8. Mineral elements

8.1 Presentation

The mineral elements required by the body are numerous (see table 7 ). The quantities present in the human body vary from almost 1 kg for calcium and phosphorus, to a few grams for the most abundant trace elements (Fe, Zn, F) and less than 1 mg for cobalt and chromium. In addition to this great diversity in weights, which leads to the distinction between macroelements and trace elements, there is a significant multiplicity of roles and functions attributed to mineral elements.

Major elements include electrolytes (Na, K, Cl), bone-building elements (Ca, P) and Mg. As for trace elements, their definition...