Micronutrient Basics
What are Micronutrients and Why are They Important?
Vitamins are necessary for energy production, immune function, blood clotting and other functions. Meanwhile, minerals play an important role in growth, bone health, fluid balance and several other processes. Micronutrients must be obtained from food since most vitamins and minerals cannot be produced by our bodies. It is possible to acquire highly bioavailable vitamins and minerals from a well formulated mineral water source, but most vitamin and mineral waters don’t contain adequate levels of vitamins with appropriate ratios and they tend to have sugar or sugar substitutes to improve their palatability and addictiveness.
Vitamins are organic compounds made by plants and animals which can be broken down by heat, acid or air. On the other hand, minerals are inorganic, exist in soil or water and cannot be broken down.
Water-Soluble Vitamins: Can dissolve in water and typically important for assisting with energy production
- Vitamin B1 (thiamine): Helps convert nutrients into energy (whole grains, meat, fish)
- Vitamin B2 (riboflavin): Necessary for energy production, cell function and fat metabolism (organ meats, eggs, milk)
- Vitamin B3 (niacin): Drives the production of energy from food (meat, salmon, leafy greens, beans)
- Vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid): Necessary for fatty acid synthesis (organ meats, mushrooms, tuna, avocado)
- Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine): Helps your body release sugar from stored carbohydrates for energy and create red blood cells (fish, milk, carrots, potatoes)
- Vitamin B7 (biotin): Plays a role in the metabolism of fatty acids, amino acids and glucose (eggs, almonds, spinach, sweet potatoes)
- Vitamin B9 (folate): Important for proper cell division (beef, liver, black-eyed peas, spinach, asparagus)
- Vitamin B12 (cobalamin): Necessary for red blood cell formation and proper nervous system and brain function (clams, fish, meat)
- Vitamin C (ascorbic acid): Required for the creation of neurotransmitters and collagen, the main protein in your skin (citrus fruits, bell peppers, Brussels sprouts)
Fat-soluble vitamins: Absorbed when consumed with fat, and stored in the liver and fatty tissue for later use
- Vitamin A: Necessary for vision and organ function (Retinol (liver, dairy, fish), carotenoids (sweet potatoes, carrots, spinach))
- Vitamin D: Promotes proper immune function and assists in calcium absorption and bone growth (sunlight, fish oil, milk)
- Vitamin E: Assists immune function and acts as an antioxidant that protects cells from damage (sunflower seeds, wheat germ, almonds)
- Vitamin K: Required for blood clotting and proper bone development (leafy greens, soybeans (natto), pumpkin)
Macrominerals: Needed in larger amounts than trace minerals
- Calcium: Necessary for proper structure and function of bones and teeth. Assists in muscle function and blood vessel contraction (milk products, leafy greens, broccoli)
- Chloride: Often found in combination with sodium. Helps maintain fluid balance and is used to make digestive juices (seaweed, salt, celery)
- Magnesium: Assists with over 300 enzyme reactions, including regulation of blood pressure (almonds, cashews, black beans)
- Phosphorus: Part of bone and cell membrane structure (salmon, yogurt, turkey)
- Potassium: Electrolyte that maintains fluid status in cells and helps with nerve transmission and muscle function (lentils, acorn squash, bananas)
- Sodium: Electrolyte that aids fluid balance and maintenance of blood pressure (salt, processed foods, canned soup)
- Sulfur: Part of every living tissue and contained in the amino acids: methionine and cysteine (garlic, onions, Brussels sprouts, eggs, mineral water)
Trace minerals: Needed in smaller amounts than macrominerals
- Copper: Required for connective tissue formation, as well as normal brain and nervous system function (liver, crabs, cashews)
- Iodine: Assists in thyroid regulation (seaweed, cod, yogurt)
- Iron: Helps provide oxygen to muscles and assists in the creation of certain hormones (oysters, white beans, spinach)
- Manganese: Assists in carbohydrate, amino acid and cholesterol metabolism (pineapple, pecans, peanuts)
- Selenium: Important for thyroid health, reproduction and defense against oxidative damage (Brazil nuts, sardines, ham)
- Zinc: Necessary for normal growth, immune function and wound healing (oysters, crab, chickpeas)
Do we Need to Supplement our Diets?
