Minerals are inorganic nutrients that your body needs in small amounts to grow, repair tissues, and keep organs working properly. They help build strong bones and teeth, carry oxygen in the blood, support heartbeat and muscle movement, and help nerves send signals. Because the body cannot make minerals, they must come from foods and drinks.
Learning about minerals helps students make informed choices about balanced meals and healthy habits.
Key Facts
- Calcium helps build bones and teeth and supports muscle contraction, nerve signaling, and normal blood clotting.
- Iron is needed to make hemoglobin, the protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen from the lungs to body tissues.
- Potassium is an electrolyte that helps regulate fluid balance, nerve signals, heartbeat, and muscle contractions.
- Chemical symbols: calcium = Ca, iron = Fe, potassium = K, sodium = Na, magnesium = Mg.
- Daily mineral needs are measured in milligrams, where 1000 mg = 1 g.
- Food sources include dairy or fortified plant milks for calcium, beans and lean meats for iron, and bananas, potatoes, spinach, and yogurt for potassium.
Vocabulary
- Mineral
- A mineral is an inorganic nutrient from food or water that the body needs for structures and chemical processes.
- Calcium
- Calcium is a mineral that strengthens bones and teeth and helps muscles, nerves, and blood clotting work properly.
- Iron
- Iron is a mineral used to make hemoglobin, which helps red blood cells carry oxygen through the body.
- Potassium
- Potassium is an electrolyte that helps control fluid balance, nerve messages, heartbeat, and muscle movement.
- Electrolyte
- An electrolyte is a mineral that carries an electric charge in body fluids and helps nerves and muscles function.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Thinking minerals give the body energy directly, which is wrong because calories come from carbohydrates, fats, and proteins, while minerals help body processes work.
- Assuming more minerals are always better, which is wrong because too much of some minerals can be harmful and supplements should be used carefully.
- Confusing iron with calcium, which is wrong because iron mainly helps oxygen transport while calcium mainly supports bones, teeth, muscles, and nerves.
- Ignoring food variety, which is wrong because different foods provide different minerals and a balanced diet is usually better than relying on one food.
Practice Questions
- 1 A fortified cereal has 18 mg of iron per serving. If a student eats 1.5 servings, how many milligrams of iron do they get?
- 2 A cup of yogurt has 300 mg of calcium. A student needs 1300 mg of calcium in a day. How much calcium is still needed after eating 2 cups of yogurt?
- 3 A student says they do not need potassium because they do not play sports. Explain why this reasoning is incorrect using the roles of potassium in the body.