TRACE ELEMENTS
At present 81 out of 92 natural chemical elements are found in the human body.
Microelements are the essential components of living and non-living substances.
They participate in the regulation of most life processes and biochemical reactions.
They are part of a range of biologically active substances (enzymes, hormones).
12 microelements are called structural elements as they make up 99% of the basic composition of the human body. These include: carbon, oxygen, hydrogen, nitrogen, calcium, magnesium, sodium, potassium, chlorine, phosphorus, sulphur and iron. The main ones are the so-called “elements of life“: nitrogen, hydrogen, oxygen, and carbon.
The rest of the elements are in smaller quantities in the body, but they also play a very important role, affecting the growth, development, health status of the body and our well-being as well.
Vitamins and minerals must be provided to keep the body healthy.
Macro-elements
(contained in the body in an amount of 0.01% or more);
Micro-elements
or trace elements (content of 0.001% and below).
Essential trace elements:
boron, cobalt, copper, iodine, iron, manganese, molybdenum and zinc.
Potentially toxic elements:
bromine, lithium, silicon, tin, and titanium.
Essential trace elements are very important and necessary for the life of living organism. A chemical element is considered essential if, in its lack or insufficient intake into the body, normal vital activity is disturbed, development stops, and reproduction becomes impossible. The microelement imbalance leads to many negative clinical symptoms, as well as, to the development of various diseases.
Probably essential trace elements are neutral elements without which metabolic processes can proceed normally, although they are responsible for some biological processes in the body.
Toxic elements are chemical elements that, at minimum concentrations, may stimulate the organism but at high concentrations, may cause harm.
Life processes depend not only on the composition and concentration of individual elements, but also on their proportions in the body. There are synergistic and antagonistic relationships between trace elements which directly influence metabolism in the body. In many cases, maintaining right relationships between individual elements is more important than maintaining their right concentration.
Individual micronutrient needs depend on different factors: gender, nutrition, age, disease, ecology and many others. Micronutrient balance is particularly important for the developing of a child, women during pregnancy and breastfeeding, the elderly, athletes, people with chronic diseases and those under constant stress.