MORE ON MINERAL DEFICIENCIES

MORE ON MINERAL DEFICIENCIES.

According to the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN), vitamin and mineral deficiencies affect a third of the world's population through impairing minds, bodies, productivity, and the economic progress of nations.

As far as human nutrition is concerned, the minerals include water, sodium, potassium, chloride, calcium, phosphate, sulfate, magnesium, iron, copper, zinc, manganese, iodine, selenium, and molybdenum. Ensuring an adequate intake of these minerals, by eating a balanced diet or by taking mineral supplements, is the best way to prevent deficiencies.

The term "mineral deficiency" refers to a condition where the concentration of any one of the minerals essential to human health is abnormally low in the body. In humans, deficiency in one nutrient may occur less often than deficiency in several nutrients. A patient suffering from malnutrition is deficient in a variety of nutrients.

Laboratory studies on animals have revealed that severe deficiencies in any one of the inorganic nutrients can result in very specific symptoms, and finally in death, due to the failure of functions associated with that nutrient.

Iodine deficiency is a global public health problem. It occurs in parts of the world with iodine-deficient soils, and results in goiter, which involves a relatively harmless swelling of the neck, and cretinism, a severe birth defect. The only use of iodine in the body is for making thyroid hormone. However, since thyroid hormone has a variety of roles in development of the embryo, iodine deficiency during pregnancy results in a number of birth defects.

An iodine intake of 0.10-0.15 mg/day is considered to be nutritionally adequate, while iodine deficiency occurs at below 0.05 mg/day. Iodine deficiency can be easily prevented and treated by fortifying foods with iodine.

Calcium deficiency due to lack of dietary calcium occurs only rarely. However, calcium deficiency due to vitamin D deficiency can be found among certain populations. Vitamin D is required for the efficient absorption of calcium from the diet, and hence vitamin D deficiency in growing infants and children can result in calcium deficiency.

Calcium and phosphate are closely related nutrients. About 99% of the calcium and 85% of the phosphate in the body occur in the skeleton, where they exist as crystals of solid calcium phosphate. Both of these nutrients occur in a great variety of foods. Milk, eggs, and green, leafy vegetables are rich in calcium and phosphate.

Iron deficiency causes anemia (lack of red blood cells), which results in tiredness and shortness of breath.

Water, sodium, and potassium deficiencies are most closely associated with abnormal nerve action and cardiac arrhythmias. Deficiencies in these nutrients tend to result from excessive losses due to severe diarrhea.

Sodium deficiency and potassium deficiency also frequently result during treatment with drugs called diuretics. Diuretics work because they cause loss of sodium from the body. These drugs are used to treat high blood pressure (hypertension), where the resulting decline in blood pressure reduces the risk for cardiovascular disease.

The mineral content of the body may be measured by testing samples of blood plasma, red blood cells, or urine. In the case of calcium and phosphate deficiency, the diagnosis may also involve taking X-rays of the skeleton. In the case of iodine deficiency, the diagnosis may include examining the patient's neck with the eyes and hands. In the case of iron deficiency, the diagnosis may include the performance of a stair-stepping test by the patient.

Since all the minerals serve strikingly different functions in the body, the tests for the corresponding deficiency are markedly different from each other.

(Source: http://www.healthatoz.com)

Perspective
Bangkok Post
Monday January 15, 2007