The phenomenon that crustal abundance controls the necessity of life elements is called "abundance effect". In the process of life evolution, crustal abundance is an important factor. Abundance effect, as a law, has affected the evolution and survival of organisms for 500 million years. The human body contains almost all the elements contained in the periodic table and existing in nature. According to the geochemical properties of elements and their necessity to human body, they can be divided into the following categories.
Essential elements: Seven essential macro elements are Ca, Cl, Mg, P, K, Na and S * * *, and the daily requirement of people is above 100mg, and the essential trace elements are Cr, Co, Cu, F, I, Fe, Mn, Mo, Se and Zn, and the daily requirement does not exceed nmg.
Possible essential trace elements: nickel, silicon, tin and vanadium.
Unnecessary or toxic elements: aluminum, arsenic, cadmium, lead and mercury. Some of these elements may be necessary, and there is no conclusion.
Other elements: antimony, barium, beryllium, boron, bromine, lithium, rubidium, silver, strontium, titanium, etc. Their impact on human health is still unclear.
In the national standards for drinking natural mineral water in China, lithium, strontium, zinc, iodine, silicon, selenium and other elements, which only account for 0.05% of the total weight of human body, are listed as the limit indicators for drinking natural mineral water, mainly referring to some international standards. Among these trace elements, silicon is the basic element of human body, and strontium, zinc, selenium and iodine are the essential trace elements for human body. Understanding the physiological and biological functions of these elements in human body is helpful to understand the relationship between trace elements and human health (Shen et al., 1993).
(1) lithium
Lithium is ubiquitous in human body, mainly stored in muscle tissue, and also widely distributed in heart, brain, liver, adrenal gland, lymph nodes and thyroid tissue. But at present, it has not been included in the essential trace elements of human body. Lithium and sodium are the same group of elements. Lithium can replace sodium in the body and affect the distribution and balance of sodium in body fluids and cells. Medical science has found that excessive sodium in the body is one of the important causes of hypertension and cardiovascular diseases, and replacing sodium with lithium is beneficial to the relief of this disease. It is reported that lithium can regulate the activity of the central nervous system. According to survey data, in some areas with high lithium content in drinking water, there are few mental patients, stable personality and low incidence of cardiovascular diseases and duodenal ulcer. In addition, some European countries have long used mineral water with high lithium content to treat kidney calculi, gout and rheumatism, and the effect is good. However, many problems about the effects of lithium on human health remain to be studied.
② Strontium
Strontium is an essential trace element for human body, which has been recognized by the world. Strontium is contained in various tissues of human body, but most of it (about 99%) is distributed in bones and teeth, which plays a role in strengthening the strength of bones and teeth, especially in the parts with strong ossification. So some people think that the fracture healing can be observed according to the concentration of strontium; It is also found that strontium has therapeutic effect on senile osteoporosis, which shows that strontium plays an important role in the metabolism of calcium, phosphorus and sulfur in bones.
Modern medical research has confirmed that strontium is also beneficial to maintain normal cardiovascular function and nerve and muscle excitability. In recent years, Chinese medical researchers' statistical data on the contents of trace elements such as strontium in human hair (hair is the product of human body modulation, in which trace elements can reflect a certain nutritional state in the body) show that the strontium content in the hair of hypertensive patients is significantly lower than that of the control group (normal people); Moreover, it is found that the strontium content in hair is negatively correlated with the risk of stroke, that is, people with low strontium content in hair are prone to stroke. Of course, this is mainly aimed at some middle-aged and elderly people. Therefore, strontium-containing mineral water is undoubtedly of good health care and therapeutic value for middle-aged and elderly people's skeletal system, cardiovascular system and hypertensive patients. In addition, the study found that for patients with convulsions caused by parathyroid dysfunction, not only the blood calcium decreased, but also the strontium content in the blood decreased significantly. This is related to the similar chemical properties and physiological functions of strontium and calcium in human body. It seems that this kind of patients who often drink strontium-containing mineral water may have a certain therapeutic effect.
