Essay On Micronutrients

Micronutrients - What they are and dietary sources

In my post on macronutrients, I mentioned that there are micronutrients as well and that together macronutrients and micronutrients make up the nutrition that our bodies need. Even though we need both, micronutrients are needed in smaller amounts as compared to macronutrients.

Our micronutrients are going to be:

Vitamins

Minerals

In my opinion, macronutrients are talked about more rather than micronutrients. Additionally, this may be the opinion of others also. Micronutrients have important roles in the human body; micronutrients are important in energy production and metabolism.

What if I tell you that a deficiency of micronutrients can lead to horrible consequences like poor growth,

Potassium maintains water balance in the body and prevents muscle cramps.

MICRONUTRIENT DEFICIENCIES

What causes it?

Situations that cause micronutrients loss or increase are:

⇒ Poor diet

With a poor diet, it can be:

- not eating enough

- not eating the right foods or a variety of foods

- eating too little of healthy foods or none and lots of processed unhealthy foods and so on.

⇒ Food preparation

The cooking, preparation, and processing of foods can lead to the loss of micronutrients. For example boiling vegetables will lead to the loss of micronutrients.

Related post: 4 tips on how to get the most nutrients from the vegetables that you boil

⇒ Illness/disease

Diseases can lead to the loss or increase for micronutrients. Also, due to illness the absorption and transportation of micronutrients may disrupt, our metabolic requirements may increase and micronutrient loss may occur.

Parasitic infections can cause micronutrient loss. For example, the parasitic hookworm feeds on the blood of humans. This loss of blood can lead to iron-deficiency anemia due to iron loss. This parasite can cause diarrhea also and zinc loss can result through diarrhea

⇒ Psychologically demanding