Minerals help in Immune Health

Some minerals such as calcium are needed in large quantities, while others such as zinc are only needed in trace amounts. Zinc is an essential mineral that is important for keeping your immune system strong and helps your body fight infections, heal wounds and repair cells. KidsHealth notes that eating meat and legumes such as beans, peas and lentils will give you sufficient amounts of zinc. According to BBC Health, the mineral selenium is also needed in small amounts for immune health. A deficiency of selenium has been linked to an increased risk of heart disease and even some types of cancers.

Important Minerals:

Zinc
 
Zinc is an important trace element that is required for optimal immune function, growth and repair, hormone production, wound healing, and acts as an antioxidant. 

Zinc is an essential mineral that is naturally present in some foods, added to others, and available as a dietary supplement. Zinc is also found in many cold lozenges and some over-the-counter drugs sold as cold remedies.

Zinc is involved in numerous aspects of cellular metabolism. It is required for the catalytic activity of approximately 100 enzymes and it plays a role in immune function, protein synthesis, wound healing, DNA synthesis, and cell division. Zinc also supports normal growth and development during pregnancy, childhood, and adolescence and is required for proper sense of taste and smell. A daily intake of zinc is required to maintain a steady state because the body has no specialized zinc storage system.

diet rich in Zinc:

Oysters, Meat (lamb, pork, beef, chicken), Lobsters, Pumpkin seeds, Yogurt, Chickpeas, Cashews.

Deficiency Symptoms:

Impaired neurological function, Impaired immunity, Growth retardation, Food allergy, Diarrhea, Gastrointestinal problems (abdominal pain, diarrhea, anorexia, glossitis), Skin problems (alopecia, dermatitis, acne, stomatitis), Hormone imbalances.

Diagnosis: 

Zinc deficiency can be diagnosed by conducting a blood test, which measures its level in the serum or plasma. The test is important because zinc is not stored in the body and can fluctuate with time, so it must be measured directly as and when required. 

Treatment:

Zinc deficiency can be treated by multivitamin supplements in which the element may be present as gluconate, acetate or sulfate. 

Sodium
Sodium is a mineral that your body must have in order to function properly. The primary source of dietary sodium is sodium chloride, or salt, more than three-quarters of which comes from processed foods. Although sodium is vital to a number of routine body functions, too much can have adverse effects, particularly for people who are sensitive to sodium. Excessive sodium can cause hypertension, which in turn can lead to other health problems.

Nerve, Muscle Function

Sodium is a mineral that carries an electrical charge, known as an electrolyte. Electrolytes facilitate muscle contraction and nerve cell transmission. Ions of sodium, potassium and chloride trigger muscle contractions and nerve impulses when they shift places across cell membranes. As explained by nutrition professors Michelle McGuire and Kathy Beerman, authors of “NUTR,” a nerve cell at rest has positively charged potassium ions inside the cell and is surrounded outside the cell by positively charged sodium ions and negatively charged chloride ions. When stimulated, potassium ions rush out of the cell as sodium ions rush in, creating an electrical signal or nerve impulse. A similar scenario occurs during the contraction of muscles.

Fluid Balance

Sodium also works in concert with potassium to maintain normal water balance in the body. Each of the minerals chemically attracts water to itself, thus assuring that optimal levels of hydration are maintained both inside human cells and outside the cells, in the extracellular spaces that surround them. In healthy people, Brown writes, the body has a built-in mechanism to guard against the effects of occasional excess levels of sodium, but continued intake of high amounts of sodium can eventually override this safety valve and lead to hypertension.

Blood Volume

Closely related to sodium’s role in the maintenance of normal fluid levels is the part it plays in controlling your body’s blood volume and thus blood pressure. Your body constantly monitors sodium concentrations and blood volume, according to the Merck Manual Home Health Handbook. If either blood volume or sodium levels get too high, your body stimulates your kidneys to excrete excess sodium, returning blood volume to normal levels.

Food rich in Sodium:

Table salt, Salted snacks (nuts, chips, popcorn), Meat (bacon, ham) / fish / poultry (smoked, cured, salted, canned), Sauces / salad dressings (soy sauce), Milk, Cheese (Roquefort), Pickles, Beet, Celery

Deficiency Symptoms:

Sodium deficiency leads to lowering of the level of sodium in the blood (hyponatremia), which occurs in certain disease conditions like kidney failure and in some types of cancer. The main symptoms of sodium deficiency are given below:

·Fatigue and lethargy

·Confusion

·Muscle cramps / spasms

·Headache

·Nausea and vomiting

·Dizziness

·Seizure and coma (in severe cases)

Diagnosis:
Sodium deficiency can be suspected if the patient presents with prolonged vomiting or profuse sweating. However, a definitive diagnosis can only be made based upon a blood test that measures the level of sodium ions (Na⁺) in the serum.

