<body><h1>Micro-nutrients</h1><p>Micronutrients are among the elements of good nutrition, as they have vital regulatory activity that provide the conditions for chemical reactions in cells and contribute to the work of all body functions, some of which play a major role in some organs such as calcium in the bones, fluorine in the teeth, and iron in the blood, and some of them have antioxidant properties. It protects the body from external factorssuch as heat, direct sunlight, or the early signs of aging.Iron: 9milligrams for men and 20 milligrams for women per day.It is an important component of hemoglobin and erythrocytes, and it is mainly useful in exchanges between oxygen and coal gas in the blood, and it is used in the oxygen reserve in muscles.The iron deficiency leads to anemia, which limits the supply of oxygen to cells, resulting in decreased power, weakened strength, impaired ability to learn, delayed growth, and increased mortality.The target groups are pregnant women, growing children and the elderly. Meat is the best source of iron, but we also find it in some leafy vegetables and legumes. Vitamin C in fruits facilitates iron absorption, while coffee or tea works the opposite. The absorption of iron in the body from vegetables is more difficult than from animal products.</p><p>image</p><p>odine 0.15 mg per day.It is a component of thyroid hormone. It helps with growth. Iodine deficiency leads to the appearance of goiter in the thyroid gland, deterioration of the individual’s mental state, loss of vitality, and iodine deficiency is very dangerous for the infant, as it contributes to the brain and bone process.Iodine is found inanimal products of the sea, and in plants grown on iodine-rich lands or in iodized water.In the event of a shortage of food from it, it must be added by iodized salt.According to the global recommendations, it’s 10, 18 milligrams of potassium iodine perkilogram of salt, and in order to stabilize the iodine ratio in the iodized salt, we add sodium thiosulfate at a rate of 55 milligrams per kilogram of the previous mixture. The final mixture should be very homogeneous.The loss of iodine from iodized saltis in the range of 50% at high temperature and early sunlight.</p><p>Females are more vulnerable than males in cases of iodine deficiency, due to their increased need for it during adolescence, adulthood, pregnancy and lactation.The effect of iodine deficiencymay extend to newborns, where their size is small (fetal teratogen) at birth, and most of them appear signs of grief.The concerned authorities should monitor the nutritional quality of salt, and not allow non-iodized circulation.The Ministry of Supply has repeatedly stressed this issue, and has issued a decision banning the introduction of other non-iodized salt varieties for the purpose of consumption, provided that its use is limited to industrial fields (iodine deficiency affects 300 million people, 205 million inLatin America, 150 million in Africa, and 100 million in India).</p><h2>Fluorine: Less than 2milligrams a day</h2><p>Fluorine is usually concentrated in the bones and teeth, and it is necessary to build the enamel of the teeth, and it inhibits the effectof some enzymes that causetooth decay.Fluorine is found in fish, tea and water, and it is added to drinking water in many countries to meet the individual’s need for it. The World Health Organization indicates that tooth decay among young people will decrease by 50% if fluorine is added to drinking water in measured amounts, while the increase in the element of fluorine leads to a negative and reverse action, which may result in the breakdown of the teeth after they turn into what looks like black ash, then It falls out (especially if it is accompanied by acidic foods) and this is what we observe in the inhabitants of the polar regions (Inuit) who depend mainly on raw meat fish which is very rich in the element of fluorine, and there is also a risk of calcification of the great muscular ligaments.</p><h2>Selenium: 55 micrograms for women or 70 micrograms for men daily.</h2><p>It is a mineral whose vital role was not discovered until the year 1980.The availability of this mineral in the body in trace quantities ranging from one region to another, and between one country and another, and it is estimated between 3-15 milligrams.Selenium plays a prominent role in the antioxidant role of free radicals that destroy cells through its participation and activation of an antioxidant enzyme called Glutathione peroxidaseand contributes to improving the characteristics and action of vitamin E, which is known for its antioxidant properties.Selenium also cleanses toxins from tissues, as it binds with heavy metals and draws them to be excreted in the urine.Selenium works to dilute the blood, and this is a great advantage in securing the prevention of cardiovascular diseases, which takes a large place among thecauses of death in the world today.It is one of the most important antioxidants in the brain.</p><p>Selenium strengthens the immune system and makes it more ready to face bacterial or viral aggression, as in influenza, and also protects against cancers of theliver, breast, colon and prostate.Everyone over the age of 60 is advised to take at the level of selenium in their blood, and according to one study, selenium levels in the blood decline with age (by 7% after 60and 24% after 75).The severe deficiency in it leads to cardiomyopathy, hair and nails peeling, irritation of the scalp, and suffering from garlic odor in the mouth and sweat, as well as a poor mood.Selenium deficiency is noted especially in elderly people who suffer from malnutrition, smokers, alcoholics, exposed to pollution, women, and people with liver and kidney diseases, as well as in those who have extensive dental fillings and in the case of Mucoviscidosis that leads to respiratory failure.Selenium is found in foods linked to proteins from animal or vegetable, the most important of which are red meat, fish, eggs, seafood (such as shellfish), liver, dry legumes, whole grains, and some vegetables such as garlic, tomatoes and roots.The daily need for an adult person of selenium is 70 micrograms</p><h2>The needs differ according to gender and age according to the following table:</h2><p>image</p><h2>An excess of selenium may lead to cirrhosis.The lethal dose is 20 mg.</h2><h2>Copper: 1.1 milligrams a day.</h2><p>It is a mineral that has an important role in the formation of red blood cells, and it is often present with iron, but its density decreases as we age, and it contributes to protecting cell membranes from free radicals.Copper deficiency results in several pathological manifestations such as bone sprain and hair loss, persistent diarrhea and weak immunity. In women, breastfeeding milk is scarce, and children are exposed to poor growth.Copper is found in milk and its derivatives, and it is abundant in egg yolks, as well as in spinach, lentils, whole wheat,and chicory.</p><h2>Zinc is 15 milligrams for men and 12 milligrams for women per day.</h2><p>It is a co-factor for more than two thousand enzymes distributed in the body, and it interferes with the metabolism of amino acids, especially the essential ones, and is a key factor in fixing insulin and androgens on their receptors, which reduces the incidence of hypogonadism in zinc deficient and is effective in stabilizing glucose in the blood.Zinc also plays a role in the sense of smell and taste, and helps the absorption of vitamin A in the small intestine, which explains the association of zinc deficiency with symptoms of vitamin A deficiency.It has an effective role in the metabolism of essential fatty acids and disaccharides. The nutritional causes responsible for zinc deficiency are mainly due to deficiencies or malnutrition in children. And in some special cases, taking some drugs for intestinal inflammation, burns, or major bruises and wounds, may lead to a loss of zinc and thus to deficiency.Regular food sources are sufficient to meet the need for it.</p><h2>Baby’s daily need:</h2><p>-Up to 6 months, 4 milligrams a day on average</p><p>-From 6 to 12 months, 9 milligrams a day on average</p><p>-At the end of the first year to 10 years, 10 milligrams per day on average.</p><p>-After age of 10, 15milligrams a day, on average.</p><h2>More than 50 mg per day of zinc is toxic</h2><p>image</p><p>It is also found in milk and dairy products, crustaceans and molluscs.Zinc is available in very small amounts in the body, and food supplies us mostly with what our bodies need from it, and it is very important, because it enters the synthesis of many enzymes, and accelerates the restoration of immune functions in undernourished children, because it contributes to the synthesis of proteins in muscles and cells.Zinc deficiency leads to skin ulcers, hair loss and sometimes dwarfism in children, and immune complications and loss of appetite.</p><h2>Calcium and phosphorous:</h2><p>900 mg a day of calcium</p><p>800 mg per day of phosphorous</p><p>The human body contains 1.2 kilograms of calcium on average, which is concentrated in the skeleton, and a small amount of it is distributed throughout the rest of the body and has a role in the process of blood clotting and neuromuscular stimulation (calcium is an inhibitor but potassium is a stimulant) and in muscle contraction and the release of hormones .Milk, dairy products and vegetables (such as cabbage) are the most important sources of calcium.But the calcium entering the body through food is not fully absorbed in the intestine, and there are some factors that help in its absorption, such as proteins, phosphorous, lactose, and vitamin D, and on the other hand, there are substances that delay or disrupt this absorption, such as oxalic acid, fatty substances and abundant vegetable fibers.Calcium is needed primarily by the body throughout its developmental periods, such as childhood and adolescence. It’s also needed in the periods of pregnancy and lactation, in women after menopause, and in the elderly.As for phosphorus, it is in the adult human bones, combined with calcium by 85 -90%, forming calcium phosphate.As for not-in-bones phosphorous, it carries out very important metabolic functions in terms of energy production and in enzymatic reactions.Phosphorous is found in many animal and plant foods that completely cover our needs.Calcium and phosphorous combined play an important role in the maintenance of the body and having a strong bone structure and strong teeth.</p><h2>The following table represents the body’s need of calcium by age:</h2><p>image</p><h2>The relationship between the association of phosphorus and calcium:</h2><p>image</p><h2>Silicium:</h2><p>Silicium’s role in biology, internal medicine and all treatments is increasing day by day.Recent research was done over its presence in glands, bone tissue, nails and hair. The presence of Silicium in the body helps to assimilate the other mineral elements it needs, and it plays a role in defending the body and protecting it from poisoning when this happens, and it has great importance for a rheumatologist in their treatments.Silicium is found mainly invegetablesand grains.