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8 sets to be given away each week!

Answers:

1. ___________ helps lower blood pressure, and it is readily found in ____________.

A number of studies indicate that groups with relatively high dietary potassium intakes have lower blood pressures than comparable groups with relatively low potassium intakes. Data on more than 17,000 adults who participated in the Third National Health and Nutritional Examination Survey (NHANES III) indicated that higher dietary potassium intakes were associated with significantly lower blood pressures. The results of the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) trial provided further support for the beneficial effects of a potassium-rich diet on blood pressure (The Linus Pauling Institute's Micronutrient Information Center).

Strong evidence of the beneficial effects of potassium on blood pressure came also from the landmark INTERSALT Study. Data from the 52 centres in 32 countries that participated in the study revealed that if habitual diet is lower in sodium and higher in potassium with lower alcohol intake and less obesity, the estimated average population systolic pressure would be lower by 5 mm Hg. This translated into an estimated 9 % lower risk of coronary death and a 14% lower risk of stroke death. A strong inverse association between potassium levels and blood pressure was found in the study, concluding that potassium helps lower blood pressure.

Potassium can be found in various meats, including fish such as salmon, cod and sardines. Vegetables including broccoli, peas, lima beans, tomatoes, potatoes (especially their skins), and leafy green vegetables such as spinach, lettuce, and parsley contain potassium. Fruits that contain significant sources of potassium are citrus fruits, apples, bananas, and apricots.

2. ___________ helps to protect heart muscles as well as to absorb _____________.

Almost 27% of the body’s magnesium is in muscle tissue. Magnesium is a vital structural component of all muscle cells and the heart is mainly muscle. Healthy heart muscle actually contains more magnesium than other muscles do. Therefore sufficient magnesium is needed to protect heart muscles to ensure that the heart functions normally.
Magnesium is needed to absorb calcium and properly utilise calcium in the body. When calcium is elevated in the blood it stimulates the secretion of a hormone called calcitonin and suppresses the secretion of the parathyroid hormone (PTH). These hormones regulate the levels of calcium in our bones and soft tissues and are, therefore, directly related to problems such as osteoporosis and arthritis. PTH draws calcium out of the bones and deposits it in the soft tissues, while calcitonin increases calcium in our bones and keeps it from being absorbed in our soft tissues. Sufficient amounts of magnesium determine this delicate and important balance (The Magnesium Website).

3. _________ is an essential limiting amino acid that assists protein synthesis in the body, while ________ helps cognitive development in children.

Lysine is an essential amino acid and is a basic building block of all protein. It cannot be made in the body and must be supplied by the diet or supplements. Lysine is important for proper growth and it plays an essential role in the production of carnitine, a nutrient responsible for converting fatty acids into energy and helping to lower cholesterol. Lysine appears to help the body absorb and conserve calcium and it plays an important role in the formation of collagen, a substance important for bones and connective tissues including skin, tendon, and cartilage (University of Maryland Medical Centre).
Iodine, a non-metallic trace element, is required by humans for the synthesis of thyroid hormones. Sufficient thyroid hormone, which depends on adequate iodine intake, is essential for normal brain development. Iodine deficiency has adverse effects in all stages of development, but is most damaging to cognitive development in children and is the most common preventable cause of brain damage in the world today (World Health Organisation).

Iodine deficiency during infancy may result in abnormal brain development and, consequently, impaired intellectual development. Research shows that school children in iodine deficient areas show poorer school performance, lower IQs, and a higher incidence of learning disabilities than matched groups from iodine-sufficient areas. A recent meta-analysis of 18 studies concluded that iodine deficiency alone lowered mean IQ scores in children by 13.5 points (US Food and Nutrition Board, 2001).

While the effects of iodine deficiency are more subtle in adults than children, recent research suggests that hypothyroidism results in slower response times and impaired mental function (The Linus Pauling Institute's Micronutrient Information Center).

4. Pansalt is enriched with minerals and nutrients not found in common salt. Which of the following is not found in common salt?

Common salt is 99% sodium chloride whereas Pansalt consists of 56% sodium chloride, 28% potassium chloride, 12% magnesium sulphate, 2% lysine hydrochloride, and 0.0036% iodine.