2.2.4
Minerals & Water 2
Test your knowledge with free interactive questions on Seneca — used by over 10 million students.
Minerals - Fluoride and Iodine
Fluoride and iodine are both trace elements, which are types of minerals. We only need very tiny amounts of trace elements.

Fluoride
- We get fluoride from dental products, like mouthwash and toothpaste, as well as some water supplies, seafood and tea.
- The NHS suggests brushing teeth twice daily with fluoride toothpaste to meet daily requirements.
- We need fluoride to maintain healthy teeth, as fluoride helps to strengthen teeth, fight off tooth decay and harden enamel.

Excess and too little fluoride
- Excess fluoride is poisonous and can cause discoloured teeth, cancer as well as problems with bones.
- Not getting enough fluoride can cause teeth and enamel to weaken, eventually leading to tooth decay.

Iodine
- We get iodine from vegetables, dairy products and seafood.
- We need iodine to make certain hormones.
- A serious iodine deficiency can lead to goitre (swelling of the neck) as well as complications in unborn children.
Water
Water makes up a large part of the body. Approximately 60% of the human body consists of water. Water is found in body fluids, like saliva, sweat and blood, as well as body cells.

Why do we need water?
- We need water to:
- Keep skin and mucous membranes healthy.
- Remove waste (for example, for excretion).
- Control our body temperature (for example, through sweating).
- Support digestion.
- Help with chemical reactions in the body.

Sources
- We get water from both food (e.g. milk, meat, fish, eggs, fruits and vegetables) and drinks.
- Water is added to foods too, like soups, pastries and pasta.

Losing water and dehydration
- We lose water from our bodies through breathing, urinating, excreting faeces and sweating.
- Drinking too little water (to make up for water loss) causes dehydration. Dehydration causes:
- Overheating.
- Feeling weak and nauseous.
- Reactions to slow down.
- Confusion.
- Thickening of the blood (it's more difficult for the heart to pump thick blood around the body).
- Change in heart rate and blood pressure.

Quantities
- A person should try to drink around 2 litres of water per day.
- A person should drink more than 2 litres if it's particularly hot or if they're exercising.

Overhydration
- Drinking lots and lots of water in a short space of time can have serious consequences. Symptoms can include:
- Feeling confused or nauseous.
- Headaches.
- Diluting substances in the blood and the body's concentration of nutrients.
- Organ failure (e.g. kidney and heart).
1Food Preparation Skills
1.1Food Preparation Skills
1.1.1General Practical Skills1.1.2Knife Skills1.1.3Preparing Fruit, Vegetables & Using Equipment1.1.4Cooking Methods: Prepare, Shape & Combine1.1.5Sauce Making, Tenderising & Marinating1.1.6Dough & Pastry1.1.7Shaping & Finishing Dough1.1.8Raising Agents & Mixtures1.1.9End of Topic Test - Food Preparation Skills 1
2Food, Nutrition & Health
2.2Micronutrients
3Food Science
3.1Cooking of Food & Heat Transfer
3.2Functional & Chemical Properties of Food
4Food Safety
4.1Food Spoilage & Contamination
5Food Choice
5.1Factors Affecting Food Choice
5.2British & International Cuisines
6Food Provenance
6.1Environmental Impact & Sustainability of Food
6.1.1Food Sources - Intensive & Organic Farming6.1.2Food Sources - Genetically Modified Crops6.1.3Food Sources - Reared Food6.1.4Food Sources - Caught Food6.1.5Food & The Environment6.1.6Food & The Environment 26.1.7Sustainability of Food6.1.8Sustainability of Food 26.1.9End of Topic Test - Environmental Impacts
Jump to other topics
1Food Preparation Skills
1.1Food Preparation Skills
1.1.1General Practical Skills1.1.2Knife Skills1.1.3Preparing Fruit, Vegetables & Using Equipment1.1.4Cooking Methods: Prepare, Shape & Combine1.1.5Sauce Making, Tenderising & Marinating1.1.6Dough & Pastry1.1.7Shaping & Finishing Dough1.1.8Raising Agents & Mixtures1.1.9End of Topic Test - Food Preparation Skills 1
2Food, Nutrition & Health
2.2Micronutrients
3Food Science
3.1Cooking of Food & Heat Transfer
3.2Functional & Chemical Properties of Food
4Food Safety
4.1Food Spoilage & Contamination
5Food Choice
5.1Factors Affecting Food Choice
5.2British & International Cuisines
6Food Provenance
6.1Environmental Impact & Sustainability of Food
6.1.1Food Sources - Intensive & Organic Farming6.1.2Food Sources - Genetically Modified Crops6.1.3Food Sources - Reared Food6.1.4Food Sources - Caught Food6.1.5Food & The Environment6.1.6Food & The Environment 26.1.7Sustainability of Food6.1.8Sustainability of Food 26.1.9End of Topic Test - Environmental Impacts
Practice questions on Minerals & Water 2
Can you answer these? Test yourself with free interactive practice on Seneca — used by over 10 million students.
- 1Which of the following is NOT a trace mineral?Multiple choice
- 2Why do we need fluoride?Fill in the list
- 3
- 4Why do we need water?Fill in the list
- 5
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