If you are eating a balanced diet, you are probably meeting your daily nutrient requirements. If not, however, you may be deficient in one or more minerals. Potassium and calcium phosphate are both essential minerals that your body needs everyday. Insufficient intake of healthy foods often means that many people are deficient in these two specific nutrients.
Calcium Phosphate Defined
Of all the minerals in your body, calcium is the most abundant, with almost all of it stored in your teeth and bones. Aside from ensuring your bones' structural integrity, calcium is used to regulate heartbeat and muscular contractions, as well as acting as a stabilizer for several proteins and enzymes, the Linus Pauling Institute notes. Calcium comes in different forms, and calcium phosphate is the main type of calcium found in cow milk. It is sometimes used as a nutritional supplement to improve bone health, since bones are mostly composed of hydroxyapatite, a calcium phosphate mineral. Without enough of this bone mineral, your risk for osteoporosis is increased.
Recommended Dosage of Calcium Phosphate
The recommended daily calcium allowance varies according to age and gender. Adults older than 70 years of age and adolescents between 9 and 18 years of age need around 1.3 g of calcium everyday, according to the Office of Dietary Supplements. Pregnant and lactating mothers need a similar amount. Adults between 19 and 70 should get around 1 to 1.2 g per day, while kids between 1 and 8 years should get 0.7 to 1 g.
The best way to meet your daily calcium requirement is through dietary sources. Several foods naturally contain calcium phosphate, especially dairy products such as milk, yogurt and cheese Vegetables sources include broccoli, kale and Chinese cabbage and spinach. Breakfast cereals are often fortified with this mineral as well, as are some types of orange juice.
Potassium Defined
Potassium is considered an essential dietary mineral, the Linus Pauling Institute explains. This means it must be obtained from your diet, since your body cannot manufacture it otherwise. Potassium plays a very important role in many biochemical processes. It is required for building muscle and normal physical development; for ensuring normal nerve impulse transmission and heart function; for metabolizing carbohydrates and synthesizing proteins; and for regulating the acid-base level in the human body. Without enough potassium, you may experience heart arrhythmia, breakdown of muscle fibers and weakness, fatigue or even paralysis.
Recommended Dosage for Potassium
Your daily potassium requirements depend largely on your gender and age, MedlinePlus Supplements notes. Adults older than the age of 19 should get 4.7 g everyday. Children from 9 and 18 should get between 4.5 to 4.7 g daily, while younger kids from 1 to 8 years need 3 to 3.8 g. Breast-feeding women have a slightly higher potassium requirement of at least 5.1 g each day.
Good dietary sources for this nutrient include clams, flounder, halibut, cod, chicken, lima beans, potatoes, tomatoes, white beans, citrus juices, avocados and cantaloupes. Potassium supplements are also available, in oral and injectable forms. However, consult your doctor before taking any kinds of supplement, since these may have some adverse interactions with other types of medication.
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