What are minerals, and why do the body's small needs for them matter so much, along with water and fibre?
Minerals as micronutrients, calcium, iron, sodium, phosphorus, fluoride and iodine, their sources, functions and deficiencies, and the roles of water and dietary fibre in the diet.
A focused CCEA GCSE Food and Nutrition answer on minerals, covering calcium, iron, sodium, phosphorus, fluoride and iodine with their sources, functions and deficiencies, plus the roles of water and dietary fibre in the diet.
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What this dot point is asking
CCEA wants you to know that minerals are micronutrients needed in small amounts, the sources, functions and deficiencies of the key minerals (calcium, iron, sodium, phosphorus, fluoride, iodine), and the important roles of water and dietary fibre in the diet.
What minerals are
The main minerals
| Mineral | Good sources | Main function | Deficiency / excess |
|---|---|---|---|
| Calcium | Milk, cheese, yoghurt, leafy greens | Strong bones and teeth; clotting, muscles, nerves | Weak bones and teeth; osteoporosis |
| Iron | Red meat, liver, eggs, leafy greens, pulses | Makes haemoglobin to carry oxygen | Anaemia (tiredness, paleness) |
| Sodium | Salt, processed foods | Controls fluid balance and nerve function | Too much raises blood pressure |
| Phosphorus | Milk, cheese, meat, fish | Works with calcium for bones and teeth | Rare |
| Fluoride | Tap water (fluoridated), fish, tea | Strengthens tooth enamel against decay | More decay if too little |
| Iodine | Seafood, milk, iodised salt | Needed by the thyroid to control metabolism | Goitre (swollen thyroid) |
Absorption helpers
Two links are worth memorising: vitamin D is needed to absorb calcium, and vitamin C helps absorb iron. This is why bone and blood health depend on vitamins as well as minerals.
Water
Without enough water the body becomes dehydrated, causing headaches, tiredness and poor concentration. Adults are advised to drink around six to eight glasses (about 1.5 to 2 litres) of fluid a day.
Dietary fibre
Fibre is the indigestible part of plant foods. It is included here as a dietary essential: it adds bulk, prevents constipation, helps you feel full and helps protect against bowel disorders. Good sources are wholegrains, fruit, vegetables and pulses.
Examples in context
- Example 1. Calcium across the life stages
- Children and teenagers need plenty of calcium to build strong bones (peak bone mass), and older people need it to slow bone loss and reduce the risk of osteoporosis. This shows one mineral being matched to several life stages, a common CCEA question style.
- Example 2. Salt hidden in processed food
- Much of the salt people eat is hidden in bread, ready meals and savoury snacks, not just added at the table. Checking salt on a traffic-light label helps shoppers cut down to protect against high blood pressure. This links minerals to labelling and to being an effective consumer.
- Example 3. Fluoride and dental health
- Fluoride strengthens tooth enamel, making it more resistant to the acid that causes decay. It is found in some tap water and toothpaste. This connects a mineral directly to dental health, a diet-related condition CCEA covers.
Try this
Q1. Name the mineral needed to make haemoglobin, and the deficiency caused by a lack of it. [2 marks]
- Cue. Iron; anaemia.
Q2. Give two functions of water in the body. [2 marks]
- Cue. Transports nutrients and waste; controls body temperature (also aids digestion, removes waste).
Exam-style practice questions
Practice questions written in the style of CCEA exam questions on this dot point, with worked answer explainers. The year tag is the paper they imitate, not the source.
CCEA past-style6 marksExplain the importance of calcium and iron in the diet, giving sources, functions and the effect of a deficiency of each.Show worked answer →
Six marks: three for each mineral.
Calcium is found in milk, cheese, yoghurt, green leafy vegetables and tinned fish with bones. It builds and maintains strong bones and teeth and helps blood to clot and muscles and nerves to work. It needs vitamin D to be absorbed. A deficiency leads to weak bones and teeth, and over time to osteoporosis (brittle bones).
Iron is found in red meat, liver, eggs, green leafy vegetables, pulses and fortified cereals. It is needed to make haemoglobin in red blood cells, which carries oxygen around the body. Vitamin C helps it be absorbed. A deficiency causes anaemia, with tiredness, paleness and breathlessness.
Markers reward a source, a function and a named effect for each mineral.
CCEA past-style4 marksState two functions of water in the body and explain why teenagers need plenty of calcium.Show worked answer →
Four marks: two water functions plus the calcium-teenager link.
Water functions: it makes up most of the blood and body fluids and transports nutrients and waste; it helps control body temperature through sweating; it is needed for digestion and to remove waste in urine; it keeps the body hydrated. (Any two.)
Teenagers need plenty of calcium because their bones are still growing and reaching peak bone mass. Building strong bones now, with enough calcium and vitamin D, helps protect against osteoporosis in later life.
Markers reward any two water functions and a clear reason for high calcium need in teenagers.
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