Treatment:
Treatment usually involves adjustment in diet and lifestyle. In severe cases of hyponatremia, fluids and electrolytes need to be administered intravenously.

Medications may also be needed to treat the underlying cause of hyponatremia as well as to manage the symptoms.

Selenium
Selenium is a trace element and is required in small amounts for maintenance of health. As an essential component of enzymes, it acts as an antioxidant and catalyzes the production of active thyroid hormones.

It is also required in the maintenance of optimal immune functions.

Food  rich in selenium:

Brazil nuts, Red meat, Liver, Chicken, Eggs, Fish (cod, tuna, shellfish, sardines, halibut), Mushrooms, Sunflower seeds, Wheat germ, Bread, fortified.

Deficiency Symptoms:

Memory lapses / sluggish memory and difficulty concentrating, Lowered immunity (increased susceptibility to infections), Hair fall, Discoloration of skin and nails, Tiredness and fatigue, Infertility / recurrent miscarriage, Poor wound healing

Treatment:

Selenium deficiency can be corrected by selenium supplementation, which is available in combination as multivitamin / multimineral formulations, or by itself in the form of selenomethionine or as sodium selenite or sodium selenate. Importantly, the bio-availability of selenomethionine is much higher (~90%) than the selenite or selenate forms.

Potassium

Potassium is a very significant body mineral, important to both cellular and electrical function. It is one of the main blood minerals called "electrolytes" (the others are sodium and chloride), which means it carries a tiny electrical charge (potential). Potassium is the primary positive ion (cation) found within the cells, where 98 percent of the 120 grams of potassium contained in the body is found. The blood serum contains about 4-5 mg. (per 100 ml.) of the total potassium; the red blood cells contain 420 mg., which is why a red-blood-cell level is a better indication of an individual's potassium status than the commonly used serum level.

Magnesium helps maintain the potassium in the cells, but the sodium and potassium balance is as finely tuned as those of calcium and phosphorus or calcium and magnesium. Research has found that a high-sodium diet with low potassium intake influences vascular volume and tends to elevate the blood pressure. Then doctors may prescribe diuretics that can cause even more potassium loss, aggravating the underlying problems. The appropriate course is to shift to natural, potassium foods and away from high-salt foods, lose weight if needed, and follow an exercise program to improve cardiovascular tone and physical stamina.

Potassium is well absorbed from the small intestine, with about 90 percent absorption, but is one of the most soluble minerals, so it is easily lost in cooking and processing foods. Most excess potassium is eliminated in the urine; some is eliminated in the sweat. When we perspire a great deal, we should replace our fluids with orange juice or vegetable juice containing potassium rather than just taking salt tablets. The kidneys are the chief regulators of our body potassium, keeping the blood levels steady even with wide variation in intake. The adrenal hormone aldosterone stimulates elimination of potassium by the kidneys. Alcohol, coffee (and caffeine drinks), sugar, and diuretic drugs, however, cause potassium losses and can contribute to lowering the blood potassium. This mineral is also lost with vomiting and diarrhea.

food rich in Potassium:

Red meat and chicken, Fish (salmon, cod, flounder, sardines), Fruits (bananas, citrus juice, avocados, apples, raisins, apricots), Leafy greens (spinach, parsley, lettuce, broccoli), Peas and lima beans, Tomatoes, Potatoes, Whole grains and wheat germ, Seeds and nuts

Deficiency Symptoms:

Hypertension and Congestive heart failure, Nausea and vomiting, Tingling and numbness, Abdominal cramps and bloating, Constipation, Cardiac arrhythmia, Muscle cramps, fatigue and weakness, Depression and other mood changes.

Diagnosis: 

Abnormalities in potassium levels can be determined by a blood test. This can detect both potassium deficiency (hypokalemia) and potassium elevation (hyperkalemia). This test is especially used to monitor kidney failure patients undergoing hemodialysis.

Treatment:

Potassium supplementation is recommended only under medical supervision. Children, especially should not be given potassium supplementation until prescribed by a medical practitioner. Generally, these supplements are available as potassium salts of acetate, gluconate, bicarbonate, citrate, and chloride. 

