Nutritional aspects of minerals in bovine and human milks

Abstract

This review summarizes the nutritional aspects of the 21 mineral elements present in bovine and human milks and considered essential or beneficial for human health (Table 10.1). This includes discussion of their respective physiological roles, signs of deficiency and toxicity, current recommended intakes, chemical presence as compounds that affect bioavailability and utilization and known enhancers and/or inhibitors of their absorption. The term mineral is not an accurate descriptor for the chemical nature of some of these elements but is a widely accepted terminology in the field of nutrition. The mineral elements occur in the body in one or more chemical forms, including inorganic ions and salts, complexes or constituents of organic molecules. © 2009 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC.