Nutritive-element interactions: a review

Abstract

There is ample evidence that competitive mineral interactions take place in organism between nutritive elements as well as non-nutritive elements. These interactions could potentially occur within a food or food system at the site of absorption yet metabolically active site. The competition may be between two nutritive elements, a nutritive and non-nutritive element or between two toxic elements. Thus, elemental interactions may be deleterious or potentially advantageous, depending on the element and/or interactions in view. Elemental interactions that are of nutritional or pharmacological significance in mammals include the Zn – Cu antagonism, the Fe – Cu effects, Fe – Zn effect, Na – K interaction, Mg2+ – Ca2+ effect, and Mg – Zn interaction. The major competitive mineral interactions are discussed in detail, wherever possible, with the clinical disorders that might be produced as a consequence of the interaction in question.


Key Words:Interaction, trace elements, major elements, Nutritive elements.


Nig. Jnl Health & Biomedical Sciences Vol.2(1) 2003: 35-39