Because strontium is a stable element, its toxic effect is not great. In medical clinic, different strontium compounds (such as strontium bromide and strontium iodide) are also commonly used to treat urticaria, skin diseases and other diseases, which generally do not have great side effects on human body. However, if it accumulates in the body due to metabolic disorder and excessive strontium intake, it will also cause some pathological changes, such as joint pain, bone deformation, melting and other symptoms, which may be caused by excessive strontium concentration in the body replacing calcium in bones, which should be paid attention to. In addition, it should be noted that the accumulation of radioactive 90Sr in bones will cause cancer.
(3) Zinc
Zinc is one of the essential trace elements in human body, which is second only to iron in the content of trace elements in human body. Mainly distributed in muscles (50%), bones (≤30%) and skin (≤20%). The tissues with the highest zinc content are the pigment layer of eyes and prostate. The content of zinc in human body varies with gender and age. The zinc content of normal men is about 0.033g/kg, which is higher than that of women. Therefore, zinc is an essential element for human body, especially in the early stage of development and growth. Although the required amount is very small, if zinc is slightly insufficient, human immunity will decline, which will seriously lead to growth and development obstacles. In particular, infant brain development and children's growth and development need a lot of zinc, so people call it "the spark of life" and "the element of wisdom".
Zinc can also promote wound healing and has obvious curative effect on intractable ulcers, so it is more meaningful to drink zinc-containing mineral water regularly to make up for the deficiency of zinc in the body and promote human health. Usually, the daily zinc intake of normal adults is 10 ~ 15 mg, and the daily zinc intake of women of childbearing age and lactation is more than twice that of other adults. Zinc-containing mineral water is a valuable mineral water. Of course, excessive intake of zinc also has adverse effects on the human body. Excessive intake of zinc can cause dizziness, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea, anemia and other side effects. However, it has not been proved that excessive zinc can cause cancer, teratogenesis and mutation. In fact, as far as the health of ordinary people is concerned, it is not the toxicity and side effects of zinc, but the problem of insufficient zinc intake.
(4) Iodine
Iodine is one of the earliest discovered essential trace elements that play an important role in human health. The normal human body contains about 25 ~ 36 mg of iodine, of which about 15mg is concentrated in thyroid, and the rest is distributed in plasma, muscle, gastric mucosa, adrenal gland, skin, central nervous system, ovary and thymus.
The biological function of iodine in human body is mainly played by the formation of thyroid hormone. The main function of thyroid hormone is to promote protein synthesis, activate 100 enzymes, regulate energy conversion, and maintain normal mental state, body shape and metabolism.
Iodine deficiency in human body can cause goiter because of iodine deficiency in thyroid gland. In order to adapt to this iodine deficiency state and maintain normal thyroid function, compensatory goiter occurred, and even goiter appeared. The physiological effect of iodine on human body is also manifested in the treatment of external wounds. For example, iodine can obviously activate the body, promote absorption and promote wound healing. Supplementing iodine to human body is also of great significance in some cancers. Mineral spring medicine also believes that iodine mineral spring bath therapy has a good effect on arteriosclerosis, hyperthyroidism, rheumatic joint diseases and skin diseases. At the same time, goiter caused by high iodine has been confirmed.
The iodine requirements stipulated (or suggested) by different countries are 75 ~ 225 μ g/day in China, 65,438+050 μ g/day in Germany, 65,438+050 μ g/day in the United States (adult men and women) and 65,438+075150 μ g/day (pregnant women)
(5) Silicon
Silicon is one of the essential elements for human body, accounting for about 0.2% of human body weight. Although the amount is small, it also bears specific biological functions. Modern medical research shows that silicon is ubiquitous in animals and human bodies, especially in epidermal tissues and general connective tissues. Silicon plays an active role in the growth of bones and connective tissues (tendons, ligaments and cartilage). It is reported that silicon can also soften blood vessels and prevent human aging. In addition, it is also found that silicon is the main component of some glycosaminoglycans and polysaccharide carboxylic acids, and it is an indispensable nutrient for human body. In modern mineral spring medicine, the good effect of using silicate mineral water to treat eczema, urticaria and other diseases has been confirmed.
