Reforma, Delmar M.

NS101 B5C
The Role of Elements in Human Body

1. Boron (B) - a micronutrient In our bodies bones are constantly breaking down and being rebuilt. They also have a constant blood supply and are very much "alive". Without small amounts of boron, bones would slowly break down and become brittle. This element is also necessary to:   Allow the brain to function properly. Boron can increase mental alertness.

According to a series of studies recently conducted by the US Department of Agriculture, low boron intakes by humans caused decreased brain activity. The studies showed that people on low boron diets also had lower brain performance on attention and short-term memory tests. 2. Calcium (Ca) - a macronutrient It is one of the most abundant elements in our bodies and accounts for 2 to 3 pounds of our total body weight.     Calcium is important in building and maintaining strong bones and teeth. It helps control things like muscle growth and the electrical impulses in your brain. This vital element is also necessary to maintain proper blood pressure and make blood clot when you get cut. Calcium also enables other molecules to digest food and make energy for the body. Increasing calcium intake in our diet is believed to lower high blood pressure and prevent heart disease. It is also used to treat arthritis.

When there is lack of calcium, it is possible to get leg cramps, muscle spasms, our bones may become brittle and even we may even have an increased risk of getting colon cancer. Also, when we dont get enough calcium in our diets, our bodies will actually use the calcium that we have stored in our bones. This makes the bones thinner and more brittle. 3. Carbon (C) - a macronutrient Virtually every part of your body is made up of these big molecules that are based around chains of carbon atoms. This is the reason we are known as "carbon based life forms". Without carbon, our bodies would just be a big pile of loose atoms with no way to be built into a person.

4. Chlorine (Cl) - a micronutrient This element, however, is actually essential for humans to live - we would die without it. Chlorine is found throughout the body; in the blood, in the fluid inside cells and in the fluid between cells.  Along with sodium and potassium, chlorine carries an electrical charge when dissolved in body fluids. This is why these elements are termed "electrolytes". The electrical charge that these elements carry is what allows nerve cells to work. Chlorine also works with potassium and sodium to regulate the amount of fluids in the body and to regulate pH in the body. This vital element also helps muscles flex and relax normally. Logically, chlorine is extremely important in allowing us to digest our food properly and to absorb the many other elements that we need to survive.

Excessive vomiting can lead to a serious loss of chlorine in the body. This can lead to a dangerous imbalance of pH in the body, which can cause muscle weakness, loss of appetite, dehydration and coma. 5. Chromium (Cr)      It is a vital component of a molecule that works with insulin to stabilize blood sugar levels. it helps our bodies absorb energy from the food we eat and stabilizes the level of energy that we feel throughout the day. Our bodies need sufficient quantities of chromium to make many of the large biological molecules that help us live. This vital element can also help increase muscle mass while reducing fat mass in our bodies. It helps cells, such as heart muscle cells absorb the energy they need to work properly.

Unfortunately, it is often difficult to get enough chromium in our diets. Foods that are high in chromium include whole grain breads, brown rice, cheese and lean meats. Chromium is also in many (but not all) multi-vitamins and supplements, but the body absorbs chromium much better from food. 6. Copper (Cu) - a micronutrient   Copper is a major component of the oxygen carrying part of blood cells. Copper also helps protect our cells from being damaged by certain chemicals in our bodies. Copper, along with vitamin C, is important for keeping blood vessels and skin elastic and flexible. This important element is also required by the brain to form chemicals that keep us awake and alert.

Copper also helps your body produce chemicals that regulate blood pressure, pulse, and healing. Current research is looking into other ways copper can affect human health, from protecting against cancer and heart disease, to boosting the immune system.

General symptoms of not getting enough copper in your diet include anemia (a condition in which your blood cant supply enough oxygen to your body), arthritis (painful swelling of the joints), and many other medical problems. Copper can be found in dried beans, almonds, broccoli, garlic, soybeans, peas, whole-wheat products, and seafood. 7. Fluorine (F) Fluorine is an element that the body uses to strengthen bones and teeth. In areas where fluoride is added to the drinking water, children get up to 70% fewer dental cavities than in areas where the drinking water is low in fluoride. In fact, fluoride is the only element known to single-handedly stimulate bone growth. When the body does not receive enough fluoride, bones start to lose calcium, and then become weak and brittle. 8. Germanium (Ge)  In the body, germanium attaches itself to oxygen molecules. This has the unexpected effect of making our bodies more effective at getting oxygen to the tissues in our body. The increased supply of oxygen in our bodies helps to improve our immune system. It also helps the body excrete harmful toxins. Taking germanium supplements is effective in treating arthritis, food allergies, elevated cholesterol levels, high blood pressure, and even cancer. Germanium can also be used to control pain in the human body. it can stimulate the human immune system to fight cancer cells.

