville, an anti-fluoridation
activist held up a sign alluding to Nazis.
People who drink only bottled water
sometimes do not get enough flouride.
Mineral Deficiency
While a balanced diet will usually provide
adequate amounts of major and trace
minerals.
There are a few to watch out for…
We already know about zinc (low amounts =
temporary male infertility)
And iodine (you can probably still picture
what a goiter looks like).
Calcium Deficiency
In children, calcium is needed to
make a child’s bones and teeth
grow strong and straight.
Older women sometimes take
calcium supplements (and also
special osteoporosis medication) to prevent osteoporosis
(weakening of the bones)
Iron Deficiency = Anemia
• Without enough iron, your body can’t
make the hemoglobin required to carry
energy-sustaining oxygen to every tissue.
• People often feel tired and weak and look
pale.
• Anemia sometimes results from heavy
menstrual periods in teen girls and
women.
Anemia can be serious…
But check with your doctor before loading up on iron
supplements; it is possible to have iron overload which
also has major health risks.
And now for Something Completely
Different
Sorry…I just Can’t Help Myself…
THE END!!!