Trace elements: what they are, characteristics, types and functions

The atom, the smallest constituent unit of matter, has the property of a chemical element. Thus, we can affirm that absolutely any living being or object present on Earth is formed, in its most basic structure, by some of the elements that we find when going to a table periodic.

Of course, it is shocking to reflect on our most basic composition: after all, all living beings are carbon, hydrogen, oxygen and nitrogen. Even so, beyond this, life requires complex interrelationships and other compounds to be carried out effectively and functionally.

Here more specific terms come into play from a nutritional point of view, such as macronutrients, micronutrients, vitamins and trace elements, since living beings are capable of synthesizing compounds, but we also require elements present in the half.

Naturally, all this conglomerate can cause confusion even in the greatest of experts, and for this reason, today we focus on a really interesting functional unit: trace elements.

Related article: "The 20 types of proteins and their functions in the body"

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Trace elements: small but essential for the body

From a chemical point of view, we can define a trace element as a series of bioelements present in small amounts in living beings. In order to frame its importance from a nutritional point of view, we first have to go through, in a brief way, the terrain of nutrients. Go for it.

Micronutrients and macronutrients

A nutrient is a chemical from outside the cell that the cell needs to carry out its vital functions.. Translated into a kinder language, this concept could be defined as a series of substances that feed us. Nutrients can be divided into large groups:

Macronutrients: proteins, lipids and carbohydrates. They supply most of the body's metabolic energy.
Micronutrients: they are found in much lower concentrations in food and we require less of them for our functions.

It is this last group that concerns us today, because within the micronutrients we find the vitamins and trace elements (also interchangeably called minerals in many sources bibliographic).

Once both terms have been introduced, it is essential to know that vitamins and trace elements are not interchangeable terms. A vitamin is a molecule, that is, a series of atoms arranged in a specific order, while a trace element (as its own name indicates) is a simple body, or what is the same, it is made up of a single type of atoms.

You may be interested in: "Macronutrients: what they are, types and functions in the human body"

The variety of trace elements and their functions

We can affirm that trace elements are found in their elemental form, that is, uncombined, in the form of chemical elements. Although we are not going to find any protein, lipid or vitamin in the periodic table, trace elements will be present in it. These important elements have at least five essential functions in the body of the organism:

Some are essential parts of the catalytic centers (a process by which the rates of chemical processes are increased) necessary for life.
They participate in the attraction of substrate molecules and their conversion into final products through metabolic reactions.
They can serve as electron acceptors or donors in oxidation-reduction reactions.
When they appear as mineral salts, they have important structural functions.
They regulate and balance biological functions: respiration, digestion, hormonal activity and gene expression, among others.

As we have been able to see, the functions of trace elements are multiple and incomprehensible in a single space. Here are some specific examples. Don't miss them.

1. Fluorine

Chemical element number 9, located in the halogen group on the periodic table of elements. This trace element helps to fix calcium in the bones, in addition to maintaining a good state of tooth enamel (which prevents the appearance of infectious processes of bacterial origin).

2. Iodine

Chemical element number 53, again, in the halogen group. The iodine has thyroid function, that is, it is part of the hormones thyroxine and triiodothyronine, manufactured in the thyroid gland. These hormonal groups regulate cell metabolism, so with other compounds, they influence the growth of the organism and other biological processes.

3. Iron

We are facing chemical element number 26, the fourth most abundant transition metal in the earth's crust. Inside our body, iron It is the vital constituent of hemoglobin, a hemoprotein in the blood that is responsible for transporting oxygen to cells and tissues.. For this reason, it is involved in cellular respiration and in many other processes: glycolysis (oxidation of glucose to obtain energy), oxidation of fatty acids and DNA synthesis, among others.

4. Manganese

Element number 25, a metal located in group 7 of the periodic table. It is a constituent of certain enzymes, notably manganese superoxide dismutase (Mn-SOD) which, for example, has been shown to be a tumor suppressor for breast cancer. Various investigations explore the field of manganese and allergies, since it seems that its supplementation can alleviate the symptoms of these processes in some cases. Even so, these hypotheses require much more experimental testing to be confirmed.

