Now days world is looking for alternative medicines, and trace elements are required for alternative medicines,
trace b elements (or trace metals) are minerals present in living tissues in small amounts. Some of them are known to be nutritionally essential, others may be essential (although the evidence is only suggestive or incomplete), and the remainder are considered to be nonessential. Trace elements function primarily as catalysts in enzyme systems; some metallic ions, such as iron and copper, participate in oxidation-reduction reactions in energy metabolism. Iron, as a constituent of hemoglobin and myoglobin, also plays a vital role in the transport of oxygen.
All trace elements are toxic if consumed at sufficiently high levels for long enough periods. The difference between toxic intakes and optimal intakes to meet physiological needs for essential trace elements is great for some elements but is much smaller for others.
This chapter is a summary of the role of the following essential trace elements in the etiology and prevention of chronic diseases: iron, zinc, fluoride, selenium, copper, chromium, iodine, manganese, and molybdenum. Also discussed are aluminum, cadmium, mercury, arsenic, and lead; these elements have not been demonstrated to be essential for humans but were reviewed by the committee because they are frequently ingested as contaminants in food or water. Interactions between the various trace elements are also briefly considered.
Epidemiologic data on the relationship between many of the trace elements and the incidence of diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular disease, and hypertension are incomplete. Most such studies have focused on cadmium, chromium, and selenium. Furthermore, most of the evidence gives the role of trace element,so why most peoples dont care for trace elements?
Because, they are ignorant of what's happening around them......
We tend to think more of the impacts of major elements on the condition of the environment and probable adverse effects they cause due to their occurance in abundant quantities while losing the fact and reality of the chronic effect these minor elements have and how closely we are exposed to them
Again i think the publicity on the awareness of the effects of these minute elements has not reached a wider audience in the urban fields (local) as compared to the academic fields. we address more of these issues more academically in papers and books rather than enforcing the practicality of the situation. we are educated on these issues but how far have we educated rural areas and the illiterate (concerns of the under and developing countries with low level of education)..............i guess not as much as we have obtained.
In reality, if we compare the level of accessibility of these information between the two parties. there sure will be vast difference
These are just my thoughts and are with the little level of experience i have in this field
The awareness of metal and its toxic impacts on human health are generally not known to common people. This is one of the major reasons for ignoring the metal & its concentration in food, water being used.
There is a difference between essential trace elements which are important for enzyme action for many vital processes like iron for heme synthesis and cu, zn for redox reaction and nonessential elements which are dangerous to human health because most of them are cumulative and have a long half life in our body eg. and each metal have a target organ for its chronic toxicity.
Dear Soad,thank you for your reply ,i agree with you that many peoples not recognize trace element and influence of health and disease,you raise good points ,but there are essential and less important ,
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