Essential: iron, copper, zinc, selenium, iodine, cobalt, manganese, chromium, molybdenum, silicon.Conditionally essential: arsenic, boron, bromine, fluorine, lithium, nickel, silicon, vanadium. Conditionally toxic and toxic: ammonium, lead, cadmium, mercury, beryllium. There is a necessary amount of each microelement to ensure the normal functioning of the body.Insufficient supply of microelements leads to hypomicroelementosis, and excessive intake into the body leads to hypermicroelementosis. Zinc is a symbol of youth.

Distribution in the body. The total amount of zinc in the human body is 1400-2400 mg. Highconcentration of zinc in the pituitary gland, pancreas, retina, gonads, liver, skeleton, nails, hair.In the blood and in erythrocytes - up to 80%, and inside the cells in the nucleus and mitochondria. Bone tissue contains up to 20% of all zinc.

Biochemical significance of zincPlays an important biochemical role in the body.

It is part of a number of the most important enzymes, hormones and vitamins, that is, it actually provides the main vital processes in cells, tissues, organs:

- hematopoiesis;

- regulation of cell division;

- synthesis of nucleic acids (RNA and DNA);

- regulation of T-cell immunity;

- synthesis of enzymes;

- synthesis of insulin by the pancreas;

- synthesis of the sex hormone - testosterone;

- synthesis of proteins by the liver;

- formation of memory proteins in the CNS;

- hair and nail growth;

- growth and development of the body;

- skin regeneration processes;

- formation of collagen fibers;

- redox reactions;

- energy metabolism of cells.

Daily requirement – ​​3-15 mg. The daily diet contains about 11-13 mg of zinc. At the same time, about half of the ingested amount of zinc is absorbed in the digestive tract (i.e. 5-6 mg).

Zinc is excreted mainly with feces – up to 10 mg, with urine – 0.5 mg, then – up to 2 mg.A nursing woman excretes up to 25% of the zinc entering her body with breast milk (i.e. 2.5 – 3.5 mg).

It is interesting that breastfed babies can absorb up to 30% of the zinc in breast milk, but once breastfeeding is stopped, the absorption of zinc from formula is reduced to 10-15%. Thus, the risk of blood diseases, growth disorders and sexual maturation is higher in formula-fed babies. Zinc is much better absorbed from animal products than from plants. Clinical signs of zinc metabolism disorders.

Zinc deficiency in the diet causes a number of profound disorders in the human body:

- sharp growth retardation (dwarfism);

- disorders of the formation of skin: excessive dryness and fragility of the skin, susceptibility to allergic lesions, eczema;

- hair disorders (thin hair, early baldness) and nail diseases;

- various disorders of sexual function, leading to infertility;

- prostatitis and prostate adenoma;

- premature births and the birth of weakened, low-weight children;

- brain damage;

- disorders of the blood clotting system;

- hemolytic anemia;

- aplastic anemia;

- decreased immune status.

Food sources. The concentration of zinc in animal tissues significantly exceeds its content in plant tissues.in seawater, the zinc content is 0.002 mgin plants - 0.2-0.8 mg;in animal organs and tissues - from 1.5 to 20.0 mg. A high zinc content is found in the tissues of marine organisms: shrimp, oysters, selva, mackerel.Persons who need additional zinc intake: vegetarians, people over 55 years old, preschool children, patients with chronic diseases, alcoholics, drug addicts, those who have recently undergone surgery, injuries, burns, suffering from chronic diarrhea.With prolonged zinc intake, 2-3 mg of copper per day should be prescribed.Iron is the basis of cellular respiration.Iron deficiency and health.Iron deficiency states are extremely common among the entire population of the globe.

England is recognized as one of the leading problems of the global health system, affecting the most vulnerable part of the population - women of reproductive age and children of early years of life.According to the analysis of the results of epidemiological studies by WHO (1998), more than half of the world's population (3.85 billion) suffer from iron deficiency anemia.More than 1/3 of women of reproductive age and 2/5 of young children are diagnosed with anemia. In the USA and Europe, the prevalence of anemia among women and young children is 7-12%. In developing countries, the incidence of IDA among pregnant women is 56%, non-pregnant women - 44%, preschool children - 42% and school-age children - 53%.

Distribution in the body.The human body contains about 5000 mg of iron. 3 depots are distinguished - iron.1. Up to 80% of the total amount of iron is contained in the hemoglobin of circulating erythrocytes (helps red blood cells periodically bind either oxygen (in the lungs) or carbon dioxide (in the tissues).

2. In muscle cells, where iron is a part of cellular hemoglobin, in the liver and spleen, there is a continuous process of destruction of old erythrocytes and “infusion” of hemoglobin iron into them.

3. “Spendable” reserve for all emergencies. This is ferritin iron (a large protein molecule that either binds iron when it is in abundance or gives it to the tissues when it is in short supply).Biochemical significance. It is this trace element that nature has chosen to perform one of the most important functions of the body – the respiratory process.

4) Iron is a part of respiratory pigments, including hemoglobin and myoglobin. It is also found in many enzymes and proteins that do not receive cholesterol metabolism, detoxification of toxic substances by the liver; hematopoiesis, DNA synthesis, the quality of the immune response to viral or bacterial infections, redox reactions, energy metabolism of cells, reactions of free radical formation in body tissues.

Daily requirement 10-18 mgFood is the main source of iron (there is very little of it in water). With a normal diet, 3% of the iron contained in food is absorbed. There are significant gender and age differences in iron absorption.It is known that women absorb iron from food 4 times more than men. Children under 1 year of age absorb up to 70% of iron from food, up to 10 years old - 10%, adults - 3%, and the elderly even less.Iron from meat is absorbed by 40-50%, and iron from fish is only 10%. Iron from animal liver is most easily absorbed.

A person loses iron in various ways. A small part is lost with urine - only 1% of the daily requirement, but with sweat - 80% of total iron losses. Iron losses also occur during the menstrual period in women - 5-8%.

Clinical signs of iron metabolism disorders:

- anemia (anemia);

- high fatigue;

- learning impairment;

- increased freezing (due to a decrease in body t0);

- decreased physical and mental performance;

- decreased thyroid function;

- nail deformation;

- changes in taste sensations;

- neurological disorders.

Iron deficiency is most often detected in the following cases: with an unbalanced diet, in premature babies, women of childbearing age, children who are on artificial feeding, teenage girls, rapidly growing children, patients with chronic blood loss.

Food sourcesHigh iron content is characterized by: beans, oatmeal and buckwheat groats, parsley greens, white cabbage, dried fruits (apricots, pears, apples), calf's liver, mussels, mushrooms, cocoa, egg yolk.

In the body of patients suffering from chronic renal failure, rheumatoid arthritis, iron can be eliminated in dangerous quantities. Long-term intake of high doses can cause hemochromatosis (disorder of iron stores), which leads to diabetes, liver damage, impotence and heart problems.

Early signs of overdose: bloody diarrhea, severe nausea, abdominal pain, vomiting blood.Late signs: weakness, pallor, bluish lips, nails, shallow breathing, coma, weak heartbeat. Excess iron increases the risk of cancer and coronary heart disease.