5. Nickel

With atomic number 28 and located in group 10 of the periodic table, nickel is another trace element that is part of 87% of hydrogenases, essential enzymes in microbial metabolism. It acts as a biocatalyst, participates in the growth and defense of the organism, favors iron absorption and stabilizes DNA and RNA molecules.

6. Other trace elements

We have given you five examples of trace elements with a detailed function, but it should be noted that there are many more, just as important as those we have just mentioned. Next, we put you some more examples, related to a key functional term.

Copper: stimulates the immune system.
Cobalt: component of vitamin B12.
Zinc: metabolism of proteins and nucleic acids.
Boron: structure of the cell wall in plants.
Chromium: glucose metabolism.
Selenium: antioxidant and chemopreventive.
Silicon: structure of bones, skin, hair and nails.
Lithium: acts on the nervous system.
Vanadium: relation to insulin.
Molybdenum: detox.

How many are there?

In total, we have presented you with a total of 15 trace elements, although the list will vary depending on the criteria of each author. For example, lithium, tin, boron, bromine or cadmium (some present on the list and others not) are elements that are a source of debate, since their essentiality in the human body is not clear.

On the other hand, some sources erroneously include elements such as calcium in the lists of trace elements. (1,300 milligrams of daily intake is recommended), potassium (4,700 milligrams daily) or sodium (1,500 milligrams). The definition of trace element, from a theoretical point of view, excludes these elements, since the latter are present in greater quantities in our body than those shown above, which is why they are considered to be of "a greater essentiality”.

Oligotherapy

We cannot close this space without talking about oligotherapy, a pseudotherapy framed within the branches of alternative medicine that explores the use of trace elements in order to restore or improve altered metabolic processes in the patient's body.

Of course, we are never going to recommend these types of pathways as a substitute for conventional medical therapy, but in some specific cases and under the supervision of a health professional, they can become therapeutic supports accessories. Our duty, in this case, is to inform about its existence and not to assess its effectiveness. We let each reader make their own judgment on the subject.

Summary

As we have been able to see in these lines, trace elements are bioelements present in very small amounts in our body, but even so They have essential tasks for the functioning of human beings.: from growth to DNA repair, its functions are endless.

The definition and classification criteria of trace elements may vary from one author to another, because what do we define as essential? To what extent is the concentration of the element in our body too high to include it in this group? These questions cannot be easily answered, and therefore, we have played it safe and have shown you those minerals that are present in very low amounts in our organisms, but which in turn are essential in certain processes.

Bibliographic references:

Dorosz, P. (2001). Table of vitamins, mineral salts, trace elements. Hispano-European Editorial.
McDowell, L. R., & Conrad, J. h. (1977). The nutritional importance of trace elements in Latin America. World Zootechnics Magazine, 24, 24-33.
Minana, I. v. (2015). Vitamins and trace elements. Integral Pediatrics, 324.
Trace elements, Texas Heart institute. Collected on October 31 in https://www.texasheart.org/heart-health/heart-information-center/topics/oligoelementos/
Trace elements. Small quantities, great functions, Health Channels Mapfre. Collected on October 31 in https://www.salud.mapfre.es/nutricion/reportajes-nutricion/oligoelementos-pequenas-cantidades-grandes-funciones/#:~:text=Fl%C3%BAor%2C%20Yodo%2C%20Selenio%20y%20Silicio, they%20produce%20s%C3%ADsymptoms%20or%20diseases.
Reynaud, A. c. (2014). Requirement of micronutrients and trace elements. Peruvian Journal of Gynecology and Obstetrics, 60(2), 161-170.
Rubio, C., González Weller, D., Martín-Izquierdo, R. E., Revert, C., Rodríguez, I., & Hardisson, A. (2007). Zinc: essential trace element. Hospital Nutrition, 22(1), 101-107.