Minerals and trace elements are essential in human health, contributing to various physiological processes, enzyme activities, and biochemical reactions. While minerals such as calcium, magnesium, and potassium are relatively large amounts, trace elements such as zinc, selenium, and iron are required in smaller quantities. Still, they are equally vital for maintaining health and well-being. Research in minerals and trace elements aims to elucidate their roles in health and disease, assess factors influencing their bioavailability and metabolism, and explore their therapeutic applications in preventing and managing various health conditions.
The Council for Nutritional and Environmental Medicine (CONEM) is committed to advancing research in minerals and trace elements, specifically exploring their roles in health, bioavailability, metabolism, and therapeutic applications. Through its research initiatives, CONEM aims to contribute to understanding mineral and trace element requirements, assess their interactions with other nutrients and environmental factors, and develop evidence-based strategies for optimizing intake and utilization to promote health and prevent disease.
Research in minerals and trace elements encompasses a multidisciplinary approach, integrating insights from nutrition science, biochemistry, physiology, pharmacology, and clinical medicine. Researchers strive to identify optimal dietary sources, supplementation strategies, and therapeutic interventions for addressing mineral and trace element deficiencies and imbalances by investigating the mechanisms underlying mineral and trace element absorption, transport, and utilization in the body.
Moreover, CONEM recognizes the importance of adopting a holistic approach to minerals and trace elements research, considering the complex interplay between nutrient intake, genetic factors, environmental exposures, and health outcomes. Environmental factors such as soil quality, food processing methods, and pollution can affect mineral content in food sources, influencing dietary intake and nutritional status, highlighting the need for comprehensive approaches to mineral and trace element assessment and management.
Through collaborative research efforts, CONEM endeavors to translate scientific discoveries into actionable recommendations for optimizing mineral and trace element intake, promoting dietary diversity, and addressing nutritional deficiencies. By fostering interdisciplinary collaboration, knowledge exchange, and innovation, CONEM seeks to empower individuals, healthcare professionals, and policymakers to make informed decisions about mineral and trace element nutrition to support optimal health and well-being.
Publications
Serum copper and zinc levels in individuals with autism spectrum disorders.