Summary of Trace Minerals
| Micronutrient | Sources | Recommended Intakes for adults | Major Functions | Deficiency diseases and symptoms | Groups at risk for deficiency | Toxicity | UL |
| Iron | Red meat, egg yolks, dark leafy vegetables, dried fruit, iron-fortified foods | 8-18 mg/day | Assists in energy production, DNA synthesis required for red blood cell function | Anemia: fatigue, paleness, faster heart rate | Infants and preschool children, adolescents, women, pregnant women, athletes, vegetarians | Liver damage, increased risk of diabetes and cancer | 45 mg/day |
| Copper | Nuts, seeds, whole grains, seafood | 900 mcg/day | Assists in energy production, iron metabolism | Anemia: fatigue, paleness, faster heart rate | Those who consume excessive zinc supplements | Vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhea, liver damage | 10 mg/day |
| Zinc | oysters, wheat germ, pumpkin seeds, squash,, beans, sesame seeds, tahini, beef, lamb | 8-11 mg/day | Assists in energy production, protein, RNA and DNA synthesis; required for hemoglobin synthesis | Growth retardation in children, hair loss, diarrhea, skin sores, loss of appetite, weight loss | Vegetarians, older adults | Depressed immune function | 40 mg/day |
| Selenium | Meat, seafood, eggs, nuts | 55 mcg/day | Essential for thyroid hormone activity | Fatigue, muscle pain, weakness, Keshan disease | Populations where the soil is low in selenium | Nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, fatigue | 400 mcg/day |
| Iodine | Iodized salt, seaweed, dairy products | 150 mcg/day | Making thyroid hormone, metabolism, growth and development | Goiter, cretinism, other signs and symptoms include fatigue, depression, weight gain, itchy skin, low heart-rate | Populations where the soil is low in iodine, and iodized salt is not used | Enlarged thyroid | 1110 mcg/day |
| Chromium | 25-35 mcg/day | Assists insulin in carbohydrate, lipid and protein metabolism | abnormal glucose metabolism | Malnourished children | None | ND | |
| Fluoride | Fluoridated water, foods prepared in fluoridated water, seafood | 3-4 mg/day | Component of mineralized bone, provides structure and microarchitecture, stimulates new bone growth | Increased risk of dental caries | Populations with non fluoridated water | Fluorosis mottled teeth, kidney damage | 10 mg/day |
| Manganese | Legumes, nuts, leafy green vegetables | 1.8-2.3 mg/day | Glucose synthesis, amino-acid catabolism | Impaired growth, skeletal abnormalities, abnormal glucose metabolism | None | Nerve damage | 11 mg/day |
| Molybdenum | Milk, grains, legumes | 45 mcg/day | Cofactor for a number of enzymes | Unknown | None | Arthritis, joint inflammation | 2 mg/day |
Chapter Attribution
Chapter 12.10 in Human Nutrition in a Canadian Context by Karine Hamm published by BCcampus in 2021 under a CC BY License.
- National Institute of Health, Office of Dietary Supplements. (2011). Health Professional Fact Sheets. https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/list-all/ ↵
