What Are Micronutrients? The Ultimate Guide

What are Micronutrients?

The word micronutrient is a broad term generally used to refer to both vitamins and minerals.  Compared to macronutrients — aka protein, carbohydrates, and fat — your body requires them in much smaller amounts.  

Although you may not need all that much — we’re talking milligrams or even micrograms per day — your body needs an adequate supply of micronutrients in order to stay up and running.  In fact, vitamins and minerals play an essential part in all of your body’s major systems.  

Because your body cannot produce most micronutrients on its own, they must be obtained through your diet, which is why they’re also known as essential nutrients.  

While they may be found in various food sources, each type of food contains different concentrations of vitamins and minerals — it’s one of the main reasons that eating a balanced diet is so important.    

Despite being lumped together as micronutrients, vitamins and minerals are actually quite different from one another, both in terms of their functions and how your body breaks them down (or doesn’t in the case of minerals). 

Even amongst themselves, vitamins and minerals can differ greatly.  In fact, each micronutrient plays an important and unique role in the body, which means that no two substances have the exact same function.      

Vitamins

Vitamins are organic, meaning that they’re able to be broken down by your body to be used in a host of different roles.   In fact, some vitamins are actually broken down and converted into other substances once they’re inside of your body.  

They play a role in everything from brain function and neurotransmitter production to cell signaling and gene regulation.  There are 14 vitamins in total and each of which can be placed into one of two categories based upon their solubility.  

Water-Soluble Vitamins

Water-soluble vitamins are those that are contained within the water-content of food.  Because up to 60% of your body is water, they’re easily absorbed into your bloodstream during digestion.    

This also means that water-soluble vitamins can be easily transported throughout your body.  When you consume too much, your kidneys help to pass the excess amount out through your urine.    

Ultimately, water soluble-vitamins play a number of different roles in your body, however, one thing that many of them help out with is your metabolism.  They work in all different kinds of ways to convert the food you eat into energy that your body can actually use.   

List of Water-Soluble Vitamins

Fat-Soluble Vitamins

Compared to the water-soluble form, fat-soluble vitamins aren’t able to make it into your bloodstream as easily.  Once they do enter, most have to be transported throughout your body via carrier proteins.   

As with water-soluble vitamins, fat-soluble ones also have a number of different functions in your body.  However, most of them contribute in some way to maintaining the health of your bones and eyes.  

List of Fat-Soluble Vitamins

Minerals

Like vitamins, minerals can be broken down into two categories.  But with minerals, the categories are based upon your body’s requirements, not solubility.  

Unlike vitamins, which your body breaks down, minerals maintain their chemical structure when they’re ingested.  They have a plethora of different roles in your body, helping with everything from maintaining the health of your bones, to balancing your body’s fluids.  

Major Minerals

Major minerals are substances that your body requires in relatively high amounts, although we’re only talking milligrams.   There are 5 major minerals in total and each of which has its own unique functions.  

While they may have multiple roles, 3 of the 5 major minerals are electrolytes, which means that they help to regulate your body’s fluid levels.  The other 2 minerals — calcium and phosphorus — play an integral role in maintaining the health of your bones.  

 List of Major Minerals

Trace Minerals

Trace minerals, on the other hand, are required in smaller amounts by your body — we’re talking about micrograms in most cases.  Again, they’re not any less important that major minerals, your body just doesn’t need as much of them.  

Although they may work in a number of different ways, several trace minerals help to keep your muscles and brain functioning properly.    

List of Trace Minerals

Common Micronutrient Deficiencies

Ok, so we’ve touched on why micronutrients are important to your overall health, but what happens when you don’t get enough of a particular vitamin or mineral?  

While micronutrient deficiencies are far more common in developing countries, there are still several deficiencies that occur somewhat frequently here in the U.S.  If you’re not meeting your body’s nutritional needs, it can be detrimental to your health in a multitude of different ways.       

Iron Deficiency

According to the World Health Organization, as many as 5 billion people are iron deficient, which makes it the world’s most common micronutrient deficiency.⁽¹⁾ Those who are pregnant or very physically active are at an increased risk of iron deficiency.  

Your body needs iron to synthesize hemoglobin, which is a protein that transports oxygen throughout your blood.  Without enough iron in your diet, your body’s oxygen-carrying capacity is reduced, which amongst other things, can gravely impact your immune system.⁽²⁾

As much as 50% of the people who are iron deficient also suffer from anemia, which is a condition in which your body isn’t able to produce enough red blood cells.⁽³⁾

Vitamin b12 Deficiency

Here in the U.S., vitamin b12 is another micronutrient that some of the population is likely to be deficient in — especially older folks.⁽⁴⁾ B12 deficiency is often caused by the growing inability of your body to absorb the nutrient, which in many cases, is related to the aging process.⁽⁵⁾

Vegans and other non-meat-eaters may be at an increased risk of vitamin b12 deficiency, as the vitamin can only be obtained from animal-based sources like meat, eggs, and dairy.  

