The Nutritional Trace Metals

1 Introduction 1.1 The role of metals in life processes - a belated recognition 1.2 The metal content of living systems 1.3 Metals in food and diets 2 Iron 2.1 Introduction 2.2 Iron chemistry 2.3 Iron in the body 2.4 Iron absorption 2.5 Transport of iron in plasma 2.6 Iron losses 2.7 Iron status 2.8 Iron in the diet 2.9 Recommended intakes of iron 2.10 Strategies to combat iron deficiency 3 Zinc 3.1 Introduction 3.2 Zinc distribution in the environment 3.3 Zinc chemistry 3.4 The biology of zinc 3.5 Absorption and metabolism of zinc 3.6 Zinc homeostasis 3.7 Effects of changes in dietary zinc intakes on tissue levels 3.8 Effects of zinc deficiency 3.9 Zinc and the immune system 3.10 The antioxidant role of zinc 3.11 Zinc requirements 3.12 High intakes of zinc 3.13 Assessment of zinc status 3.14 Dietary sources and bioavailability of zinc 3.15 Interventions to increase dietary zinc intake 4 Copper 4.1 Introduction 4.2 Copper chemistry 4.3 The biology of copper 4.4 Dietary sources of copper 4.5 Copper absorption and metabolism 4.6 Distribution of copper in the body 4.7 Assessment of copper status 4.8 Copper requirements 5 Selenium 5.1 Introduction 5.2 Selenium chemistry 5.3 Production of selenium 5.4 Sources and distribution of selenium in the environment 5.5 Selenium in food and beverages 5.6 Absorption of selenium from ingested foods 5.7 Biological roles of selenium 5.8 Selenium in human health and disease 5.9 Recommended allowances, intakes and dietary reference values for selenium 5.10 Perspectives for the future 6 Chromium 6.1 Introduction 6.2 Chemistry of chromium 6.3 Distribution, production and uses of chromium 6.4 Chromium in food and beverages 6.5 Dietary intakes of chromium 6.6 Absorption and metabolism of chromium 6.7 Assessing chromium status 6.8 Chromium requirements 6.9 Chromium supplementation 7 Manganese 7.1 Introduction 7.2 Production and uses of manganese 7.3 Chemical and physical properties of manganese 7.4 Manganese in food and beverages 7.5 Dietary intake of manganese 7.6 Absorption and metabolism of manganese 7.7 Assessment of manganese status and estimation of dietary requirements 8 Molybdenum 8.1 Introduction 8.2 Distribution and production of molybdenum 8.3 Chemical and physical properties of molybdenum 8.4 Molybdenum in food and beverages 8.5 Dietary intakes of molybdenum 8.6 Absorption and metabolism of molybdenum 8.7 Molybdenum requirements 9 Nickel, boron, vanadium, cobalt and other trace metal nutrients 9.1 Introduction 9.2 Nickel 9.3 Boron 9.4 Vanadium 9.5 Cobalt 9.6 Other possibly essential trace metals and metalloids