Essential trace Elements in Human Health

Essential trace elements in human health: a physician's view.

Disturbances in trace element homeostasis may result in the development of pathologic states and diseases. The most characteristic patterns of a modern human being are deficiency of essential and excess of toxic trace elements. Such a deficiency frequently occurs due to insufficient trace element content in diets or increased requirements of an organism. All these changes of trace element homeostasis form an individual trace element portrait of a person. Consequently, impaired balance of every trace element should be analyzed in the view of other patterns of trace element portrait. Only personalized approach to diagnosis can meet these requirements and result in successful treatment. Effective management and timely diagnosis of trace element deficiency and toxicity may occur only in the case of adequate assessment of trace element status of every individual based on recent data on trace element metabolism. Therefore, the most recent basic data on participation of essential trace elements in physiological processes, metabolism, routes and volumes of entering to the body, relation to various diseases, medical applications with a special focus on iron (Fe), copper (Cu), manganese (Mn), zinc (Zn), selenium (Se), iodine (I), cobalt (Co), chromium, and molybdenum (Mo) are reviewed. The monograph may be of interest for physicians, nutritionists, researchers working in the field of trace elements in medicine and biology, as well as medical students.