Micro and macro elements in food products Elizabete Gnatenko, Tamara Matisa, Valerija Guseva 12B

Microelements A group of elements that are present in the human body in very small amounts but are nonetheless important to good health. They include chromium, copper, cobalt, iodine, manganese, molybdenum, iron, selenium, boron, and zinc. Trace elements are also called micronutrients.

Zinc Zinc is an essential micronutrient for human metabolism that catalyzes more than 100 enzymes, facilitates protein folding, and helps regulate gene expression. Patients with malnutrition, alcoholism, inflammatory bowel disease, and malabsorption syndromes are at an increased risk of zinc deficiency. Your body doesn’t store zinc, so you need to eat enough every day to ensure you’re meeting your daily requirements. It’s recommended that men eat 11 mg of zinc per day, while women need 8 mg.

Chromium Chromium enables the body to maintain normal blood sugar levels by enhancing the action of insulin and moving glucose from the blood into cells, which leads to greater insulin sensitivity. Some body builders use chromium supplements because of the relationship between chromium and insulin, which is an anabolic hormone. However, most research shows chromium supplementation does not improve body composition.

Iron Iron is an important micronutrient that ensures the development of normal red blood cells and healthy immune function. Iron deficiency is the most common and widespread nutritional deficiency in the world – affecting the very poor, especially women – and is the cause of about half of all cases of anaemia. There are two forms of iron that are found in our diets, heme and nonheme iron. Heme iron is found in meat, poultry and seafood, while nonheme iron is found in plant foods and fortified foods. Heme iron is more readily absorbed than nonheme iron: but it is still possible to meet iron needs from nonheme iron sources.

Macro elements A chemical element required in relatively large quantities for the normal physiological processes of the body. Macro elements include carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, potassium, sodium, calcium, chloride, magnesium, phosphorus, and sulfur. See also macronutrient.

Calcium Calcium is a chemical element that is essential for living organisms, including humans. It is the most abundant mineral in the body and vital for good health.We need to consume a certain amount of calcium to build and maintain strong bones and healthy communication between the brain and other parts of the body. Calcium is found naturally in many foods; it is also added to certain products, and supplements are available.

Magnesium Magnesium is the fourth most abundant mineral in your body. It’s involved in over 600 cellular reactions, from making DNA to helping your muscles contract. Despite its importance, up to 68% of American adults don’t meet the recommended daily intake. Low magnesium levels have been linked to many negative health outcomes, including weakness, depression, high blood pressure and heart disease. Taking magnesium may improve sleep quality by helping your mind and body relax. This relaxation helps you fall asleep faster and may improve your sleep quality

Phosphorus Phosphorus is a mineral found in many foods like beer, cheese, beans, and fish. It is also one of the most common substances in your everyday environment and in your body. It plays an important role in the health of your kidneys, bones, muscles, and blood vessels, as well as each cell in your body. Phosphorus works with calcium to help build bones. You need the right amount of both calcium and phosphorus for bone health. Phosphorus also plays an important structural role in nucleic acids and cell membranes. And it’s involved in the body’s energy production. Your body absorbs less phosphorus when calcium levels are too high, and vice versa. You also need vitamin D to absorb phosphorus properly.

Here's an astounding fact: People can actually eat so much food that they become overweight or even obese, but if their diet is made up of over-processed "junk" food with little nutritional value, they could suffer from a nutritional deficiency. It is possible to be overweight and malnourished at the same time; that's why it's so important to understand basic nutritional principles.

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