Zinc influences immune reactions, taste perception, wound healing and making of sperm. A deficiency may occur by poor taste and smell, slow wound healing, skeletal defects, small white spots in the fingernails, thickening and hardening of hair, skin and arteries, fatigue and being prone to infection. It can cause growth failure in children, retardation of sexual maturation. Iron Iron carries oxygen from lungs to all cells. A deficiency might appear as fatigue, shortness of breath, and loss of appetite.
Iron deficiency is the most prevalent among women.
The tongue may become smooth due to the deficiency of iron giving it a bald appearance, due to alterations of the taste buds and destruction of the papillae surrounding them. Seaweed is the richest source of iron followed by liver, pumpkin and sesame seeds, wheat germ, dried pears and other fruits, nuts and seafood. Copper Is needed as an enzyme catalyst. Copper works with iron in the formation of hemoglobin. If there is a deficiency, there would be poor iron assimilation leading to anemia and scurvy-like bone damage.