It would appear so. As much as vitamin deficiencies get exaggerated by the media and pop-culture nutritionists, we do tend to struggle to achieve optimal health with food alone. That is unless we take the time to understand our bodies, the quality and origin of our food, and make better dietary decisions by avoiding the flashy marketing of junk food. This is mostly due to our mass produced, pesticide laden, and heavily modified fruits and vegetables no longer containing the same nutrients they once did. Not to mention our dairy and meat industries feeding livestock the same zombified plant matter, making the animals sick and fat, and then pumping them full of antibiotics to keep them alive. Resulting in us consuming that same sick animal product. I’m not saying that the huge scientific agricultural advances that led to increased yield was a bad thing. In fact, civilization as we know it currently depends on that impossibly high yield to survive. However, by trying to cheat nature we’ve ended up cheating ourselves.
Our best chance of maximizing the quality of our fruits, vegetables, and meat products is to purchase organically grown and locally sourced food. There are farmers who claim to grow organically, that still find ways to skirt around the rules, but typically the quality of the food is going to be better than buying from a supermarket or a bigger brand. Increasing the supply and demand for good quality food sources should also convince bigger and dirtier businesses to change their practices (in an ideal world).
Now, I’m not saying that genetically modified food is necessarily bad, but I highly doubt that humans have the capacity to consider all the variables of our foods without missing a few potentially crucial steps and adequate ratios to maintain the health of the consumer. Let’s be honest, we’ve f****d up much simpler tasks while believing in our abilities to conquer nature and we might only see the side effects of these foods 50 years down the track when it’s too late. If it’s a matter of starving or eating GMOs, I’ll eat that Frankenstein’s monster bulls**t every time. However, if we have a choice, we might as well pick the less tampered with version.
Also, try to eat more wild fatty fish, shellfish, mushrooms, cruciferous vegetables, tubers, and organ meats. These food sources, that frequently get neglected, are ridiculously high-density sources of all the previously mentioned vitamins and minerals. For most people, eating each of these items once a week will cover essentially all of your health requirements.
If you are trying your hardest to eat as healthily as possible, on top of eliminating personally inflammatory and genetically disagreeable foods, and you find you are still suffering from nutritional deficiencies, you may need to supplement. If that’s the case, make sure you do your research about supplementing vitamins and minerals that work synergistically. Otherwise, you may end up causing more harm than good.
For a more in-depth exploration and assessment of micronutrients, click HERE
Common Micronutrient Deficiencies
Iron
Frequency:
Developing countries and some vegans. Celiac disease, Crohn’s disease and pregnancy are predisposing factors.
Source:
Blood, bovine liver, oysters, mussels, beef, sardines, dark green vegetables. Vitamin C promotes the absorption of iron.
Health problems caused by deficiency:
Anemia, susceptibility to infections, respiratory problems, hair loss, muscular problems, headaches, heart problems, fatigue, etc.
Caveat:
Iron deficiencies may actually be due to copper or riboflavin deficiencies instead. If increasing iron-rich food sources does not change anemic symptoms, it may be worth testing them instead.
Vitamin B12
Frequency:
Vegans and vegetarians but increasingly more common for other diets now.
Source:
Bovine liver, sardines, salmon, eggs, soil.
Health problems caused by deficiency:
Pernicious anemia, fatigue, dementia and depression. Increases the risk of coronary artery disease and osteoporosis.
Caveat:
You can only absorb about a day’s worth of B12 at any given time. So, you need to achieve an adequate B12 status every day.
Vitamin D
Frequency:
The northern and southern hemisphere, where sunlight is scarce.
Source:
The sun, fish, fish oil, and mushrooms. Sufficient intake from food is difficult.
Health problems caused by deficiency:
Predisposing factor for osteoporosis, infections, diabetes, cancer, cardiovascular diseases, and various neurological diseases.
Caveat:
Excess phosphorus and vitamin A or a calcium (which also requires adequate vitamin K2 levels) and magnesium deficiency may be the cause of vitamin D deficiency.
Iodine
Frequency:
Approximately 40% of the world.
Source:
Seaweed (particularly kelp/kombu), seafood and egg yolk. Impoverished soil is a predisposing factor.
Health problems caused by deficiency:
Predisposing factor for hypothyroidism and goiter. Deficiency in pregnancy predisposes the child for cretinism.
