Minerals

What Minerals covers

Minerals is examined in Unit AS 1, Principles of Nutrition — examined, compulsory. It covers calcium and phosphorus, magnesium, sodium and potassium, iron and iron deficiency anaemia, iodine and fluorine, selenium and zinc and mineral bioavailability and absorption.

The 6 subtopics

Each one has its own page. CCEA AS Nutrition and Food Science students sit this topic in the first year.

• Calcium and phosphorusMajor and trace minerals, calcium's functions and sources, fortified flour, peak bone mass and osteoporosis, the calcium RNI through life, and phosphorus in bones and energy release.Open →
• Magnesium, sodium and potassiumThe functions, sources, deficiency and excess of magnesium, sodium and potassium, sodium additives, converting salt to sodium, and low-sodium salt substitutes.Open →
• Iron and iron deficiency anaemiaHaem and non-haem iron, food sources, iron deficiency anaemia and groups at risk, iron needs of women and children, iron recycling, excess iron and haemochromatosis.Open →
• Iodine and fluorineIodine and thyroid hormones, milk as a source, goitre and deficiency in pregnancy, iodised salt, and how fluoride protects teeth, with the effects of too little and too much.Open →
• Selenium and zincSelenium's antioxidant role and falling UK intakes, Brazil nuts, and zinc's roles in growth, immunity and healing, its sources, deficiency, excess and higher needs in men.Open →
• Mineral bioavailability and absorptionPhytates, oxalates, tea and fibre as inhibitors, vitamin C and haem iron as enhancers, factors affecting calcium absorption, mineral competition and body need.Open →

What you need to know

Answer each one before you reveal it.

Take Minerals further

The same content, four other ways.

Commonly confused

Pairs that lose marks when they are blurred together.

• Haem iron vs Non-haem iron

  Haem iron: the readily absorbed form of the mineral found in red meat, poultry and fish. Non-haem iron: the less readily absorbed form found in plant foods, eggs and fortified cereals.

• Major minerals vs Trace minerals

  Major minerals: inorganic elements needed in amounts above 100 mg a day, such as calcium. Trace minerals: inorganic elements needed in amounts of a few milligrams or less a day.

• Phytates vs Oxalates

  Phytates: phosphorus compounds in wholegrains and pulses that bind iron, zinc and calcium. Oxalates: compounds in spinach and rhubarb that bind calcium into insoluble salts.

Questions from this topic

Each one with the model answer underneath.

1. 1

   What is the difference between a major mineral and a trace mineral?

   Model answer

   Major minerals, such as calcium and sodium, are needed in amounts of more than 100 mg a day. Trace minerals, such as iron, zinc and iodine, are needed in amounts of a few milligrams or micrograms a day.

2. 2

   What are the functions of calcium?

   Model answer

   Calcium combines with phosphorus to form calcium phosphate, which gives bones and teeth their hardness. Calcium is also needed for muscle contraction, nerve transmission and blood clotting.

3. 3

   How much of the body's calcium is in the skeleton, and why does this matter?

   Model answer

   About 99% of the body's calcium is in the bones and teeth. The skeleton acts as a reserve that is drawn on to keep blood calcium steady when intake is low.

4. 4

   Name valuable food sources of calcium.

   Model answer

   Milk, cheese and yogurt are the main sources of calcium in the UK diet. Canned fish eaten with the bones, such as sardines, and green leafy vegetables such as kale also supply it.

5. 5

   Why is white bread a useful source of calcium in the UK?

   Model answer

   White and brown wheat flour in the UK must by law have calcium carbonate added. Bread made from this flour therefore supplies a useful amount of calcium.

6. 6

   How can a vegan meet her calcium needs?

   Model answer

   A vegan can get calcium from fortified plant milks and yogurts and from tofu set with calcium. Kale, sesame seeds, pulses and white bread also contribute.

What is inside Levo

Six ways to work the same material.

Minerals revision questions

Is Minerals examined at AS in CCEA Nutrition and Food Science?

Yes. It sits in AS 1, which you take in the first year, so it is on the AS paper as well as counting towards the full A level.

What does Minerals cover in CCEA AS-Level Nutrition and Food Science?

6 subtopics: calcium and phosphorus, magnesium, sodium and potassium, iron and iron deficiency anaemia, iodine and fluorine, selenium and zinc and mineral bioavailability and absorption. Each one has its own page with questions and model answers.

How is Minerals organised?

By the CCEA 3310 specification, subtopic by subtopic, so it matches the order you are taught it in.