Physical Education · Ch 5 — Sports and Nutrition
Minerals
5.2.6
Minerals
5.2.6 Minerals
Minerals are inorganic elements the body needs for a variety of physiological functions. Those required in larger amounts are called macro-minerals, and those required in smaller amounts are the micro-minerals or trace minerals. The two tables below list the important macro- and micro-minerals, their functions, and the foods that supply them.
Table 3.i — Macro-minerals
| Mineral | Important functions | Sources |
|---|---|---|
| Sodium | • Needed for proper fluid balance, for regulating the alkalinity and acidity of body fluids, and for nerve transmission and muscle contraction | Table salt, soy sauce; large amounts in processed foods; small amounts in milk, breads, green leafy vegetables and unprocessed meats |
| Chloride | • Needed for proper fluid balance and for stomach acid | Table salt, soya sauce; large amounts in processed foods; small amounts in milk, meats, breads and vegetables |
| Potassium | • Needed for proper fluid balance, nerve transmission and muscle contraction | Meats, milk, fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, pulses |
| Calcium | • Important for healthy bones and teeth • Helps muscles relax and contract • Important in nerve functioning, blood clotting, blood-pressure regulation and immune-system health | Milk and milk products; fish with bones (e.g. sardines); fortified soya milk; greens (broccoli, mustard leaves); pulses |
| Phosphorus | • Important for healthy bones and teeth; found in every cell • Part of the system that maintains acid-base balance | Meat, fish, poultry, eggs, milk, processed foods |
| Magnesium | • Found in bones • Needed for making protein, muscle contraction, nerve transmission and immune-system health | Nuts and seeds; pulses; leafy green vegetables; seafood; chocolate |
| Sulphur | • Found in protein molecules | Occurs in foods as part of protein: meats, poultry, fish, eggs, milk, pulses, nuts |
Table 3.ii — Trace minerals
The body needs trace minerals in very small amounts. Although iron is considered a trace mineral, the amount needed is somewhat more than for the other micro-minerals.
| Mineral | Important functions | Sources |
|---|---|---|
| Iron | • Found in every cell; essential as part of the haemoglobin in red blood cells, which carries oxygen to every cell of the body • Part of myoglobin, needed for muscle contraction • Needed for energy metabolism, hence crucial for physical work | Organ meats; red meats; fish; poultry; egg yolks; whole pulses and whole-grain cereals; dried fruits; dark green leafy vegetables (mustard greens, bathua); iron-enriched breads and cereals; fortified cereals |
| Zinc | • Part of many enzymes needed to synthesise protein and genetic material • Role in taste perception, wound healing, normal foetal development, sperm production, and normal growth and sexual maturation • Important for the immune system | Meats, fish, poultry, whole grains, vegetables |
| Iodine | • Found in thyroid hormone, which helps regulate growth, development and metabolism | Seafood, foods grown in iodine-rich soil, iodised salt, bread, dairy products |
| Selenium | • Antioxidant | Meats, seafood, grains |
| Copper | • Part of many enzymes • Needed for iron metabolism | Pulses, nuts and seeds, whole grains, organ meats, drinking water |