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A large number of minerals and trace metals are present in
our body. Some of these form part of body structural component and some others act as catalytic agents in many body reactions. Bones and skeleton are made up of mainly of calcium, magnesium and phosphorous and iron is a component of blood.
Minerals like zinc, molybdenum, copper, manganese and magnesium are either structural part or activate a large number of enzyme systems.
Iodine is part of hormone, thyroxine.
Sodium and potassium are important elements present in fluids within and outside the cells and along with ions like chloride, bicarbonate and carbonate.
In the case of growing infants and children intake of additional amounts of several minerals are essential to ensure adequate growth of tissues.
The body enzymes needed for proper composition of bones and blood and
maintenance of normal cell function are known as minerals.
Our daily normal diet comprising of rice, chapattis,
dal, bhaji, supplementary diet, fruits, milk products that
we consume provide our body with essential minerals namely:
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- Aluminium
- Arsenic
- Bromine
- Calcium
- Cadmium
- Chromium
- Chlorine
- Cobalt
- Copper
- Fluorine
- Iodine
- Iron
- Magnesium
- Manganese
- Molybdenum
- Nickel
- Phosphorus
- Potassium
- Sodium
- Selenium
- Silicon
- Vanadium and
- Zinc
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Functions
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- Essential as constituents of bones and teeth, e.g. calcium, phosphorus and magnesium.
- Essential as constituents of body cells of soft tissues such as muscles liver etc, e.g., phosphorus.
- Essential as soluble salts which give to the body fluids and cell contents, their composition and stability which are both essential for life, e.g., sodium, potassium, chloride and phosphorus.
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Some minerals are required in small quantities for specific
functions
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- Iron and copper essential for formation of haemoglobin.
- Iodine essential for formation of thyroxine.
- Zinc essential as a constituent of an enzyme, e.g. carbonic anhydrase and a hormone, e.g. insulin.
- Cobalt essential as a constituent of a vitamin, e.g. vitamin B12.
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Some elements that are essential for the activity of various
enzymes
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- Trace metals that have significance in human nutrition are
selenium, cobalt, silicon, arsenic, nickel, and vanadium. Selenium is an essential element and along with vitamin E, it is
required for maintaining liver integrity and thus its deficiency leads to liver necrosis.
- Cobalt is an important trace element as it forms part of the vitamin B12.
It is also reported that cobalt is required for optimum utilization of low doses of iodine.
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