Trace Elements and Health in the Elderly and Children: A Preliminary Analysis of the Mineral Mechanisms of Alzheimer's Disease, Anti-aging Supplementation, and Vitamin A

Alzheimer's disease is a common disease in old age caused by widespread cerebral cortical atrophy, characterized by functional decline and behavioral and personality disorders. It is also known as pre-senile psychosis. It not only causes physical and mental breakdown in patients, but also brings great pain and burden to family members. The etiology of the disease is not yet fully understood, but researchers generally believe that the onset of Alzheimer's disease is closely related to the metabolic imbalance of trace elements in the body. (1) Aluminum. Aluminum is a low-toxicity trace element that is not essential for the human body and is an important factor causing various brain diseases. It is an inhibitor of many enzymes, and its toxicity can affect protein synthesis and neurotransmitters. Aluminum can inhibit the activity of enzymes in the brain, thereby causing the mental state to deteriorate. Therefore, long-term excessive intake of aluminum can lead to Alzheimer's disease. Autopsy of Alzheimer's patients after death has confirmed that the aluminum content in the brain is significantly higher than that of normal people. It has been reported that the incidence of the disease is also higher in areas with high aluminum concentration in drinking water. (2) Copper. High copper can increase the level of free radicals in the body, change lipid metabolism, lead to atherosclerosis, and accelerate cell aging and death. Recent studies have shown that copper deposition in certain parts of the brain can lead to brain atrophy, degenerative changes in gray and white matter, and a reduction in neurons, eventually developing into Alzheimer's disease. (3) Zinc. Zinc is a component of many protein and nucleic acid synthases, which can promote cell renewal, enhance immune function, and is closely related to the function of the heart and brain. Zinc is distributed in certain regions of the brain, with a particularly high concentration in the pineal gland, followed by the cortical part of the limbic system, especially the dentate gyrus and hippocampus. Zinc deficiency affects brain function, especially hippocampal function, which plays a role in learning, memory, emotion, and the formation of conditioned reflexes. Therefore, zinc can enhance memory and delay brain aging. (4) Manganese. Manganese is distributed in large quantities in the brain. It can activate adenosine monophosphate in brain tissue and play a regulatory role in neurotransmitters. Manganese deficiency in the elderly can lead to intellectual decline and slow reaction. (5) Selenium. Selenium has antioxidant effects and can regulate the body's immune function. When selenium is deficient in the body, the catalytic effect of enzymes is weakened, and lipid peroxidation is strong. Lipid peroxides damage cell membranes, nucleic acids, proteins, and mitochondria, leading to irreversible damage. These long-term and repeated effects create a vicious cycle, which can accelerate the aging of the brain and the entire body. (6) Germanium. The main function of organic germanium (which is inorganic germanium transformed through mycelium) is its oxygen supply and deoxygenation capabilities. It can remove free radicals and reduce oxygen consumption, thereby protecting the brain. At present, it is difficult to treat Alzheimer's disease, but a scientific diet can prevent the occurrence of the disease. Our food does not contain too much aluminum, but some food additives often contain aluminum. Household yeast powder, salt food fixatives, cheese, and soda crackers also contain aluminum. Although the amount is not very large, it is worth noting for the elderly to pay attention to and not to consume it for a long time or in large quantities. The aluminum content in drinking water should not be ignored. Surface water does not contain much aluminum, but the increasingly serious acid rain in recent years can cause aluminum to dissolve into the water, thus causing us to ingest too much aluminum. Many modern cooking utensils are made of aluminum. If overly acidic or salty foods are often stored in such utensils for too long, aluminum will seep into the food and be absorbed. Elderly people must be mindful of factors that contribute to excessive aluminum intake in their daily lives. If Alzheimer's disease is caused by high copper levels, in addition to actively treating Wilson's disease (where the liver's ability to synthesize ceruloplasmin is lower than normal, leading to excessive copper deposition in the brain and other organs), it's also important to limit copper-rich foods such as cocoa powder, dried tea leaves, animal liver, walnuts, and sesame paste. Middle-aged and elderly people should consume more foods rich in zinc, manganese, selenium, and germanium, such as seafood, shellfish, fish, dairy products, beans, nuts, silkworm pupae, garlic, and mushrooms, as this is very beneficial in preventing the onset of Alzheimer's disease.

Under normal circumstances, a balanced diet will not lead to a deficiency of trace elements in the body. However, in some cases, it is necessary for some people to supplement trace elements appropriately. (1) The need for trace elements increases during special physiological stages, such as the growth and development period of children, the pregnancy and lactation period of women, the treatment and recovery period of some serious diseases, and the period of trauma surgery. (2) The soil and water in some areas are deficient in certain trace elements, which may make the local people susceptible to certain endemic diseases, affect growth and development, or lead to certain diseases of certain organs. Selenium deficiency can cause Keshan disease, while iodine deficiency can cause goiter (thyroid enlargement) and intellectual disability. (3) The interaction of certain foods, or excessive consumption of certain foods, may also reduce the intake of trace elements or make them difficult to digest and absorb. (4) In recent years, the deficiency of trace elements in the elderly has attracted attention. Brown age spots often appear on the face and hands of the elderly. It has been proven that these spots are a sign of weakened lipid anti-hydrogenation ability in the body. When age spots appear, it is necessary to supplement trace elements appropriately. Research has shown that some important reactants in the body's antioxidant processes depend on trace elements, and as people age, the levels of these trace elements tend to gradually decrease, so appropriate supplementation is necessary. Selenium, in particular, is an important substance in the body for anti-aging and antioxidant effects.

In the early 1970s, a fatal disease was discovered in infants: the primary symptom was anemia, and infants often died due to mental abnormalities, motor disorders, and systemic arterial tortuosity. Physical examination revealed twisted hair, extremely low body temperature, and frequent bone damage. This discovery shocked the medical community, prompting in-depth research by numerous experts and scholars. The cause was ultimately found to be copper deficiency in infants, significantly reducing the synthesis of adenosine triphosphate (ATP), the energy source for metabolism, thus failing to meet the minimum energy requirements for life. The root cause was traced back to low copper levels in the mother's blood during pregnancy, primarily due to insufficient copper intake. Copper combines with iron in the body to form cytochrome enzymes and oxidases, synthesizing ceruloplasmin in the liver, promoting the production of transferrin and the synthesis of heme and hemoglobin. Copper deficiency reduces hemoglobin synthesis, leading to abnormal, short-lived red blood cells and anemia. Copper maintains the normal function of bones, blood vessels, skin, and the nervous system, and protects the normal pigmentation and structure of hair. Copper deficiency leads to osteoporosis and brittle bones, deformed blood vessels, tangled hair, skin lesions, and brain tissue damage. The adult body contains approximately 100-150 mg of copper, while the fetus contains significantly more, with children having about three times the copper content of adults. Therefore, insufficient copper intake by pregnant women can fail to meet the fetus's copper needs, easily leading to copper deficiency anemia and a range of copper deficiency symptoms after birth. To prevent copper deficiency in children, women should supplement their diet with copper during pregnancy.

Vitamin A, also known as retinol, is stable to heat, acid, and alkali, but is easily oxidized in the air. Some plants contain precursors to vitamin A called carotenoids, which are of several types, with β-carotene being the most abundant. After being absorbed by the human body, half of the carotenoids can be converted into active vitamin A, hence the name provitamin A. Vitamin A has the following functions: (1) Protecting eyesight. There is a substance in the rod cells of the retina of the eye that is sensitive to weak light, called rhodopsin, which is formed by the combination of protein and vitamin A. If the supply of vitamin A is insufficient, it will affect the synthesis of rhodopsin, making it difficult to distinguish things in dim light, which is called night blindness. (2) Protecting epithelial cells. Vitamin A can enable epithelial cells to secrete mucus normally. When deficient, the skin becomes dry, hair follicles become keratotic, and tear secretion decreases, resulting in dry eye disease. Vitamin A can treat hair follicle keratosis, acne, psoriasis, etc. (3) Enhancing immunity. Vitamin A can promote the synthesis of glycoproteins. The proteins on the surface of the cell membrane are mainly glycoproteins. Immunoglobulins are also glycoproteins, so vitamin A can enhance immune function. β-carotene can increase the tolerance of animals to radiation. (4) Promote reproduction and growth. β-carotene can improve the reproductive capacity of cows, improve conception rate, and reduce fetal mortality. (5) Anti-cancer effect. Vitamin A deficiency can increase the sensitivity of certain target tissues (such as epithelial cells of the colon, bladder, etc.) to carcinogens. Therefore, vitamin A can play a role in the reversal and repair of precancerous cancer cells and prevent the occurrence of cancer. However, if the carcinogen is large and causes many cancer cells, and the amount of vitamin A is insufficient, even if all diseased cells are reversed, some cells can still develop into cancer. Vitamin A can also prevent tumors caused by viruses, which may be due to its interaction with the cell nucleus, causing gene changes and affecting cell differentiation. In addition, vitamin A and carotene have an inhibitory effect on the division of residual cancer cells after surgery, radiotherapy or chemotherapy, thereby reducing recurrence or prolonging survival. Vitamin A deficiency can lead to dry eye and night blindness, but excessive intake over a long period can also cause vitamin A overdose, resulting in dry and rough skin, enlarged liver, and hair loss. Therefore, vitamin A intake must be moderate. Vitamin A deficiency can lead to poor bone growth, reproductive dysfunction, excessive keratinization, roughness, and dryness of the skin and mucous membranes, and keratinization and desquamation of the conjunctiva, causing dry eye and keratomalacia.