TRACE MINERAL DEFICIENCY
Report #6818 5/21/96
The counters at drug and Health food stores are loaded with pills containing trace mineral supplements, such a chromium, zinc and nickel.
The only people who suffer from trace mineral deficiencies are those who eat a diet that is based on foods that are grown on soils that lack that mineral,/ eat only refined foods that have had components removed from them,/ are on medications that drain minerals from the body/ or bleed excessively so thy lack iron.
Plants pick up minerals from the soil and incorporate them in their bodies. The soils in some areas lack certain minerals. If you eat plants that are grown only on these mineral-deficient soils, you could suffer from a deficiency. For example, the soil around the Great Lakes is extremely low in iodine. If you eat food grown only in that area, you could lack iodine and develop a goiter. However, the transportation system is so great, that you get your potatoes from Idaho, your wheat from Minnesota, your grapefruits from Florida and your apples from Vancouver. Mineral deficiency from poor soils is unlikely because is impossible for all soils to lack any mineral.
Another way that you could lack a mineral is by eating foods that are heavily refined. For example, most of the selenium in grains are in the germ and husk. White flour is made from whole grains that have had their husks and germ removed, so people who eat only white flour can lack selenium. If you eat whole grains and do not take medication such a diuretics, you do not need to take mineral supplements.
By Gabe Mirkin, M.D., for CBS Radio News