Zinc, Manganese, Selenium, Molybdenum and Nickel

Zinc and manganese are present in all living tissues. Most human diets contain 10 to 15 mg of each metal per day.

Manganese helps assist iron in oxygenation of the blood and formation of hemoglobin. While zinc plays a critical role in the immune system, liver, pancreas, sexual fluids and skin.

Both metals are important components of a number of enzyme systems. Dietary deficiency of either zinc or manganese is uncommon because of their ubiquity in foods.

A deficiency in zinc has been attributed to dwarfism, gonadal atrophy, and possible damage to the immune system.

Zinc is needed to produce an active form of vitamin A, retinal which is used in visual pigments, Zinc also needed by the retinol-binding protein that transports vitamin A.

A deficiency of manganese in experimental animals resulted in bone disorders, sexual sterility, abnormal lipid metabolism, and even toxicity.

Other sign of manganese deficiency included growth and reproduction as well as alteration in carbohydrate metabolism, and impaired glucose tolerance.

Selenium, molybdenum and nickel are all found in trace amounts in the body. Selenium helps depress the symptoms of vitamin E deficiency, as well as muscular dystrophy in animals.

Nickel has a role in physiological functions. Small amounts of nickel are useful in certain bodily functions. For example minute amounts of nickel are important in DNA and RNA stabilization.

Molybdenum/copper balance can be restored by treatment with sulfur. Molybdenum is an essential cofactor for three enzymes sulphite oxidase, xanthine oxidase and aldehydes oxidase. Sulphite oxidase is essential for the hepatic metabolism of sulphur-containing molecules such as cysteine and the formation of taurine.

Deficiencies of these metals are not common for humans.
Zinc, Manganese, Selenium, Molybdenum and Nickel

Some of minerals required by our body

The human body is electric and electrolytes are the ‘wires’ within the body which conduct that electricity.

Among major electrolytes in the human body are: cobalt, copper, fluorine, magnesium, sulfur.

Magnesium
Magnesium as a cation in the body ranks in overall abundance, but intracellularly it is second only to potassium. The human body contains about 760 mg of magnesium at birth, approximately 5 g at age 4-5 months, and 25 g when adult.

It serves as an essential cofactor for many important cellular enzymes. Magnesium complex with adenosine triphosphate severs as a substrate for enzymatic reaction mediating muscle contraction and relaxation.

Adequate stores of magnesium are required for the body to maintain the proper electrolyte balance, and balance electrolyte system is required for good health.

Magnesium is a minor component of bones and is present in soft tissue cells. Deficiency of magnesium is unusual, since most vegetable, cereals and cereal flours, beans, and nuts contain adequate amounts to take care of daily requirements.

Beverages rich in magnesium are coffee, tea and coca.

Sulfur 

All body proteins contain sulfur, for it is a component of some amino acids. The primarily placement of sulfur in the human body is in the sulfur containing amino acids, which are methionine, cysteine, cystine, homo-cysteine, homo –cystine, and taurine.

As a result of those relationship the sulfur moiety is incorporated into a number of end products, three of which, glutathione, taurine and proteins, have important roles in immune function.

Certain vitamins also contain sulfur, required for the function of some enzyme systems. Meats, fish, cheese, eggs, beans, nuts, and oatmeal are all good sources of sulfur.

Researchers have explored the allysulfur compounds found in garlic as antithrombotic and anticancer treatments.

Fluorine
A major function of fluoride is its stability to promote mineral precipitation from meta-stable solutions of calcium and phosphate, resulting in the formation of apatite.

It is important to protect the teeth against the development of cavities. Fluoride may function in part by associating with hydroxyapatite in teeth and to a lesser degree, bone.

Drinking water is the chief source of fluorine and fish is also a good source of this element. In high concentrations, fluorine is poisonous.

Copper 

Copper is required for some body enzyme systems and is present in trace amounts in all tissues.

Copper containing enzymes have many functions, including acting as an antioxidant, participating in the electron transport chain, and aiding the biosynthesis of the pigment melanin and the connective tissue proteins collagen and elastin.

The copper deficiency in human system results in inability to utilize iron stored in the liver. The excess of copper in human body is harmful.

A disease known as Wilson disease, upsets the copper metabolism of human system in such a way that to gets deposited in excess in the liver, kidney and brain.

Like fluorine, copper is poisonous in high concentrations. Fruits, beans, peas, corns, flour, rye, oats, eggs, liver, fish and oyster are adequate sources of copper. Dietary deficiency of copper is unknown.

Cobalt 

Cobalt is an essential trace element in the diet. An adult human’s body contains about 3 milligrams of cobalt in vitamin B12, which is also called cobalamin. Occurs in only minute traces in body tissues and the main storage area is the liver.

Cobalt is required to maintain normal bone marrow function and required for development and maturation of red blood cells. Excess do cobalt results in overproduction of red blood cells causing polycythemia.

It also helps the nervous system to work properly.

Sufficient amounts of cobalt are present in most foods, and some may absorbed from cooking utensils. Excessive amounts of cobalt cause toxic effects. Dietary deficiency of cobalt is unknown.

Some of minerals required by our body