Micronutrients: The Unseen Foods
You may have heard the word macronutrients before. If you haven’t, you’ve still probably heard of carbohydrates, protein, or fat. Carbs, protein, and fat are macronutrients, the main components of your diet. You need a large amount of carbs, protein, and fat to keep your body running smoothly.
Micronutrients are just as important as macronutrients. The only difference is that you have to eat a lot less of them (okay, that’s not the only difference but you know). Typically, micronutrients refer to vitamins and minerals. Your body can not produce minerals or vitamins, so your body needs to get them from outside sources.
Vitamins and minerals fight against diseases, develop the brain, aid in growth, and do many more things for your body. Without these vitamins and minerals, your body will be more prone to diseases and nutrient-deficits.
Minerals are inorganic and come from soil or water, and can’t be broken down. Vitamins are organic and come from plants and animals, and they can be broken down. There are about 30 minerals and vitamins that your body needs that can not be produced on its own.
Some of these (but not all of them) are:
- Calcium
- Vitamin B1
- Vitamin B2
- Vitamin B3
- Vitamin B5
- Vitamin B6
- Vitamin B12
- Biotin
- Vitamin A
- Vitamin B
- Vitamin C
- Vitamin D
- Vitamin E
- Vitamin K
- Chromium
- Fiber
- Copper
- Folic Acid
- Iodine
- Iron
- Magnesium
- Potassium
- Sodium
- Sulfur
- Zinc
Micronutrients are just as important as macronutrients. This is why it is important to take your vitamins and to ensure you eat a variety of foods so you get all of your vitamins and minerals. The good thing is that is it easy to get the amount of micronutrients that you need, because you need smaller amounts of them than you do of macronutrients (carbs, proteins, and fats). You can read the ingredients on your food labels to see what vitamins and minerals they contain, so you know where your sources of micronutrients come from.
Sources:
- Harvard Health Publishing. “Listing of Vitamins.” Harvard Health Blog, Harvard Health Publishing, www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/listing_of_vitamins.
- “Vitamins and Minerals.” Healthy Eating Tips to Prevent, Control, and Reverse Diabetes, www.helpguide.org/harvard/vitamins-and-minerals.htm.
- https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/micronutrients#definition
- https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/micronutrients-have-major-impact-on-health
- https://www.google.com/search?safe=strict&pws=0&gl=us&biw=1366&bih=658&tbm=isch&sa=1&ei=I8gTXK3mNMfYjwTzqZEI&q=micronutrients&oq=micron&gs_l=img.1.0.0i67j0l9.5484.7065..8506...1.0..1.69.454.7......2....1..gws-wiz-img.....0.lnFSJlUY5Y8#imgrc=Jx0K2YmFLS2IbM:
