1. The Importance of Minerals
Instructor: Dr. Paul Bahna

2. What Are Minerals?
Minerals are solid chemical substances present in the earth such as iron. Today you will learn that minerals are also in our food, and are important for our bodies to grow and to stay healthy.

3. Why Minerals are Important!
Some minerals help our heart to beat regularly. Some minerals help our bones and nerves. Just a few examples of minerals: Calcium, Iron, Potassium and Zinc

4. Calcium
It helps to build strong bones as you grow. Good sources include milk, cheese, yogurt, tofu, and calcium-fortified orange juice.

5. Iron
Iron builds muscle and is essential to healthy blood. It helps blood to carry oxygen to tissues. We can find iron in beef and other red meats and in turkey, pork, spinach, beans, and prunes.

6. Potassium
Potassium keeps our muscles and nerves working. Some foods with potassium: broccoli, tomatoes, potatoes with skins, leafy green vegetables, such as broccoli, oranges, bananas, kiwi, dried fruits, coconut water, and legumes, such as beans, peas, lentils, and peanuts. If you get a cramp in a muscle take a fruit right away…potassium fixes it!

7. Zinc
Zinc helps our body fight germs! It helps with cell growth and helps heal wounds, such as cuts. Zinc is present in beef, pork, lamb, legumes, such as beans, peas, lentils, and peanuts.

8. Not Good Enough!
When people don't get enough of these important minerals, they can have health problems. For example, too little calcium — especially when you're growing— can lead to weaker bones. Also, too little Iron can lead to anemia, that is poor blood. Some kids may take mineral supplements, but most kids don't need them if they eat a balanced diet. So eat those minerals and stay healthy!

9. Here is a very USEFUL website…
Here is a link for you to share with someone. It is very helpful! Let’s check it out together first!

10. Conclusion It is important to practice what we learned.
Today we talked about the importance of minerals to
our bodies.
In the next lesson, we will review all lessons on a balanced diet and you will have a short quiz, too.
See you then!