Potassium,
Magnesium, Manganese, Calcium, Iron, Copper, Zinc, Selenium, Germanium,
Aluminum, Antimony, Arsenic, Barium, Beryllium, Bismuth, Boron,
Bromine, Cadmium, Carbon, Cerium, Cesium, Chlorine, Chromium, Cobalt,
Dysprosium, Erbium, Europium, Fluorine, Gadolinium, Gallium, Gold,
Hafnium, Holmium, Indium, Iodine, Iridium, Lanthanum, Lead, Lithium,
Lutetium, Mercury, Molybdenum, Neodymium, Nickel, Niobium, Osmium,
Palladium, Phosphorus, Platinum, Praseodymium, Rhenium, Rhodium,
Rubidium, Ruthenium, Samarium, Scandium, Silicon, Silver, Sodium,
Strontium, Sulfur, Tantalum, Tellurium, Terbium, Thallium, Thorium,
Thulium, Tin, Titanium, Tungsten, Vanadium, Ytterbium, Yttrium,
Zirconium |
The importance of trace elements
The human body is composed of 80
kinds of elements. The elements in the human body are divided,
according to their amount, into two categories: macro elements and trace
elements. Macro elements, which are also known as constant elements,
consist of more than one ten thousandth of the total weight of the human
body elements. Such examples are carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen,
calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, sodium, etc. Trace elements consist of
less than one ten thousandth of the total weight of the human body of
the elements. Such examples are iron, zinc, copper, manganese, chromium,
selenium, molybdenum, cobalt, fluorine, etc. (Iron is also known as a
half trace element). The trace elements exits in negligible levels in
the human body, such that zinc accounts for only thirty-three millionths
of the total weight of the human body, while iron accounts for only
sixty millionths.
Although the amount of trace
elements in the human body is not much, it is closely related to the
human survival and life. Thus, it plays a vital role in the human
health. The excessive, or insufficient, or imbalance or inadequate
intake will give rise to varying degrees of physiological abnormalities
or diseases in the body. Trace elements are closely related with
vitality. Amounts equal or less than the size of a matchstick head has
great physiological effects. Normally, these trace elements must be
acquired directly or indirectly from the soil. However, most people
often could not receive sufficient trace elements through their diet.
According to scientific research, there are currently 18 types of
essential trace elements that relates to the body’s health and life.
These are iron, copper, zinc, cobalt, manganese, chromium, selenium,
iodine, nickel, fluorine, molybdenum, vanadium, tin, silicon, strontium,
boron, rubidium, arsenic etc. Each of these trace elements has its own
special physiological function. Although, there are only negligible
amounts in the human body, it is essential in maintaining several
important metabolic functions in the human body. Diseases, including
life-threatening ones, will emerge if there is a lack of essential trace
elements in the human body. Clearly, about 30% of present illnesses are
directly caused by trace element deficiency or imbalance. For example,
zinc deficiency can cause redness of the mouth, eyes, anus or genitals,
and pimples or eczema. Another example is that iron deficiency can cause
iron deficiency anemia, as iron constitutes the main component of
hemoglobin Overseas reports have stated: If the body has diminishing
amounts of iron, copper and zinc, the immune mechanisms (disease
resistant forces) may weaken and result in a lower resistance to
disease. It contributes to bacterial infection and higher mortality rate
after infection. Trace elements also play a very important role in
resistance to disease, anti-cancer, longevity and other aspects. |
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