Trace
elements are minerals that exist in the body in minute quantities;
they serve as nutrients (compare with vitamins,
which are nutrients produced by plants and animals). More
than twenty trace elements have been identified; a few are
known to be necessary for body functions, including copper,
zinc, manganese, cobalt and chromium. Trace elements are found
throughout nature in water, plants and soil. Dietary deficiencies
are rare, since sources are so plentiful and amounts needed
are so small. Excess of trace elements can be toxic. For example,
drinking water contaminated by industrial wastes can result
in overexposure to minerals such as chromium and zinc.
Further Reading:
Article : "GINKGO"
by Catherine E. Myers. Copyright © 2006 Memory Loss and the Brain
|
