Edible Essential Elements Trivia Quiz

Answer: Flatulence

Carbon (element 6 in the periodic table) is present in all organic materials. So unless you starve to death, you'll most certainly consume carbon in one form or another. There is no typical outer appearance of carbon. To illustrate this, compare two of the pure forms of carbon: where diamonds are clear, transparent and very hard, graphite is opaque, black and rather soft. Yet both are pure carbon.
Charcoal biscuits contain active charcoal, a carbon compound with various medical applications. Administering active charcoal can help to eliminate toxic products from the digestive tract. Active charcoal is also available as over the counter drug to alleviate diarrhoea. The charcoal biscuits were (and still are) used to diminish flatulence. As active charcoal can alleviate diarrhoea, it is counterproductive in case of constipation.

Hypertrichosis is the presence of too much hair, and can't be remediated by any food supplement. A razor could be of some use to diminish the symptoms, but doesn't fight the cause. Measles are a viral infection. Only the presence of the virus can cause the disease, and up to date medication is only used to alleviate the symptoms. The auto-immune system will have to cure the disease.

Answer: table salt

Sodium is element number 11 in the periodic table. It is a soft silvery metal, which could be cut using a common table knife. Its most common compound is sodium chloride, better known as table salt. Too much sodium can retain too much fluid, increasing the blood pressure. On the other hand, an extreme lack of sodium could lead to dehydration. Most people in the northern hemisphere consume much more sodium than the body really requires.

They could benefit from a gradual reduction in salt intake. By the way, many food products contain sodium already before preparation: the best example is sea fish. The sodium ions can also help to transmit neural stimuli.

The details of this function of sodium are so complicated you'd better have a degree in medicine or in chemistry before looking into this.

Answer: Magnesium

Magnesium is an alkaline earth metal. It has a silvery appearance and a relative light weight. The very different ailments or conditions mentioned in the question can be alleviated or prevented by the intake of magnesium, known in the periodic table as element number 12. Magnesium is an integral part of chlorophyll cells, so it is abundant in green leafy vegetables and herbs such as spinach, lettuce or parsley.

But also coffee and tea, cocoa, nuts and cereals can provide magnesium. Although platinum, ruthenium and nickel are useful transition metals, they don't have an essential biological role in warm-blooded animals.

Answer: Sulphur

Sulphur in pure form has only a faint odour and appears usually as a bright yellow crystalline powder. This element tends to form the very smelly and quite toxic hydrogen sulphide. Sulphur is one of the building blocks in vitamin B1 (thiamine) and B7 (biotin). You can find sulphur in egg white and in other protein sources such as halibut, tuna, chicken breast and light turkey meat, but also in various vegetables (broccoli, asparagus, Brussels sprouts, garlic to mention only a few).
Fluorine (element 9) can help to prevent tooth decay. That's why fluorine compounds are added to most tooth pastes. Tantalum (element 73) is highly biocompatible, but doesn't play any essential role in the human diet.
Silicon (element 14) is a key element in the structure of sand. It is not an essential ingredient in human diet.

Answer: Osteoporosis

Calcium is number 20 in the periodic table. In its pure form, it would be a soft silvery-white metal. But in nature we find calcium only in the form of compound molecules. Calcium is one of the main elements in the skeletal structure. Osteoporosis (marked by brittle bones) can have several causes. People who don't get sufficient calcium via their food, can run a higher risk of developing this disease.

Kidney stones and arteriosclerosis can be consequences of a too high intake of calcium.Rubella is a viral infection and is not related to a lack of calcium. The key to preventing rubella, is vaccination.

Answer: Red meat (beef, venison etc.)

Iron is a metal, numbered 26 in the periodic table. In pure form it has a greyish metallic appearance. The molecule haemoglobin, which gives blood its red colour and transports oxygen throughout the body, contains some iron. Lack of haemoglobin can cause anaemia, with symptoms such as fatigue, a general feeling of ill-being, and sometimes lack of concentration. Severe anaemia can result in cardiovascular ailments, even signs of heart failure. Red meat is the principal source of iron. Other sources are poultry and fish. Vegetarians can rely on black-eyed peas, tofu and chickpeas to get their necessary iron, but take care: iron in vegetal food is harder to absorb than iron in red meat.

Most mineral water packed in bottles or cans, contains some metallic ions (including iron). The percentages of these supplements are very low. Soft drinks and candy are not particularly known as healthy food. They contain lots of sugar for few essential elements.

Answer: nervous system

Cobalt is a hard greyish metal. It is not found in the pure form, but only in a number of compounds. The atomic number for cobalt is 27. Vitamin B12 is a group of compounds containing cobalt. The specific compound used in vitamin supplements is cyanocobalamin, a compound containing one atom of cobalt in a total of 181 atoms. Beef liver, turkey giblets, Pacific oysters and king crab are rich in vitamin B12. Vegetarians could try milk, cheese, eggs or laver (a species of seaweed) to absorb some vitamin B12, but might have to recur to vitamin supplements.

A slight vitamin B12 deficiency can lead to poor memory function. If the deficiency is severe, it can cause irreversible damage to the central nervous system and even lead to dementia. The skeleton might be harmed by lack of vitamin D. Vitamin A deficiency can lead to night blindness. Foods rich in vitamin C are usually recommended by grandparents to alleviate infection of the respiratory organs.

However, the effect is a gradual build-up of the auto-immune system.

Answer: Nuts

Zinc has the atomic number 30. It is a transition metal, usually silvery-grey in colour. The best source of zinc is red meat (beef, lamb, liver). But this source is not used by vegetarians. Grains and nuts are common vegetal produce containing zinc. Various seeds (poppy seed, sesame seed, pumpkin seed, alfalfa) and blackcurrant can also contribute to the necessary intake of zinc. Zinc deficiency can affect various organs. Symptoms of zinc deficiency include hair loss, diarrhoea or skin lesions. It could lead to anorexia. Young children with insufficient zinc intake might suffer from poor memory or impaired motor functioning. Zinc treatment can alleviate (and might even prevent, up to a certain point) diarrhoea or pneumonia.

Answer: Molybdenum

Molybdenum is a whitish metal with a very high melting point. It has the atomic number 42. Molybdenum is present in tooth enamel. Sources indicate that it may contribute to preventing caries and tooth decay. A region with low molybdenum concentrations in the soil could typically present a higher occurrence of oesophageal cancer. Sources of molybdenum include eggs, liver, green beans, sunflower seeds, lentils and cucumbers. Overexposure to molybdenum is toxic. Inhalation of molybdenum fumes can harm one's health more readily than overconsumption of foods containing molybdenum.

Arsenic and lead are highly toxic. Don't use products containing arsenic or lead to brush your teeth. Oxygen is very reactive. Oxidation is one of the best documented forms of decay of solid structures.

Answer: Iodine

Goitre is the swelling of the thyroid gland (situated in the neck region). It might be a symptom of serious endocrinal problems. Iodine (found in marine food such as fish or kelp) is an excellent nutrition element to prevent goitre. In many landlocked regions, table salt has been enhanced with iodine for exactly this reason. Iodine is element number 53. In its solid form it would appear as a grey metal, but when gassed it becomes violet.

Helium (element number 2), one of the noble gases, has no nutritional benefits.
Uranium (element 92) is radioactive and very toxic. An excessive intake could damage the cardiovascular system, the central nervous system, the kidneys and/or the immune system. Gold (element 79) is a precious metal, and as such doesn't easily react with other substances. It has no specific health benefit.