Study summary · research use only
Clinical implications of trace elements in endocrinology
Plain-language summary
Paraphrased from the published abstract below — not a verdict on whether anything works.
This review article surveys the roles of essential trace elements, including iodine, zinc, selenium, copper, chromium, manganese and vanadium, in endocrinological processes such as thyroid function, growth, gonadal and adrenal function, prolactin, glucose homeostasis, calcium-phosphorus metabolism, and thymulin activity. The authors describe these minerals as modulators of physiological functions that can be perturbed in deficiency states, note that resulting biochemical and clinical changes may be prevented or corrected by supplementation, and observe that in some cases the elements act like pharmacological agents beyond correcting a deficiency. The article characterizes existing knowledge and states that some indications need further investigation.
Abstract
The implications of essential trace elements in endocrinological processes, mainly thyroid function, growth, gonadal function, adrenal hormones, prolactin, glucose homeostasis, calcium-phosphorus metabolism, and thymulin activity, are reviewed. Most concerned elements in this field include iodine, zinc, selenium, copper, chromium, manganese and vanadium. The minerals are powerful modulators of several physiological functions that can be considerably perturbed in deficiency states. The resulting biochemical and clinical modifications can be prevented and/or corrected by adequate supplementation. Sometimes, however, they act like pharmacological agents when their beneficial effects are not the result of a correction of a nutritional deficiency state. Their potentialities as therapeutic agents are perfectly described in many cases, but some indications deserve further investigations.
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