Have you ever wondered how micronutrients enter our body? Unlike the macronutrients (proteins, carbohydrates, and fats) that are needed in copious amounts daily and serve as gas for the body’s engine, vitamins and minerals, summarily known as micronutrients, are required in trace amounts. Ironically, these “micro” nutrients are just as important as the main elements of nutrition, and deficiency in just one of them could result in catastrophic and even life-threatening consequences.
Micronutrients are vitamins and minerals that perform multifarious and vital bodily functions. Their functions range from disease prevention, energy production, and blood clotting to promoting proper growth and development. Excluding vitamin D, the body is incapable of producing micronutrients and therefore must derive them externally. Vitamins and minerals are present in food and dietary supplements.
This article will take an in-depth look at these impactful nutrients, their importance, and how micronutrients enter our body and then how they are then used within our syste,
What Are Micronutrients?
They are nutrients that comprise organic vitamins and inorganic mineral compounds. They are assimilated into the bloodstream in tiny bits for the body’s optimal health and function. Micronutrients are crucial for immune support for adults, body growth, brain development and immune boost for kids.
Micronutrients in our diets have four classifications:
- Water-soluble vitamins: As the name points out, these vitamins are water-soluble. The body utilizes them as available, and excess is excreted from the body system as urine. The two major water-soluble vitamins are the B-complexes (Vitamins B1 to B12) and vitamin C. Let’s have a little Q and A quiz. Why are vitamins important? Easy. They’re important because vitamins boost energy. Each water-soluble vitamin has a designated mission in the body, but they generally perform similar functions of energy production and distribution.
- Fat-soluble vitamins: The fat-soluble vitamins get assimilated into the body when taken in with foods containing fat. After ingestion, the vitamins are taken away and stored in the liver and fatty tissues for eventual use. The vitamins that dissolve in fat include Vitamins A, D, E, and K. Vitamin A handles all the work involving vision and proper eye function We advise you to explore vitamins for good eye health in more detail. Vitamin D and vitamin E are immune support vitamins that promote calcium absorption and bone growth and faster injury healing. The K vitamin also aids proper bone development and is necessary for blood clotting.
- Macrominerals: These minerals are vitally necessary for the body for proper muscle, bone and teeth structure, as well as for fluid balance and stable blood pressure. The body needs macrominerals in higher amounts than trace minerals. They include sodium, chloride, calcium, potassium, phosphorus, magnesium and sulfur.
- Trace minerals: Trace minerals are elements that the body requires in microscopic quantities. They aid in carrying out bodily processes like brain and nervous system function, metabolism and cell rejuvenation. Iron, manganese, copper, zinc, iodine, fluoride and selenium are examples of trace minerals.
How Do I Get Micronutrients?
Micronutrients come from two sources. Every nutrient our body requires is available in a variety of foods. When we don’t or for some reason cannot supply our body with enough of these essential nutrients through food, natural vitamin supplements come in handy.
Good sources of micronutrients include whole grains, eggs, fish and lean meats, oysters, cashews, peanuts, sweet potatoes, beans and dairy products. Leafy greens and bell peppers are rich in fat and water-soluble vitamins. The ratio of micronutrient-to-macronutrient intake in your diet wouldn’t be balanced without fruits. Try to eat lots of coloured fruit like citrus fruits, bananas, kiwi, apples and grapes.
If you believe you might not be getting enough nutrition from your daily diet, speaking to your doctor will help. A few tests may be run to determine which nutrients are lacking in your body. Depending on the results, a dietary supplement or multivitamin might be recommended. The truth about supplements is that they work best in conjunction with a healthy diet. Nutritional requirements differ based on one’s age, gender and health status. There are specific multivitamin supplements to help focus, some supplements are prepared specially for women, and there are vitamins essential for weight loss.
Micronutrient Deficiencies And Toxicities
There’s a saying that too much or too little of anything is bad. The same goes for micronutrients. When the body doesn’t get enough, deficiency problems will come up. Too much, on the other hand, will be toxic to your body system.
Certain populations around the world are affected by at least one form of nutrient deficiency. In the United States alone, over 40% of the population doesn’t get enough vitamin D due to very little sun exposure. On a global scale, almost 200 million women and children suffer from vitamin A deficiency, especially at the preschool level. WHO disclosed that 45% of child deaths are related to undernutrition. Vitamin B12 deficiency might surface in vegetarians and vegans as they do not consume animal foods. The elderly are also at risk of being nutrient deficient due to diminished absorption.
Micronutrient toxicities are not as widespread as deficiencies. Toxicity is prevalent in people that excessively consume fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E and K) because the body doesn’t excrete any excess. Instead, whatever’s left unused goes to the liver and fatty tissues, where they become toxic. Toxicity symptoms are contingent on the nutrient consumed.
How Micronutrients Enter Our Body
In a nutshell, micronutrients enter our bodies and circulate through the small intestines. The large intestine and stomach absorb a negligible amount, but most credit goes to the small intestines. During absorption, nutrients from food and supplements go through channels and folds in the small intestine.
Countless tiny, hairlike projections called villi cover the surface of these channels and folds within the intestinal wall. Each villus has even tinier, nutrient-specific microvilli that trap these micronutrients then usher them through the intestinal walls and into the bloodstream. This is achieved by utilizing two main transport systems viz active transport absorption and passive diffusion.
- In the active transport absorption, the nutrients pass through the intestinal wall and into the bloodstream with the help of a carrier molecule, the nutrients’ taxi.
- Passive diffusion doesn’t require any “taxi” assistance. In this case, the nutrients diffuse from within the intestine, where micronutrient concentration is higher, into the bloodstream (an area of low concentration).
Final Words On How Micronutrients Enter Our Body
Now we understand what micronutrients are, their properties and how they differ from macronutrients, as well as how the body assimilates them for use. In addition, this post explains just how crucial micronutrients are to overall body function, so ensure you consume foods rich in them and use supplements where needed to maintain healthy nutrient levels at all times.
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