|  | Diet Nutrition | Vitamins

Examples of Trace Minerals

Trace minerals are included in the diet in minute doses. While nine trace minerals exist, only a few are well-known. The most well-known trace minerals are zinc, iron and selenium. These trace minerals play an important role in maintaining proper health and disease prevention.

  1. Zinc

    • Zinc plays a role in disease prevention and tissue repair. Decreased zinc intake causes a weak immune system, resulting in a low resistance to disease. Wounds may also heal slowly due to low zinc intake. Zinc is found in foods such as oysters, nuts and chicken.

    Iron

    • Iron promotes blood formation throughout the body. Growth spurts and excessive blood loss cause decreased iron levels, and women on their menstrual cycle should increase their iron intake due to monthly blood loss. Red meat, beans, oysters and broccoli are examples of foods containing iron.

    Selenium

    • Selenium is a trace mineral that produces glutathione peroxidase, an antioxidant that maintains healthy blood vessels and halts development of diseases like cancer and heart disease. This trace mineral may also slow tumor growth of some cancers by cutting off its blood supply and increasing immune cell production. Foods rich in selenium include fish and whole-grain breads and cereals.

Vitamins - Related Articles