Today we’re switching gears a little bit to talk about “fuels” that are slightly different than the macronutrients we’ve been talking about for the last week! Today we’re covering MICROnutrients!
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Micronutrients are also ways to fuel your body for it’s best performance and health, as micronutrients are vitamins and minerals. Ever since you were a kid, I’m sure that you’re heard that it’s so important to get your vitamins in! Just like macros, micronutrients are also found in food and different types of food contain different levels of vitamins and minerals.
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It’s super important to make sure that you are getting the right amount of vitamins and minerals, as each one does something different in your body! Vitamins are needed for energy production, immune function, blood clotting and other functions while minerals benefit growth, bone health, fluid balance and other processes.
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Most healthy adults can get majority of the vitamins and minerals their body needs through the foods they eat, however I thought that these numbers were interesting to note about stats of micronutrient deficiencies (taken from: https://buff.ly/2XS0RFL)
◾Vitamin D: Approximately 77% of Americans are deficient in vitamin D, mostly due to lack of sun exposure
◾Vitamin B12: Vegans and vegetarians may develop vitamin B12 deficiency from refraining from animal products. Elderly individuals are also at risk due to decreased absorption with age
◾Vitamin A: The diets of women and children in developing countries often lack adequate vitamin A
◾Iron: Deficiency of this mineral is common among preschool children, menstruating women and vegans
◾Calcium: Close to 22% and 10% of men and women over 50, respectively, don’t get enough calcium
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⭐So what are the vitamins and minerals and what do they do? ⭐
Before we dive in, I’ve gotta tell you – there are A LOT of them! So many, that I want to preface this by saying, it’s totally not something that a lot of people track unless their doctor has specifically told them they are lacking a specific vitamin or mineral and they are taking supplements to help boost those levels.
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Also, a lot of these are packed into whole, natural foods! So if you are eating your leafy greens, playing outside with your kids, the odds are, you are getting a decent amount of your needed vitamins and minerals. However, if you really want to know your levels, be sure to check with your doctor! Also to help with this, today’s graphic has an awesome at-a-glance chart that catches some of the most important vitamins and minerals and what foods you can find them in!
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I think if anything, just skimming this list, you cannot help but wonder at our AMAZING God! Each one of these things has a specific task to help your body be balanced, and for you to be healthy. Sister, when He says we are fearfully and wonderfully made, it is SO true… and this is only one piece to the puzzle that is our bodies!
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And now onto the list of incredible things these Vitamins and Minerals do for our bodies! All of this information (but more in depth, I just did a recap), can be found here: https://buff.ly/2R5skka
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⭐Water-soluble vitamins⭐
These vitamins are not stored in our bodies upon consumption and get flushed out when you have too many. Because of that, it’s super important to make sure that you get these regularly from the foods that you eat!
◾Vitamin B1 (thiamine): Helps convert nutrients into energy. Found in: Whole grains, meat, fish
◾Vitamin B2 (riboflavin): Necessary for energy production, cell function and fat metabolism. Found in: Organ meats, eggs, milk
◾Vitamin B3 (niacin): Drives the production of energy from food. Found in: Meat, salmon, leafy greens, beans
◾Vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid): Necessary for fatty acid synthesis. Found in: Organ meats, mushrooms, tuna, avocado
◾Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine): Helps your body release sugar from stored carbohydrates for energy and create red blood cells. Found in: Fish, milk, carrots, potatoes
◾Vitamin B7 (biotin): Plays a role in the metabolism of fatty acids, amino acids and glucose. Found in : Eggs, almonds, spinach, sweet potatoes
◾Vitamin B9 (folate): Important for proper cell division. Found in: Beef, liver, black-eyed peas, spinach, asparagus
◾Vitamin B12 (cobalamin): Necessary for red blood cell formation and proper nervous system and brain function. Found in: Clams, fish, meat
◾Vitamin C (ascorbic acid): Required for the creation of neurotransmitters and collagen, the main protein in your skin. Found in: Citrus fruits, bell peppers, Brussels sprouts
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⭐Fat Soluble Vitamins⭐
These vitamins absorb in your body and are stored in your fatty tissue and liver for future use!
◾Vitamin A: Necessary for proper vision and organ function. Found in: Retinol (liver, dairy, fish), carotenoids (sweet potatoes, carrots, spinach)
◾Vitamin D: Promotes proper immune function and assists in calcium absorption and bone growth. Found in: Sunlight, fish oil, milk
Vitamin E: Assists immune function and acts as an antioxidant that protects cells from damage. Found in: Sunflower seeds, wheat germ, almonds
◾Vitamin K: Required for blood clotting and proper bone development. Found in: Leafy greens, soybeans, pumpkin
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⭐Macrominerals⭐
Macro=large. These are the vitamins and minerals that you need in the largest quantities for them to do their jobs. Because of that, you’ve probably heard of these more often than other vitamins and minerals!
◾Calcium: Necessary for proper structure and function of bones and teeth. Assists in muscle function and blood vessel contraction. Found in: Milk products, leafy greens, broccoli
◾Phosphorus: Part of bone and cell membrane structure. Found in: Salmon, yogurt, turkey
◾Magnesium: Assists with over 300 enzyme reactions, including regulation of blood pressure. Found in: Almonds, cashews, black beans
◾Sodium: Electrolyte that aids fluid balance and maintenance of blood pressure. Found in: Salt, processed foods, canned soup
◾Chloride: Often found in combination with sodium. Helps maintain fluid balance and is used to make digestive juices. Found in: Seaweed, salt, celery
◾Potassium: Electrolyte that maintains fluid status in cells and helps with nerve transmission and muscle function. Found in: Lentils, acorn squash, bananas
◾Sulfur: Part of every living tissue and contained in the amino acids methionine and cysteine. Found in: Garlic, onions, Brussels sprouts, eggs, mineral water
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⭐Trace Minerals⭐
This is the final sub-category of micronutrients, and they are called “trace” because your body only needs the littlest amount of these!
◾Iron: Helps provide oxygen to muscles and assists in the creation of certain hormones. Found in: Oysters, white beans, spinach
◾Manganese: Assists in carbohydrate, amino acid and cholesterol metabolism. Found in: Pineapple, pecans, peanuts
◾Copper: Required for connective tissue formation, as well as normal brain and nervous system function. Found in: Liver, crabs, cashews
◾Zinc: Necessary for normal growth, immune function and wound healing. Found in: Oysters, crab, chickpeas
◾Iodine: Assists in thyroid regulation. Found in: Seaweed, cod, yogurt
◾Fluoride: Necessary for the development of bones and teeth. Found in: Fruit juice, water, crab
◾Selenium: Important for thyroid health, reproduction and defense against oxidative damage. Found in: Brazil nuts, sardines, ham

⭐ACTION: Just skimming this list… have you heard of majority of the micronutrients listed? Which ones did you find the most interesting for what they do for your body?