Essential nutrients: Minerals - calcium, magnesium, phosphorous, potassium

Potassium: Disease Implications

Deficiency leads to muscular weakness and lethargy.
Deficiency also leads to poor growth
Cardiac disturbance in potassium deficiency.

Phosphorous Functions

Necessary for healthy bone and teeth. Bone is made up of more than 80 % phosphorous.
An important component of energy producing molecules.
Essential for growth .
Component of phospholipids

Interactions: Vitamin B6 helps maintain proper levels of phosphorous.
Phosporous retention in kidney can result from vitamin D deficiency. Phosphorous helps body utilize calcium. Zinc affects phosphorous bioavailability.

Magnesium Functions

Essential for normal muscular function and normal heart rhythm
Essential for bone mineralization and growth
Acts as co-factor for a host of enzymes
Essential for vitamin C and calcium metabolism

Interactions: works in conjunction with calcium, sodium, potassium in normal cellular function; Vitamin B2 known to affect the interaction between magnesium and calcium
Toxicity not an issue.

Phosphorous: Disease Implications

Deficiency symptoms include muscular weakness, defect in growth.
Deficiency also leads to defective bone function and can contribute to arthritis
Alcoholism can cause deficiency.
Although deficiency gives rise to serious impairment of function, deficiency is relatively rare for this mineral as dietary intakes normally provides enough phosphorous.

Magnesium: Disease Implications

Deficiency leads to problems with heart, kidney, high blood pressure.
Nerves and muscles affected by low magnesium.
Deficiency also leads to mental confusion, and stress.
As the relative magnesium and calcium levels are important for normal cellular process, an imbalance in these minerals leads to serious complications, including muscle problems and cardiovascular problems

Calcium: Disease Implications

Osteoporosis (thinning of the bones) can arise from deficiency of calcium. Adequate calcium intakes reduces risk of developing the disease.
All normal bone function affected by calcium deficiency.
Deficiency results in Rickets in children.
Tiredness and Muscular dysfunction results from low calcium.
In excess, calcium causes diseases of the kidney; development of kidney stones.

Potassium Function

Required for normal cellular transport of nutrients
Essential for normal muscle functioning
Necessary for healthy heart and kidney function
Essential for fluid homeostasis
Necessary for nervous system functioning

Interactions: Works with calcium, sodium and magnesium in cellular function

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osphorous Function

in kidney can result from vitamin D deficiency.

Calcium Function

Major component of bone, required for bone formation
Required for cell transport
Required for nerve cell functioning
Essential in muscle functioning
Important for normal blood clotting

Interactions: Absorption of calcium requires Vitamin B12, therefore a deficiency of calcium could arise by poor vitamin B12 status. Vitamin D also aids calcium absorption. Calcium and magnesium also interact in normal cell function.

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Calcium, Magnesium, Phosphorous, Potassium
These minerals play vital roles in normal physiology.
A chemical imbalance in these minerals rapidly and easily gives rise to clinical symptoms

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Main Functions

Disease Implication
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