Micronutrients
Itty bitty with a powerful punch
People talk a lot about macronutrients (carbs, fat & protein) and what they do for the body and often times micronutrients get overlooked. Micronutrients are vitamins and minerals that are needed in much smaller amounts. They’re essential in our diets becasue they play a big role in functions like energy metabolism, and the formation and maintenance of healthy cells and tissues.
Vitamins fall into two categories: fat-soluble and water-soluble. It is important to understand the difference because they’re used very differently in the body and the way you consume them matters. Fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E & K) are readily stored in the fat tissue of the body, so you don’t have to consume them everyday. This is great but it is important to know that you can overdose on these vitamins because they’re readily stored by the body. Taking too many vitamin supplements is the most common way toxicity occurs.
Water-soluble vitamins (C & B) absorb easily into the bloodstream and then travel to targeted cells. With the exception of B12, we don’t store large amounts of water-soluble vitamins. Our kidneys filter out any excess in our urine. Because our bodies flush out the excess, toxicity of water-soluble vitamins is rare. When it does occur, it is usually due to people taking megadoses of high-potency supplements, not from food consumption.
This brings us to what compounds are actually classified as micronutrients. I’ve already mentioned vitamins A, B, C, D, E & K (keep in mind there are a lot of different B vitamins, not just one). The minerals we need to consume fall into two categories: major and trace minerals. You need at least 100mg per day of the major minerals, which are sodium, potassium, phosphorus, chloride, calcium, magnesium and sulfur. These minerals are essential in regulating body processes. An example, sodium and potassium are both needed for muscle contraction. Trace minerals are those, like the name suggests, that are only needed in trace amounts (less than 100mg per day). Trace minerals include selenium, fluoride, iodine, chromium, manganese, iron, zinc and copper. Also necessary for bodily functions, one example is that selenium is required for carbohydrate and fat metabolism.
Micronutrients are found in many different foods, that is why eating a wide variety is so important. They can be found in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, seafood, dairy products, legumes, meat and other protein-rich foods. To learn more about individual vitamins and minerals, please keep an eye out for future posts on the subject.
