Microamounts of such elements as boron, chromium, chlorine, copper, manganese, molybdenum, selenium, silicon, sulfur, and vanadium are considered necessary to health. Copper deficiency, for example, has been linked with heart disease, and the onset of diabetes in older age may in some way be associated with chromium deficiency. Normal diets appear to provide adequate amounts of trace minerals, but effects such as the linking of high levels of fructose in the diet with copper-deficiency problems are the subject of ongoing research. Magnesium is an essential element in human metabolism and functions in the activities of muscles and nerves, protein synthesis, and many other reactions. Magnesium deficiency may occur in alcoholism, diabetes mellitus, pancreatitis, and renal diseases.
Prolonged deficiency can cause changes in heart and skeletal muscle.
Excessive retention of magnesium can occur in renal disease and results in muscle weakness and hypertension. Pantothenic Acid Widely distributed in nature, pantothenic acid was first identified in 1933 as a factor necessary to cure certain skin lesions in chicks. Its role in human nutrition, however, has not been clearly delineated. It is also essential for the production of metabolic products crucial to all living organisms. Pantothenic acid has no specific therapeutic indications but is included in multivitamin preparations.