Sodium, Potassium & other Minerals
Boby
Requirements for Sodium:
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There is no specific RDA for sodium
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because almost everyone consumes too much.
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The Suggested Human Needs = 5 grams of salt,
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> 2 grams of sodium, per day.
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Real need may be only about 0.5 gram
Human Need for
Sodium
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Osmolarity of Blood
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Hormones control concentration of blood
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Aldosterone increases
salt reabsorption
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Vasopressin causes
more water uptake to reduce salt concentration
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increases blood volume and pressure
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Absorption of other nutrients
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secondary active transport
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intestine and kidney
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Nerve signals
Secondary Active
Transport
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In secondary sodium is used to drive the abortion and reabsorption of many
nutrients; vitamins, sugars, amino acids.
Australian Health Recommendation
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Healthy adults should reduce their sodium intake
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No more than 2400 milligrams per day.
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About 1¼ teaspoons of sodium chloride (salt).
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1/4 teaspoon salt = 500 mg sodium
How to reduce dietary sodium
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Choose fresh, frozen or canned food items
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Select unsalted nuts or seeds, dried beans, peas
and lentils.
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Avoid adding salt and canned vegetables to homemade
dishes.
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When dining out, be specific
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Request your dish to be prepared without salt.
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Learn to use spices and herbs to enhance the taste
of your food.
Salt
as a killer myth
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There is no conclusive evidence that salt effects blood pressure in normal
individuals
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Other factors may be more important in relation to hypertension
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Eg. Calcium. Potassium. Magnesium non-diet
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The idea was based on special populations
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Sensitive people may be only 20% in Western population
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mainly African Americans
Salt sensitivity of blood pressure
For the sensitive people their sensitivity may be:
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Related both to the anion ingested with sodium as well as to othercomponents
of the diet.
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Not increased by sodium intake with anions other than chloride.
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Salt- induced increase of blood pressure depends on the concomitant
ingestion of both sodium and chloride.
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That sodium chloride-induced blood pressure also have
diets deficient in potassium and/or calcium.
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Priscilla Kincaid-Smith and Michael H Alderman Recommend
that salt avoidance not be advised for healthy individuals
-
-
Salt
is a risk factor only in conjunction with other Minerals
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Refer to Salt Institute
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Electrolytes–potassium, calcium and magnesium.
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Balance of these interacting electrolytes
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More important than the amount of any one of them,
Benefits of Lowering Blood Pressure
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If we could lower the U.S. population's average blood pressure by just
2 mm/Hg,
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we could decrease the risk of fatal heart attacks by 4%
-
(19,417 lives saved).
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We could cut stoke deaths in middle age by 6%
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(8,608 lives saved).
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Thus, we could extend useful lives and save millions if not billions of
$$$
Ratio of potassium
to
sodium in your diet.
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This ratio can be imbalance by excessive consumption of sodium,
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The ideal potassium to sodium ratio is 5:1,
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Most Australians have a ratio of 1:2,
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They consume twice as much sodium as they do potassium.
Other Minerals
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Iodine (120mgm)
-
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Needed by the thyroid to make thyroxine hormone
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Too little causes goitre (enlarged thyroid gland)
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Inability to produce thyroxine means many tissues do not develop
-
Iodine deficiency
(IDD)
is the single most common cause of preventable mental retardation and brain
damage in the world.
-
1.6 billion people are at risk.
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IDD affects 50 million children.
-
100,000 cretins are born every year.
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the visible effects of IDD (cretinism) account for only as much
as 10% of the ramifications. At least 90% of IDD consequences remain hidden
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Main source is iodised salt and residues of disinfectants
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There is a Danger of deficiency if people reduce their intake of added
salt because iodised salt is our only iodine fortified food.
-
-
Zinc (12
to 20 mgm)
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Need as a cofactor of over 70 Enzymes
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Therefore there are many symptoms of deficiency
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Zinc, the number-one nutritional deficiency
in U.S. children, this "forgotten nutrient" is involved in fighting common
colds and maximizing physical growth and development. Recent clinical studies
demonstrate that dietary zinc clearly enhances overall immune system competence
and can act to prevent diarrhea, acute lower respiratory infections, pneumonia
and malaria.
-
According to Ananda S. Prasad, MD, PhD, at Wayne State University,
the Western world's shift from consumption of meat proteins to cereal proteins
containing high levels of fibers known as phytates may precipitate a general
increase in zinc deficiency http://www.coldcure.com/html/warning.html
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Deficiency caused by reason similar to iron and calcium deficiencies.
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Magnesium (300
mgm)
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Needed as:
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enzyme co-factor
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Bone strength
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May be involved in preventing heart disease due to action in formation
of liporoteins. /
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Selenium
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To control oxidation of tissues
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Can replace Vitamin E
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Fluoride
Needed for bone strength
Many needed id such small amounts it is very had to avoid them
Copper,
cobalt, manganese, molybdenum, chromium, silicon, nickel, vanadium and
tin
The End
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