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Encyclopedia of Cancer pp 2318–2322Cite as

Mineral Nutrients

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Synonyms

Dietary essential minerals; Electrolytes; Macro- and microminerals; Trace elements

Definition

Mineral nutrients are inorganic substances that must be ingested and absorbed in adequate amounts to satisfy a wide variety of essential metabolic and/or structural functions in the body. Mineral nutrients are sometimes categorized according to the amount required in the human diet to maintain good nutrition. Macrominerals is a general term encompassing both bulk minerals (calcium, phosphorus, magnesium) and electrolytes (sodium, potassium, chloride), which are required to be ingested by humans in amounts of hundreds of milligrams to several grams per day. Microminerals or trace elements (including iron, zinc, copper, manganese, selenium, iodine, chromium, molybdenum) are required in amounts of a few milligrams or less per day. The latter members of this group, which are required only in amounts of micrograms per day, are sometimes referred to as ultratrace elements.

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References

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Nutrition Research Division, Health Canada, Ottawa, ON, Canada

    Kevin A. Cockell

Authors
  1. Kevin A. Cockell
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Kevin A. Cockell .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. University Professor of Genetics, German Cancer Research Center - DKFZ, Heidelberg, Germany

    Manfred Schwab

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© 2011 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

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Cockell, K.A. (2011). Mineral Nutrients. In: Schwab, M. (eds) Encyclopedia of Cancer. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-16483-5_3752

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