  

It would be virtually impossible to understate the importance of this element to human life. First of all, water is a compound of hydrogen and oxygen (H2O). Logically, hydrogen is extremely important in allowing us to digest our food properly and to absorb the many other elements that we need to survive. Finally, many chemical reactions that make life possible involve the hydrogen ion. Without this unique and important element, we simply couldnt exist. 9. Iodine (I) Iodine is an element that is required in very small amounts by the human body.

It keeps our thyroid gland healthy. Most of the iodine in our bodies is stored in this organ, located in the base of your neck. The thyroid gland uses iodine to make chemicals that affect our growth, the way we development and how we burn the energy that we get from the food we eat. If we dont get enough iodine in our diets, we can expect to have a loss of energy and to gain weight. Iodine is found in large amounts in seafood, sea vegetables (for example, kelp), dairy products and iodized salt (table salt). 10. Iron (Fe) - a micronutrient     This element is used by the body to make tendons and ligaments. Certain chemicals in our brain are controlled by the presence or absence of iron. It is also important for maintaining a healthy immune system and for digesting certain things in the food that we eat. The iron we obtain from our diet is an essential part of hemoglobin - the part of our blood that carries oxygen. Iron is essential for blood to work efficiently.

If we dont get enough iron in our diets, our blood wont carry enough oxygen to our bodies and we can feel tired, have decreased alertness and attention span and our muscles may not function properly. If the lack of iron in our bodies is severe, we can get "iron deficiency anemia", which essentially means that our blood wont carry enough oxygen to our bodies so we can function normally. Iron deficiency anemia is probably the most common nutritional disease in the world, affecting at least five hundred million people. 11. Magnesium (Mg) - a macronutrient    Magnesium is needed for the proper growth, formation and function of our bones and muscles. In fact, magnesium and calcium even control how our muscles contract. Magnesium prevents some heart disorders and high blood pressure. Higher intake of magnesium is also associated with improved lung function. Our bodies use it to help convert our food into energy and it helps our bodies absorb calcium and potassium. This important element also helps our brains function normally. Magnesium even helps to prevent depression. Magnesium is essential in allowing your body to control insulin levels in your blood. This means that it is very important in the amount of energy that your body has to operate. It is suspected that taking extra magnesium might be beneficial for those suffering from fatigue.

Taking extra magnesium is helpful for treating some medical conditions. Magnesium is sometimes injected into patients veins in emergency situations such as an acute heart attack or acute asthma attack. In non-emergency situations, magnesium is sometimes given to asthma sufferers in a pill form. It relaxes the muscles along the airway to the lungs, which allows asthma patients to breathe easier. Magnesium is effective in treating numerous heart / lung diseases and has been used for over 50 years.

Foods high in magnesium include fish, dairy products, lean meat, whole grains, seeds, and vegetables. 12. Molybdenum (Mo) - a micronutrient Molybdenum is found in all tissues of the human body, but tends to be the most concentrated in the liver, kidneys, skin and bones.   It is required for the proper function of several chemicals in the human body. Some of these chemicals have the very important job of allowing the body to process the iron and nitrogen in our diets. Molybdenum is believed to be important in helping our cells grow. Also, small amounts of dietary molybdenum have been credited with promoting healthy teeth. Some evidence suggests that molybdenum might reduce the risk of some types of asthma attacks.

 

A deficiency of molybdenum in our diets can cause mouth and gum disorders and can contribute to getting cancer.. The best sources of this mineral are beans, legumes (peanuts and peas), dark green leafy vegetables, and grains. Hard tap water can also supply molybdenum to the diet. 13. Nitrogen (N) - a macronutrient It plays an important role in digestion of food and growth. As you may know, almost 80% of the air we breathe is made up of nitrogen. But humans cannot use the nitrogen in the air we breathe, that nitrogen is in the wrong form. We have to get nitrogen, in a different form, from the food that we eat. Fortunately, there is plenty of nitrogen in food to nourish our bodies. One specific time that this is especially important is during pregnancy. When a woman is pregnant, the nitrogen removed from food during digestion is needed to help the fetus to grow properly. By term, the mother and infant will have accumulated over a pound of nitrogen. It is also worth noting that in the plant kingdom, nitrogen is one of the 3 main elements that make plant life possible. (Potassium and phosphorus are the other two, and you may hear them referred to collectively as N-P-K whenever talking about key plant nutrients.) 14. Oxygen (O) - a macronutrient It may seem obvious that people need to breathe oxygen to survive, but plants need this element too. Many people think plants "breathe" carbon dioxide and "exhale" oxygen. But in reality, plants also "breathe" oxygen at certain times. Without oxygen, plants could not survive. Without plants, we wouldnt have food to eat.

