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Chapter 1 Food

The foodstuffs are complex substances. They all are capable of providing our body with essential
nutrients that allow the development and the protection of our body. How can we classify them?

Activity 1 Mineral and organic substances

1 The mineral substances

A substance is considered as mineral if its molecule doesn’t contain the
carbon atom except carbon dioxide (CO ) and the carbonates (CO ) that
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contain this atom.

Water, mineral salts, the gases that compose our atmosphere (CO
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included), the metals and the non metals are mineral substances.

The mineral substances

The water, loaded with mineral
Doc 1- The water,
substances, is the only drink necessary for
mineral substance,
the normal functioning of the organism. It transports the mineral
salts that are vital.
represents 60 to 70% of the body mass.
The mineral salts are unequally
distributed in the foodstuffs: some of

them are rich in some minerals: dairy
products are rich in calcium. Chocolate is
rich in magnesium and iron. Two types of

minerals exist: the major minerals and the
minerals found in very small quantities
(traces) called oligo-elements.

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Fruits and vegetables are sources of mineral salts.

The elements of mineral salts
Major elements Potassium (K), sodium (Na), calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg),

phosphorus (P), sulfur (S), chloride (Cl), iodine (I), fluoride (F).
Oligo-elements Iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), cobalt (Co), zinc (Zn), copper

(Cu), silica (Si), chromium (Cr)…

These elements are necessary for the growth and the functioning of our body.

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