Numerous studies have illustrated that b12 deficiency can lead to a decline in cognitive functioning.⁽⁶⁾  It’s been associated with everything from impaired memory and depression, to more serious conditions like dementia.⁽⁷⁾ 

Vitamin D Deficiency

Some Americans also don't get enough Vitamin D, especially those who don’t spend much time in the sun.  While it can be obtained from both plant and animal sources, your body can also convert 7-dihydrocholesterol, which is absorbed by the skin during exposure to ultraviolet rays, into vitamin D. ⁽⁸⁾

Vitamin D deficiency can lead to several bone-related conditions such as osteoporosis and osteomalacia.⁽⁹⁾ It can also negatively impact your immune system, increasing the chances of contracting diseases like tuberculosis.⁽¹⁰⁾

On top of that, it’s an important cofactor for adequate testosterone levels, and a deficiency can lead to low testosterone in both men and women.  

Iodine Deficiency

While it’s a little less common, iodine deficiency can have a number of negative effects on your health.  Iodine plays an important role in the production of thyroid hormones, which in turn, help to maintain the health of your bones and brain (amongst other things). ⁽¹¹⁾

A lack of iodine can lead to hypothyroidism, which is a condition where your body doesn’t have the thyroid hormones it needs to keep itself functioning normally.⁽¹²⁾

Being iodine deficient can also negatively impact your child during pregnancy.  Without enough iodine, your child is at an increased risk of developing several neurological and cognitive conditions such as diplegia and intellectual disability. ^(13)(14)

Micronutrient Supplementation

While you can meet your micronutrient needs from your diet alone, the fact of the matter is that many people don’t.  That’s where supplementation comes into play. Supplements like multivitamins are easy to take and can help to assure that you’re meeting your nutritional needs.  

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While supplementation can help, it can also be detrimental to your health if you’re taking too many vitamins and minerals.  In fact, micronutrients like vitamin A, vitamin D, and iron can actually be toxic to your liver at high dosages.  

Wrap Up

The term micronutrients refers to both vitamins and minerals.  They’re also known as essential nutrients because your body needs an adequate supply of them in order to properly function.    

Because your body, by and large, isn’t able to produce them on its own, most vitamins and minerals must be obtained from your diet, though different foods contain different concentrations of micronutrients. 

Together, they play an important part in every major system in your body and while they may share some overlapping functions, each vitamin and mineral has its own unique role.    

Ultimately, not getting enough micronutrients in your daily diet can lead to a whole host of health problems including anemia, osteoporosis, and cognitive decline. 

• References
  1. “Micronutrient Deficiencies and Cognitive Functioning” Black, M.M. The Journal of Nutrition. Nov. 2003.
  2. “Iron Deficiency: Contemporary Scientific Issues and International Programmatic Approaches” Yip, R. The Journal of Nutrition. Aug. 1994.
  3. “Iron Deficiency: Contemporary Scientific Issues and International Programmatic Approaches” Yip, R. The Journal of Nutrition. Aug. 1994.
  4. “Vitamin B12 and folate deficiency in later life” Clarke, R., Evans, J.G., Schneede, J., Nexo, E., Bates, C., Fletcher, A., Prentice, A., Johnston, C., Ueland, P.M., Refsum, H., Sherliker, P., Birks, J., Whitlock, G., Breeze, E., Scott, J.M. Age and Aging. Jan. 2004.
  5. “Nutritional factors in physical and cognitive functions of elderly people” Rosenberg, I.H., Miller, J.W. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. June. 1992.
  6. “Vitamin B12 Deficiency” Stabler, S.P. The New England Journal of Medicine. Jan. 2013.
  7. “Vitamin B12 Deficiency” Oh, R.C., Brown, D.L. American Family Physician. Mar. 2003.
  8. “Vitamin D Deficiency” Holick, M.F. The New England Journal of Medicine. 2007.
  9. “Rickets–vitamin D deficiency and dependency” Sahay, M., Sahay, R. Indian Journal of Endocrinology and Metabolism. Apr. 2012.
  10. “Vitamin D Deficiency” M., Holick, M.F. The New England Journal of Medicine. 2007.
  11. “Iodine Deficiency — The Next Target for Elimination?” Dunn, J.T. The New England Journal of Medicine. Jan 1992.
  12. “Micronutrient Deficiencies and Cognitive Functioning” Black, M.M. The Journal of Nutrition. Nov. 2003.
  13. “Micronutrient Deficiencies and Cognitive Functioning” Black, M.M. The Journal of Nutrition. Nov. 2003.
  14. “Micronutrient deficiency — an underlying cause of morbidity and mortality” Black, R. Bulletin of the World Health Organization. 2003.