6. Selenium
Selenium is also one of the essential trace elements for human body. Selenium content in human body is about 14 ~ 2 1 mg, in which the selenium content in eyes is the highest, followed by organs such as liver, pancreas and kidney, and blood, skin and muscle also contain a certain amount of selenium.
Selenium deficiency in human body can cause many diseases, such as Keshan disease, which is related to selenium deficiency in human body. Selenium supplementation can effectively control the incidence to some extent. Statistics in some countries show that the incidence of coronary heart disease and hypertension in high selenium areas is significantly lower than that in low selenium areas; In some areas, it is found that the incidence of cancer in the geological environment rich in selenium is low; Selenium deficiency affects fertility; Eating more foods containing selenium can improve your eyesight. According to the data of animal experiments, some people think that adults weighing 60kg will not get digestive cancers such as liver cancer and colon cancer if they consume 0.8μg selenium every day.
Because selenium has antagonistic effects on many toxic trace elements, especially on toxic elements or compounds such as mercury, cadmium, arsenic and sulfur, it has obvious counteracting and inhibiting effects. Selenium can also resist the harm of benzene, polychlorinated biphenyls, carbon tetrachloride, ozone and ionizing radiation to human body.
Excessive intake of selenium will also bring harm to human body, which can not be ignored, because some compounds of selenium, such as selenate, hydrogen selenide and selenium hexafluoride, are highly toxic, and people will have poisoning symptoms when eating foods with high selenium content. It is generally believed that 30 ~ 50 micrograms of selenium per day can ensure the minimum physiological needs of normal people. The selenium content of drinking natural mineral water is within the safe range of 0.0 1 ~ 0.05 mg/L, which should be beneficial and harmless in general.
(7) Free carbon dioxide
Carbonated mineral water, commonly known as "natural soda water", has a certain medical and health care effect on gastrointestinal diseases, circulatory diseases, hypertension, coronary heart disease and so on because it contains high CO2 gas and is often accompanied by more other trace elements. However, due to the different chemical composition of carbonate springs, their effects are also different. For example, carbonated mineral water containing calcium and magnesium sulfate has a better effect on gastric acid deficiency and constipation, while sodium bicarbonate (soda). However, due to excessive sodium intake, it is easy to cause hypertension and cardiovascular diseases. Therefore, the former has replaced sodium carbonate mineral water.
Because carbonated mineral water has an obvious effect on the digestive system, and the taste of mineral water is very different from other mineral water, people especially like it, so many of these mineral waters have become famous brand products, such as Vichy in France, Wudalianchi in Heilongjiang, Longchuan in Guangdong and Fushou Mountain in Hunan, all of which are famous (Xu Shuihui, 2003).
6. 1.4.2 medical mineral water and human health
(1) carbonated water
The carbon dioxide content in carbonated water is above 1000 mg/L. Carbonated spring is a "natural soda water" when drinking, which has a spicy feeling and has the functions of improving digestive system, relaxing bowels and diuresis. Bath therapy can lower blood pressure, treat dermatoses and gynecological diseases, and also has certain curative effect on some cardiovascular diseases. But it is not suitable for patients with bleeding tendency, heart failure, possible cerebral hemorrhage, infectious diseases and mental patients with active ulcer. The mineral springs that meet the standards of carbonated water in China are Wudalianchi Spring, Shenzhen Spring, Hailaerweina Spring in Inner Mongolia and Bailanggou Spring in Gansu.
(2) Hydrogen sulfide water
The total sulfur content in hydrogen sulfide water exceeds 2 mg/L. It is mainly used for bath therapy, but some European countries also use it for drinking therapy. Hydrogen sulfide forms alkali sulfide on the skin, which has the medical functions of softening and dissolving keratin, dilating skin blood vessels and promoting skin blood circulation. Therefore, it has obvious curative effect on scabies, and also has certain effects on regulating blood pressure, stimulating and exciting nerves. But it is not suitable for diarrhea, acute inflammation and severe arteriosclerosis. This kind of mineral water includes Shuimogou Spring in Urumqi, Xinjiang, Sulphur Pond in Tengchong, Yunnan, Jing Quan in Cucumber and Lushan Spring in Xing Zi County, Jiangxi Province.
