WEEK 6: Eat more micronutrients.
Micronutrients
The six classes of essential nutrients
There are six classes of essential nutrients for human health, meaning we can't live without them without negative consequences. Our bodies don’t make them so, we must obtain them from our diet. They include:
Carbohydrates
Protein
Fats
Vitamins
Minerals
Water
Carbohydrates, protein, and fats are collectively named macronutrients because we need them in large quantities.
They provide calories or energy in the form of ATP to run all metabolic reactions, which are jumpstarted by proteins called enzymes. Enzymes need cofactors to work, and that is where vitamins and minerals (micronutrients) come in. We need these in smaller quantities.
Types of Micronutrients
There are four main kinds of micronutrients that you should have in your diet:
Water-soluble vitamins. Two of the main water-soluble vitamins are B vitamins and vitamin C. These vitamins all dissolve in water. Your body can't hang on to them to use later, so you need to get more of them daily. Any water-soluble vitamins that your body doesn't use right away are flushed out of your system as urine.
They also help your body get energy. Plus, they strengthen your cells, including red blood cells.
Fat-soluble vitamins. Unlike water-soluble vitamins, fat-soluble vitamins dissolve in fat, not water. These include vitamins A, D, E, and K. Once you get them, they can stay in your body for later use. Your body stories them in fatty tissue and your liver. They are important for eye health and immune system support. They also help your body to heal injuries.
Microminerals. These are essential nutrients. They include calcium, magnesium, sodium, and potassium. They’re crucial for muscle and bone health. They also play a role in controlling your blood pressure.
Trace minerals. The other minerals you need include iron, manganese, copper, zinc, and selenium. Trace minerals are critical for muscle health, nervous system function, and repairing damage to cells.
Getting Micronutrients From Food
All of the nutrients you need are in different types of foods. Most experts agree that eating a variety of foods is the best way to get them. These fruits, vegetables, meats, and dairy products all have some micronutrients:
Foods with trace minerals: oysters, spinach, nuts such as cashews, legumes such as peanuts
Foods with water-soluble vitamins: citrus fruits, bell peppers, whole grains, eggs, dark leafy greens, fish, and lean meats
Foods with fat-soluble vitamins: leafy greens, soybeans, almonds, sweet potatoes, and milk
Foods with microminerals: dairy products, black beans and lentils, bananas, and fish
Getting Micronutrients From Supplements
Supplements can be part of your healthy diet, but they aren't a perfect replacement for eating a variety of foods. Most vitamins don't contain the total recommended dose of nutrients, such as calcium. The pills would be too large to swallow if they did.
Supplements to Consider if Your Diet is Lacking
Supplements to consider if you’re not getting enough from your diet include calcium, iron, vitamin D, or omega-3 fish oils.
Using a low dose of multivitamin and mineral has proven to help raise intakes to the recommended amounts needed to support physiological functions to meet the body's immediate demands while supporting long-term health.
Nothing replaces a good diet and other healthy behaviors such as adequate sleep, regular exercise, managing stress, and maintaining healthy body weight.
Critical Functions of Selected Micronutrients:
B vitamins are needed to extract energy from food
Vitamin C is a very potent antioxidant and plays an essential role in maintaining a strong immune system.
Vitamin B12 is required for proper nerve function and to make red blood cells
Vitamin A is needed for good vision, immunity, and healthy skin
Vitamin D is required to form bone, healthy immune function, and functions like a hormone throughout the body
Vitamin E is an antioxidant and helps protect cells from damage
Vitamin K is needed to form blood clots and to shuttle calcium into bone
Calcium is needed for muscle contraction and bone formation
Iron is required to transport oxygen throughout the body
Magnesium regulates muscle contraction and nerve transmission. It helps form teeth and bones and is needed in over 300 metabolic reactions.
Potassium is needed for muscle contraction, proper nerve conduction, and maintenance of fluid and electrolyte balance
There are approximately 30 vitamins and minerals we need to consume regularly. Many have multiple functions and work synergistically to run your metabolism to keep you alive and healthy.
To maximize your micronutrient intake, you will need to consistently eat various food sources from all the major food groups. Dieting for weight loss, avoiding entire food groups, or eating the same foods with little variety limits your micronutrient intake and leads to more significant vitamin and mineral insufficiencies.
Using a low dose of multivitamin and mineral has proven to help raise intakes to the recommended amounts needed to support physiological functions to meet the body's immediate demands while supporting long-term health.
Nothing replaces a good diet and other healthy behaviors such as adequate sleep, regular exercise, managing stress, and maintaining healthy body weight.