Phosphorous
Phosphorus is an essential mineral primarily used for growth and repair of body cells and tissues. According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, all body cells contain phosphorus, with 85 percent found in bones and teeth. There, together with calcium, phosphorus provides structure and strength. Phosphorus is also required for a variety of biochemical processes including energy production and pH regulation.

Energy Production

Phosphorus is commonly found in the body as phosphate. Phosphates play an important role in energy production as components of ATP, or adenosine triphosphate. ATP is readily used to fuel your body's many functions. Structurally, ATP consists of adenosine, an organic compound, and three phosphate molecules. When bonding between one phosphate and adenosine is severed, energy is released which then fires cellular activity. According to the authors of "Nutrition," energy released from ATP is used quickly, so your body contains only a small amount at any one time.

Protein Synthesis

Phosphorus is a component of deoxyribonucleic acid, or DNA, and ribonucleic acid, or RNA, long molecules which carry genetic information used to make proteins. Synthesis begins in the cell nucleus, where a portion of DNA serves as a template for RNA manufacture. RNA then carries specific coding instructions for building needed body proteins to the ribosomes, where proteins are assembled from amino acids. Without sufficient phosphorus, body protein manufacture is impaired, which eventually affects overall health.

Secondary Functions

Phosphorus also acts as a buffer, neutralizing acids to maintain normal pH in the blood. Many enzymes and hormones also contain phosphorus as a structural component. Hemoglobin, the important oxygen-carrying protein in the bloodstream, also depends upon phosphorus contained in its structure for proper function.

Diet rich in phosphorus:

Meat, Tuna fish,Lobster, Milk, Cheese, Yogurt, Cereals (rice, wheat germ, maize), Pulses, legumes and vegetables (broccoli, peas, potatoes), Nuts (almond, cashew nuts, pistachio, walnuts), Oil seeds (mustard seed, sunflower seed)

Deficiency Symptoms:

Excessive fatigue / weakness, Loss of appetite, Irritability, Numb / burning / tingling sensation in extremities, Diffuse bone pain, Joint pain / swelling / stiffness, Susceptibility to dental cavities, Brittle hair and nails

Treatment: Phosphorus can be treated by taking adequate amounts (recommended daily allowance of 1200 mg for adults, both male and female, and 800 mg for children) in the form of supplements and multivitamins.

Manganese

Manganese is a micronutrient that is a component of several enzyme complexes and helps in various metabolic functions. It is required for the metabolism of carbohydrates, amino acids, and cholesterol, and in the formation of bones, connective tissues, sex hormones and clotting factors. It also helps to maintain normal brain function and blood sugar levels. It facilitates calcium absorption and wound healing. It also has an antioxidant function.

Manganese is a trace mineral that is present in tiny amounts in the body. It is found mostly in bones, the liver, kidneys, and pancreas. Manganese helps the body form connective tissue, bones, blood clotting factors, and sex hormones. It also plays a role in fat and carbohydrate metabolism, calcium absorption, and blood sugar regulation. Manganese is also necessary for normal brain and nerve function.

Manganese is a component of the antioxidant enzyme superoxide dismutase (SOD), which helps fight free radicals. Free radicals occur naturally in the body but can damage cell membranes and DNA. They may play a role in aging, as well as the development of a number of health conditions, including heart disease and cancer. Antioxidants, such as SOD, can help neutralize free radicals and reduce or even help prevent some of the damage they cause.

Low levels of manganese in the body can contribute to infertility, bone malformation, weakness, and seizures. It is fairly easy to get enough manganese in your diet -- this nutrient is found in whole grains, nuts, and seeds -- but some experts estimate that as many as 37% of Americans do not get the recommended dietary intake (RDI) of manganese in their diet. The American diet tends to contain more refined grains than whole grains, and refined grains only provide half the amount of manganese as whole grains.

food rich in manganese:

Pecan nuts, Brown rice, cooked, Spinach, cooked, Raisin bran cereal, Green tea, Oatmeal cereal, Whole wheat bread, Pineapple

Deficiency Symptoms:

Impaired growth, Impaired reproductive function, Impaired glucose tolerance, Skeletal abnormalities, Altered carbohydrate and lipid metabolism.

Diagnosis:

manganese defieciency can be detected by testing the blood or serum. The analysis is carried out using an automated equipment such as an inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometer. 

Treatment:

Treatment relies upon oral multivitamin / mineral supplementation.