</p><p>image</p><p>Selenium is also significantly concentrated in wheat bran, barley and oats, while it is relatively low in flour and processed rice.No cases of Silicium deficiency have been reported in humans so far.</p><h2>Vanadium:</h2><p>It has special importance due to its similarity to the insulin in specific amounts, and some studies have shown its possible role in treating diabetes, we find it especially in Shellfish and fungi.</p><h2>Sodium:</h2><p>575–3500 mg per day.</p><p>It has a very effective role in the extracellular fluid (controlling the amount of water in the medium surrounding the cells) and it plays a major role with chlorine and bicarbonate ions in the acid-base balance and its concentration is constant in normal cases, and its increase leads to water retention.</p><h2>Sodium sources in milligrams per 100 foods</h2><p>image</p><p>People who are deprived of salts are exposed to vomiting, diarrhea and loss of body composition due to excessive sweating, urination, or the use of diuretic drugs. The skin dries, the eyes become sunken, and the heartbeat accelerates, while the blood pressure decreases.Food provides us with about 10-12 grams of salt (Nacl) per day.One gram of salt gives (0.4) grams of sodium, and the human body does not need more than 1.5 grams of salt per day to meet its needs.</p><h2>Potassium:</h2><h2>2000-4000 mg per day:</h2><p>It’s considered one of the mineral elements. It regulates the amount of water inside the cells and plays a fundamental role in the processes of cell metabolism and in the protein synthesis process inside the human body, and it has a clear role in neuromuscular stimulation</p><h2>The most important sources of potassium (mg / 100g of the substance):</h2><p>image</p><p>The problem of potassium deficiency appears clearly on the muscles, which becomes flaccid and shows a disturbance at the level of the heart muscle, and the individual experiences constipation and loss of appetite, and it has a constant role in the body’s heat resistance through the balance between potassium and sodium ions in the blood plasma. It is an ingredient that cannot be stored in the body and is most needed in hot weather.The level of potassium in the blood serum increases in cases of neurological infections.</p><h2>Magnesium:</h2><p>350 milligrams per day for women and 420 milligrams per day for men:Magnesium is concentrated in the bones, muscle mass, and in the blood. It is necessary for the synthesis of proteins and the transmission of nerve signals. It contributes to muscle contraction and energy-producing chemical reactions and works on cell integrity.It is found in whole grains, dried fruits, dry vegetables, cocoa, and in low or fat-free dairy products.Deficiency results in a change in mood, a state of psychological depression, weakness, some muscle spasms, and an irregular heartbeat.</p><h2>Manganese:</h2><p>2 -5 milligrams a day:</p><p>It is involved in the synthesis of various enzymatic systems, in the synthesis of some proteins (such as cartilage), in the process of blood clotting and fat metabolism. It’s always present in foods such as whole grains, walnuts,vegetables and tea.</p><h2>Molybdenum:</h2><p>0.07-0.25 milligrams a day.</p><p>It is not well known at present, it is mainly concentrated in the liver, it is present in some enzymes, and it contributes to uric acid metabolism. Itcan be found in grains and vegetables.</p><h2>Chromium:</h2><p>The daily requirement of chromium is 50-200 micrograms.</p><p>The most important foods rich in chromium are: meat, seafood, and yeast.Tests show that people with diabetes have a low level of chromium in their blood compared to healthy people, and by giving these patients supportive doses of this mineral, a clear decrease in their blood sugar occurs.At the same time, a decrease in the total cholesterol level was observed up to 18%.Recent investigations indicate that the majority of people suffer from chromium deficiency, as if the foods rich in it are no longer sufficient to supply the body with the necessary needs of it.A symptom of chromium deficiency is an abnormally high blood sugar and lipid profileChromium deficiency increases with age, as the need for it becomes more urgent for its involvementin the processes of metabolism and compliance with sugars and in the metabolism of nucleic acids in cells.Be careful when consuming simple sugars, because they “rob” the body’s stores of chromium.Today it is common to use chromium supplements such as chromium nicotinate with medical advice.</p><h2>Sulfur:</h2><p>It is rarely mentioned as an essential nutrient.</p><p>It is present in the whole body, and it is one of the structural elements in proteins through methionine and cysteine, but it is also available in non-protein compounds as in the compound allicin in garlic.Sulfur is available in nature in the form of sulfate, and the body can’tuse it in that form as sulfur has a laxative effect.Sulfur may cause a poisoning or an allergy as it’s found in some industrial food preparations, such as preservation additives containing sulfur.</p><p>image</p><p>All these mineral elements are included in the composition of the organism in small quantities, and their presence is essential for growth and the continuation of life. They play the role of essential physiological mediators, and contributes to the fight against many diseases caused by malnutrition.</p><h2>The most important mineral elements necessary for children:</h2><p>image</p><p><br></p><p><br></p><p><br></p><p><br></p><p><br></p><p><br></p><p><br></p><p><br></p><p><br></p><p><br></p><p><br></p><p><br></p><p><br></p><p><br></p><p><br></p></body>