Caveat:
Raw vegetables can inhibit absorption of iodine. Cook them or replace them with tubers if your levels are low. Also, be careful not to flood your system with iodine if you are low.
Selenium
Frequency:
Mild deficiency is common in areas with low soil selenium content.
Source:
Brazil nuts, wild salmon, kidneys, mutton, egg yolk. Impoverished soil is a predisposing factor.
Health problems caused by deficiency:
Increased risk of inflammatory diseases, cardiovascular diseases and cancer. Impaired immune response and activation of thyroid hormones.
Caveat:
It is extremely easy to reach your selenium quota with 2-3 Brazil nuts (try not to overdose). Also, selenium is important for healthy thyroid function. Get your selenium levels checked if you have symptoms of hypothyroidism.
Magnesium
Frequency:
Mild deficiency is very common. Particularly in diabetics.
Source:
Dark green vegetables, cocoa, nuts and seeds. Regulates the function of more than 300 enzymes in the body. Impoverished soil is a predisposing factor.
Health problems caused by deficiency:
Predisposing factor for cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, hypertension, fibromyalgia, osteoporosis, constipation, and stress.
Caveat:
Magnesium is needed to activate vitamin D, vitamin D is needed to activate vitamin K dependent proteins, which also requires magnesium.
Zinc
Frequency:
Mild deficiency is common particularly in vegans and the elderly. The low level of HCl in the stomach is a predisposing factor.
Source:
Insects, oysters, calf liver, beef, pumpkin seeds, mutton.
Health problems caused by deficiency:
Predisposing factor for poor condition of skin, hair, and nails, weakened immune system, and fertility problems.
Caveat:
Zinc is a copper antagonist, so you don’t want to overdose with supplements. Also, zinc is required to produce thyroid hormones by activating the T3 receptor and hypothyroidism lowers zinc absorption in the intestines. Creating a cycle of zinc deficiency.
Vitamin K2
Frequency:
A large proportion are deficient. One of the leading causes of deficiency is the use of antibiotics.
Source:
Natto, miso, sauerkraut, grass-fed butter, roe, fermented foods in general. Intestinal bacteria produce a small amount.
Health problems caused by deficiency:
Predisposing factor for tooth decay, dental plaque, osteoporosis, and artery calcification.
Caveat:
Taking anticoagulation medicines, such as warfarin, interferes with your vitamin K1 levels. However, vitamin K2’s non clotting effects are not affected. Also, G6PD and thiamine are needed for vitamin K recycling, and deficiencies in these may be the true cause of vitamin K deficiency.
Recommended and Upper Limits
- Vitamin A: RDA 700-900 mcg Upper 3000 mcg
- Vitamin C: RDA 75-90 mg Upper 2000 mg
- Vitamin D: 600-800 IU, 4000 IU
- Vitamin K: 90-120 mcg, Not Established
- Vitamin E: 15 mg, 1000 mg
- Vitamin B1 (Thiamine): 1.1-1.2 mg, Not Established
- Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin): 1.3 mg, Not Established
- Vitamin B3 (Niacin): 14-16 mg, 35 mg
- Vitamin-B5 (Pantothenic acid): 5 mg, Not Established
- Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine): 1.3-1.7 mg, 100 mg
- Vitamin B7 (Biotin): 30 mcg, Not Established
- Vitamin B9 (Folate): 400 mcg, 1000 mcg
- Vitamin-B12 (Cyanocobalamin): 2.4 mcg, Not Established
- Calcium: 1000-1200 mg, 2000-2500 mg
- Choline: 425-550 mg, 3500 mg
- Chloride: 1800-2300 mg, 3600 mg
- Chromium: 35 mcg, Not Established
- Copper: 900 mcg, 10,000 mcg
- Fluoride: 3-4 mg, 10 mg
- Iodine: 150 mcg, 1100 mcg
- Iron: 8-18 mg, 45 mg
- Magnesium: 300-450 mg, 500 mg
- Manganese: 1.8-2.3 mg, 11 mg
- Molybdenum: 45 mcg, 2000 mcg
- Phosphorus: 700-1250 mg, 3000-4000 mg
- Potassium: 4700 mg, Not Established
- Selenium: 55 mcg, 400 mcg
- Sodium: 1200-1500 mg, 2500 mg (this is likely too low)
- Zinc: 8-11 mg, 40 mg