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Sodium, Potassium, Phosphorus, and Magnesium

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Nutrition and Bone Health

Part of the book series: Nutrition and Health ((NH))

Abstract

Bone health is not a mononutrient issue. Although predominant attention has been given to calcium in recent years (with vitamin D getting honorable mention), other nutrients are also known to affect calcium economy and bone status, even if they are less commonly factored into dietary recommendations for the prevention of osteoporosis or the support of antiosteoporosis therapy. This chapter discusses sodium, potassium, phosphorus, and magnesium, and overlaps with the previous two chapters in matters of the acid/alkaline ash characteristic of the diet. Taken together, these four minerals make up about 6% of the dry, fat-free mass of the human body. Table 1 (1) presents their contributions individually, together with that of chloride and calcium—the former because chloride accompanies sodium, both in extracellular fluid and in the diet, and the latter (which is the subject of other chapters in this book) for comparative purposes.

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Heaney, R.P. (2004). Sodium, Potassium, Phosphorus, and Magnesium. In: Holick, M.F., Dawson-Hughes, B. (eds) Nutrition and Bone Health. Nutrition and Health. Humana Press, Totowa, NJ. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-59259-740-6_20

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-59259-740-6_20

  • Publisher Name: Humana Press, Totowa, NJ

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-61737-451-7

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