It is also worth mentioning that water is a compound of hydrogen and oxygen (H2O) and that water is absolutely necessary for virtually all life as we know it. When you consider the full importance of oxygen, it becomes clear that this versatile element is the single most important substance to life. 15. Phosphorus (P) - a macronutrient Phosphorus is one of the most abundant minerals in the human body, second only to calcium.   This essential mineral is required for the healthy formation of bones and teeth, and is necessary for our bodies to process many of the foods that we eat. It is also a part of the body's energy storage system, and helps with maintaining healthy blood sugar levels. Phosphorus is also found in substantial amounts in the nervous system. The regular contractions of the heart are dependant upon phosphorus, as are normal cell growth and repair.

Phosphorus deficiency can and does occur, particularly in people who take certain types of antacids for many years. Since phosphorus is important in maintaining the bodys energy system and proper blood sugar levels, it should seem logical that not getting enough of this mineral will affect the energy level in the entire body. Excess intake of phosphorus can occur in people with diets high in processed foods, soft drinks, and meats, leading to osteoporosis. 16. Potassium (K) - a macronutrient Potassium is extremely important to cells, and without it, we could not survive. Cells are the small building blocks of the human body. In order to work properly, cells need to let things enter and leave them. Cells have many ways by which they can control what (and how much) enters and leaves. Most of the ways that cells do this requires potassium.   In fact, without potassium, cells lose control of what can enter and leave them. Without potassium, the nerve cell couldnt send messages to your brain.

17. Selenium (Se)    Selenium is an important part of a molecule in the body that protects blood cells from certain damaging chemicals. Together with vitamin E, selenium helps our immune system produce antibodies, which is obviously an immensely important task. Selenium helps keep the pancreas and heart functioning properly.

This element is also needed to make our tissues elastic. Imagine, for instance, if our skin wasnt elastic; wed have loose skin draping all over our bodies.

A deficiency of this vital trace element has been linked to the development of leukemia, arthritis, and other diseases. Researchers have also found that the lower the concentration of selenium in the blood stream, the higher the risk of developing many types of cancer. In fact, some researchers tout selenium as being a powerful cancer-preventing substance. High selenium intake has also been correlated with a dramatically lower incidence of heart disease. 18. Sodium (Na) Sodium is an element that is vital to human life. Together with potassium and chlorine, it forms a very important part of blood plasma.     Sodium also allows our bodies to maintain the right blood chemistry and the correct amount of water in our blood. This element also allows our muscles to contract normally. Furthermore, our bodies need sodium to digest the food that we eat. Normal functioning of our nervous system also depends on this important element.

One situation that a sodium deficiency can occur, however, is when you sweat a large amount from playing sports or exercising extensively. Your sweat contains a lot of sodium and if you sweat enough, you will lose too much sodium. This can lead to dehydration, weakness and mental confusion. 19. Vanadium (V) Vanadium has recently been declared by some scientists to be essential for good human health.   It is believed that vanadium is involved in helping the body convert some foods into energy. It has also been suggested that diabetics may benefit from vanadium when trying to stabilize blood sugar levels. This element is also thought to help bones and teeth form properly.

It is possible that not getting enough of this element may affect the bodys ability to control blood sugar levels and contribute to developing diabetes or hypoglycemia (abnormally low blood sugar levels). Some scientists suspect that a deficiency of this mineral may increase the chance of getting kidney and heart disease. Some research has also shown that vanadium may slow the growth of tumors and provide protection against the development of breast cancer. But more research is clearly needed to determine its exact role in human health. Good sources of vanadium include seafood, mushrooms, olives, whole grain breads, carrots and vegetable oils.

20. Zinc (Zn) - a micronutrient  Zinc is involved in well over one hundred different reactions in the body. Some of these reactions help our bodies construct and maintain DNA, the molecule that controls how every single part of our bodies is made and works. Zinc is also needed for the growth and repair of tissues throughout our bodies. This extremely important element is used to form connective tissue like ligaments and tendons. Teeth, bones, nails, skin and hair could not grow without zinc. Zinc is widely considered by doctors to be one of the most important elements to a healthy immune system. This unique element is essential for the creation, release and use of hormones in the body. It helps developing fetuses grow correctly and our brains to work right. Additionally, our senses of sight, taste and smell depend on this element.

   

Not getting enough zinc can have serious effects on our health. Some of the symptoms of zinc deficiency include hair loss, mental apathy and damage to reproductive organs. Decreased growth rate and impaired mental capacity are other symptoms. Additionally, you can loose most of your senses of taste and smell, develop mental disorders and men can even become impotent without enough zinc. Many factors affect how well our bodies absorb zinc in the food we eat, and at times it can be difficult to get enough zinc - even from a well balanced diet. Good sources of zinc include whole wheat bread, seafood and other animal meats.