THERAPEUTIC EFFECTS -  Poor zinc nutriture is fairly common in this country due to 1) losses of zinc from food processing, 2) inadequate intake of zinc (oysters, lamb, beef, and seeds are good sources), and 3) loss of zinc from heavy sweating.  Zinc has been shown to be effective in treating acne, accelerating wound healing, preventing the common cold, acting as an anti-viral, and treating almost any prostate problem (149, 150, 151).  Zinc is so crucial to prostate health, that poor zinc nutriture may partially account for the high incidence of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and prostate cancer in American men. 

Manganese
  FORM - Same as magnesium.
  FUNCTIONS -  Manganese also functions as a cofactor for a variety of reactions.  In this way manganese is needed for superoxide dismutase (i.e. it can be considered an antioxidant) and normal nerve transmission in the brain (152, 153).  Maganese is also required for normal function of a variety of other micronutrients including biotin, thiamine, vitamin C and choline.  Like magnesium, managanese is used as a cofactor for energy producing reactions (154).
  THERAPEUTIC EFFECTS -  If someone takes in especially high quantites of milk, beef and soda pop it is possible they may have insufficient manganese since high calcium and  phosphorus can drive down manganese.  Manganese supplementation may be helpful in treating epilepsy (155).  Managanese in combination with other minerals is thought to be beneficial for the treatment of osteoporosis (156).  Greater benefits have been reported in 
several studies using a multimineral supplement compared to just calcium supplementation( 157, 158).

Boron
  FUNCTIONS - Boron appears to play a role in calcium balance (159). Because of its probable role in proper calcium metabolism boron may be helpful in preventing atherosclerosis and hypertension (please see reference 89).  It may help the bones retain calcium and therefore be helpful to prevent osteoporosis.  
  THERAPEUTIC EFFECTS -  Boron has been used for many years in the form of boric acid as a topical antiseptic.  Boron supplementation has been shown to be helpful in the treatment of osteoarthritis (160).  Post-menopausal women receiving a boron enriched diet had increased estrogen levels and decrease in urinary calcium (calcium excretion) (161).     

Copper
  FORM - Same as for magnesium.
  FUNCTIONS -  Copper is used as a cofactor in a wide variety of enzymes.  Some of these copper dependent enzymes are important for estrogen breakdown, antioxidant function, collagen formation, oxygen utilization, iron mobilization from the liver and catecholamine production (dopamine, epinephrine, norephinephrine)(162, 163, 164 ).  Obviously copper may be important in many illnesses.
  THERAPEUTIC EFFECTS -  Copper deficiency (which can occur with excessive zinc supplementation) is associated with cardiovascular disease in animal models and some human studies (165, 166).  Copper has also been used effectively (both oral and wearing of a copper braclet) in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (167).  Because of the need for copper for proper collagen formation it is not surprising to find that copper has been used in combination with other trace minerals for osteoporosis (168). 

Chromium
  FORM - Inorganic forms of chromium, such as chromium chloride are not as well assimilated compared to organic chromium.  Two forms of chromium; the picolinate and polynicotinate forms appear to have high bioavailability.  Chromium is thought to be a part of a complex known as glucose tolerance factor (GTF) (169).  Niacin or nictoinic acid is also considered to be a component of GTF and therefore the polynicotinate form of chromium has been used in AMC.
  FUNCTIONS -  Chromium has a well established function of enhancing the function of insulin (170).  Insulin (and therefore chromium) is extremely important in regulating carbohydrate, lipid, and protein metabolism (171).
  THERAPEUTIC EFFECTS -  Chromium supplementation has been shown to effectively decrease percent of body fat and increase lean body mass in normal healthy individuals (172, 173).  Chromium has also been reported to be effective at improving blood glucose control and blood lipid control in diabetic patients (174, 175).

Iodine
  FUNCTIONS - Iodine's only known function in the body is that it is needed (incorporated into) for production of thyroid hormones (triiodothyronine and thyroxine)(176).
  THERAPEUTIC EFFECTS - Deficiency of iodine can lead to primary hypothyroidism.  Hypothyroidism can manifest clinically as cold intolerance, fatigue, constipation, dry skin and hair, and mentally dulled.   Hypothyroidism has also been considered to contribute to a whole variety of chronic degenerative diseases such as cancer and heart disease (177, 178).  Low iodine and therefore low thyroid function can drastically affect normal basal metabolic rates. 

Selenium
  FORM - The best, most absorbable form of selenium is when it is bound to the essential amino acid, methionine.  Selenomthionine is the form of selenium used in AMC.
  FUNCTIONS - Selenium is a cofactor for a variety of enzymes.  The best studied is glutathione peroxidase.  This enzyme along with selenium is an extremely important intracelluar antioxidant (179).  This means that selenium may play a role in the prevention of heart disease and cancer (please see discussion of free radicals in the AntiOX 18 monogram).  Selenium is also needed for an enzyme which activates thyroxine (180).  Depending on the reason for the patient's hypothyroidism, selenium supplementation may be effective in treating this condition.
  THERAPEUTIC EFFECTS - Selenium intakes can vary tremendously depending on the soil content of selenium.  Many regions of the United States and China have soil deficiencies of selenium.  When selenium deficiencies have been reported from China they have been associated with a severe cardiomyopathy (Keshan disease) in children (181).  In other regions of the world selenium soil deficiency has been associated with higher rates of breast, colon, and lung cancers (182, 183).  Selenium supplementation may be beneficial for treating cancer, heart disease, hypothyroidism, mercury poisoning, and muscular dystrophy (along with vitamin E) (184, 185). 

Vanadium
  FORM - There are two forms of vanadium found in the bloodstream, vanadate and vanadyl.  The vanadyl form predominates inside the cell and therefore may be the most biologically active form of vanadium.  Vanadyl sulfate is the form of vanadium used in the AMC formula.