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ARS Home » Plains Area » Grand Forks, North Dakota » Grand Forks Human Nutrition Research Center » Healthy Body Weight Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #222054
Title: Nutritional Aspects of Minerals in Bovine and Human Milks

Author
item Hunt, Curtiss
item Nielsen, Forrest - Frosty

Submitted to: Advanced Dairy Chemistry
Publication Type: Book / Chapter
Publication Acceptance Date: 9/15/2008
Publication Date: 3/15/2009
Citation: Hunt, C., Nielsen, F.H. 2009. Nutritional Aspects of Minerals in Bovine and Human Milks. In: McSweeney, P.L.H., Fox, P.F. Advanced Dairy Chemistry Volume 3: Lactose, Water, Salts and Minor Constituents. 3rd Edition. New York, NY:Springer Science+Business Media, LLC. p. 391-456.

Interpretive Summary: Defining the roles of dietary minerals in human health has advanced remarkably in recent years. This new knowledge has led to significant revision of dietary recommendations and guidelines worldwide. Even so, there are still considerable deficits in our understanding of mineral nutrition. Recent research has often focused on the roles of individual minerals in human health, an approach that has sometimes led to unrealistic expectations concerning the efficacy of a specific mineral to prevent a specific cause of morbidity or mortality or maximize genetic potential. A primary challenge for current human mineral nutrition research is more complete characterizations of interactions among mineral salts and with other nutrients and environmental (e.g., infectious agents and exercise) and genetic factors to maintain health. Milk and milk products are significant dietary sources of arsenic, boron, calcium, cobalt (as vitamin B12), iodine, molybdenum, nickel, phosphorus, potassium, sodium, and zinc. The mineral content of human breast milk remains the “gold standard” for establishing dietary mineral requirements of infants for the first six months of life. Thus, approaches for infant nutrition other than exclusive breast feeding should be taken with caution. Recommendations for mineral nutrition pertinent to consumption of milk and milk products must remain vigilant of changes in marketplace activities and migration in food choices that affect mineral intakes and bioavailability.

Technical Abstract: Defining the roles of dietary minerals in human health has advanced remarkably in recent years. This new knowledge has led to significant revision of dietary recommendations and guidelines worldwide. Even so, there are still considerable deficits in our understanding of mineral nutrition. Recent research has often focused on the roles of individual minerals in human health, an approach that has sometimes led to unrealistic expectations concerning the efficacy of a specific mineral to prevent a specific cause of morbidity or mortality or maximize genetic potential. A primary challenge for current human mineral nutrition research is more complete characterizations of interactions among mineral salts and with other nutrients and environmental (e.g., infectious agents and exercise) and genetic factors to maintain health. Milk and milk products are significant dietary sources of arsenic, boron, calcium, cobalt (as vitamin B12), iodine, molybdenum, nickel, phosphorus, potassium, sodium, and zinc. The mineral content of human breast milk remains the “gold standard” for establishing dietary mineral requirements of infants for the first six months of life. Thus, approaches for infant nutrition other than exclusive breast feeding should be taken with caution. Recommendations for mineral nutrition pertinent to consumption of milk and milk products must remain vigilant of changes in marketplace activities and migration in food choices that affect mineral intakes and bioavailability.