Minerals (Micronutrients) — OCR GCSE Food Preparation and Nutrition

Minerals are inorganic micronutrients essential for human health, required in small amounts to support vital bodily functions. Unlike macronutrients (carbohydrates, proteins, fats), minerals do not provide energy but are crucial for processes such as bone formation, nerve transmission, muscle contraction, and enzyme activity. In the OCR GCSE Food Preparation and Nutrition course, you need to understand the sources, functions, and deficiency symptoms of key minerals, including calcium, iron, sodium, and iodine, as well as how cooking and processing affect their retention.

This topic is important because mineral deficiencies can lead to serious health conditions, such as anaemia (iron deficiency) or osteoporosis (calcium deficiency). By learning about minerals, you will be able to make informed dietary choices and understand the role of a balanced diet in preventing disease. In the wider subject, minerals link to nutrition, food science (e.g., how acids affect mineral absorption), and practical cooking skills (e.g., reducing sodium in recipes). Mastering this topic will help you answer exam questions on dietary guidelines, meal planning, and the nutritional analysis of recipes.

Minerals are categorised into major minerals (required >100mg/day, e.g., calcium, sodium) and trace minerals (required <100mg/day, e.g., iron, iodine). The OCR specification expects you to recall specific examples, their food sources, and their functions. You should also be able to explain how factors like age, gender, and lifestyle affect mineral requirements, and how cooking methods (e.g., boiling vegetables) can lead to mineral loss through leaching into water.

• →Calcium: Essential for strong bones and teeth, blood clotting, and nerve function. Sources include dairy products, fortified plant milks, leafy green vegetables (e.g., kale), and canned fish with bones (e.g., sardines). Deficiency can lead to rickets in children and osteomalacia in adults.
• →Iron: Needed for haemoglobin formation to transport oxygen in the blood. Sources include red meat (haem iron, easily absorbed), lentils, spinach, and fortified cereals (non-haem iron). Vitamin C enhances non-haem iron absorption. Deficiency causes iron-deficiency anaemia, leading to fatigue and weakness.
• →Sodium: Helps regulate fluid balance and nerve impulses. Found naturally in foods and added as salt. Excess sodium is linked to high blood pressure. The UK government recommends no more than 6g of salt per day. Processed foods (e.g., ready meals, crisps) are high in sodium.
• →Iodine: Required for thyroid hormone production, which controls metabolism. Sources include seafood, dairy products, and iodised salt. Deficiency can cause goitre (enlarged thyroid) and hypothyroidism.

• Identification of key minerals: Calcium, iron, sodium, fluoride, iodine, phosphorus
• Explanation of the specific functions of each mineral in the body
• Description of the health consequences associated with mineral deficiency
• Identification of primary food sources for each mineral

• 💡Ensure you can link specific minerals to their physiological functions rather than just listing them.
• 💡Be prepared to identify food sources for each mineral as part of a balanced diet.
• 💡Understand the link between mineral deficiency and specific diet-related health conditions.
• 💡In exam questions, always link mineral functions to specific deficiency symptoms. For example, if asked about calcium, mention osteoporosis and the importance of vitamin D for absorption. This shows deeper understanding and gains higher marks.
• 💡When evaluating recipes or meals, consider mineral content. For instance, suggest adding a source of vitamin C (e.g., a squeeze of lemon) to a spinach salad to increase iron absorption. This demonstrates application of knowledge.
• 💡Be precise with terminology: use 'mineral' not 'vitamin', and specify 'non-haem iron' vs 'haem iron'. Avoid vague statements like 'minerals are good for you' – instead, state specific functions like 'iron is needed for red blood cell production'.

• Misconception: All minerals are destroyed by cooking. Correction: While some minerals can leach into cooking water (e.g., boiling vegetables), they are not destroyed by heat. To retain minerals, use methods like steaming or stir-frying, and reuse cooking water in soups or sauces.
• Misconception: Plant-based diets cannot provide enough iron. Correction: Plant sources provide non-haem iron, which is less easily absorbed than haem iron from meat. However, consuming vitamin C (e.g., citrus fruits, peppers) alongside plant iron sources significantly boosts absorption. A well-planned vegetarian diet can meet iron needs.
• Misconception: Salt and sodium are the same thing. Correction: Salt is sodium chloride (40% sodium, 60% chloride). Dietary guidelines refer to salt, but the harmful component is sodium. When checking food labels, multiply sodium content by 2.5 to estimate salt content.