(3) Silicon water
Spring water with silicic acid (H2SiO3) greater than 50mg/L can be used for drinking therapy or bath therapy. Drinking therapy has an effect on body growth and bone calcification. Bath therapy is suitable for treating eczema, prurigo, urticaria, psoriasis and vaginitis. Such springs are widely distributed in China, such as Linruquan in Henan and Tanggangzi Spring in Liaoning.
(4) Bromine water
The content of bromine (Br-) in water is more than 25mg/L, which can be used for drinking therapy or bath therapy. It has the function of inhibiting and regulating the central nervous system of human body, and is mainly suitable for treating neurosis, autonomic nerve disorder, neuralgia and insomnia. Bromine preparation is a sedative in medicine. There are not many such mineral waters, such as Caowan Spring in Yumen, Shandong, and Weihai Spring in Shandong.
(5) Iodized water
The iodine in water is above 5 mg/L. Bath therapy is suitable for arteriosclerosis, hyperthyroidism, rheumatoid arthritis and dermatosis, while drinking therapy is suitable for menstrual disorder, climacteric syndrome, hypertension and arteriosclerosis. Iodized water has not been found in China.
(6) molten iron
The content of total iron (Fe2+Fe3+) in water is above 10mg/L, which can be divided into hot metal bicarbonate (mainly HCO-3 as anion) and ferric sulfate water (mainly SO2-4 as anion).
Hot metal is mainly treated by drinking. Because the iron ion in water is mainly Fe2+, it is easy to be oxidized to Fe3+ after contact with air, resulting in the precipitation of insoluble salts such as iron hydroxide, oxide and carbonate, so fresh spring water should be directly drunk. It is a good drink for treating anemia. Hot metal can also be used for bath therapy, but iron can only be absorbed by the human body through the skin if it exists in ionic state. It has obvious astringent effect on skin and mucosa, especially ferric sulfate water, which can treat dermatoses and mucosal diseases. But it is not suitable for patients with various fevers, acute gastritis and ulcers. Such springs rarely appear in China, only Tongwei Spring in Gansu, Wudalianchi Spring in Heilongjiang, Dieshui River Spring in Tengchong, Yunnan and so on.
(7) Arsenic water
Water with arsenic (As) content above 1mg/L is arsenic water.
(8) radon water
The water with radon (222Rn) content above 129.5Bq/L is radon gas water. Radon water is mainly used for bath therapy and drinking therapy. During bathing treatment, radon can penetrate the skin and enter the body, forming a radioactive film containing radon on the skin, which constantly produces radioactivity, thus playing the role of bathing treatment. When drinking, it is absorbed by the gastrointestinal tract and plays a role. Radon water can regulate cardiovascular system and nervous system, and is effective for cardiovascular diseases, neuritis, neuralgia and arthritis, but it is not suitable for advanced hypertension, severe arteriosclerosis, various hemorrhagic diseases and infectious diseases. Radon water is widely distributed in China, such as Tanggangzi Hot Spring, Lintong Hot Spring, Fusong Hot Spring and Conghua Hot Spring. Most of these springs are compound springs with high heat and diverse components.
(9) Warm mineral water
The temperature of mineral water is an important physical factor that can cure diseases. Hot water bath can reduce the excitability of nerves and has a calming effect. It can dilate skin blood vessels, speed up heartbeat and lower blood pressure, and is suitable for patients with nervous overexcitation, arteriosclerosis, hypertension, sequelae of cerebral hemorrhage and hemiplegia. In addition, the temperature of mineral water can promote the skin to absorb and excrete various trace elements and other components, so the water temperature is a positive therapeutic factor. On the contrary, the effect of cold water bath therapy is to improve nerve excitability, skin vasoconstriction, heartbeat enhancement, and slightly increase blood pressure (Shen et al., 1993).