Manganese works with dozens of different enzymes that facilitate processes throughout the body, including protein, fat and carbohydrate metabolism. It is stored in the liver, brain, heart and kidneys and is found in the hair. Copper helps your body absorb and use iron to synthesize hemoglobin. It also plays a role in maintaining the integrity of myelin, the fatty substance that is a constituent of the covering of some nerves. Copper is also involved in the metabolism of ascorbic acid.
Copper plays a role in the immune system.
The highest concentrations of this mineral are in the hair, spleen, kidneys and testes. The heart, pancreas, lungs, and brain also contain lower amounts of this trace mineral. Chromium's primary role in the body is to activate enzymes involved in the metabolism of glucose and the synthesis of proteins. Selenium is present in all the tissues of the body, but is concentrated most highly in the kidneys, liver, spleen, pancreas, and testes. People do not consume enough selenium both because of the type of diet they eat, and because of the low selenium content of the soil in which their food is grown.