Micronutrients: Tiny superheroes for a healthy body
Micronutrients are small but they have a big impact on our body and our health.
This article explains the importance of micronutrients and gives some good suggestions on how you can easily add more micronutrients to your daily diet.
What are micronutrients?
Micronutrients are substances or elements that we divide into vitamins, minerals and trace elements that are required by your body to maintain good health.
The recommended daily intake of micronutrients is generally indicated in milligrams (mg) and micrograms (mcg).
Despite the fact that we only need micronutrients in small quantities, these tiny superheroes are of great importance for all kinds of processes in our body. They are needed for the production of enzymes, hormones, proteins, and other products created by your body.
Most of the micronutrients are essential. This means that our bodies cannot make them ourselves and we therefore need to get the micronutrients through the foods that we eat.
Micronutrients deficiency can cause all kinds of problems and have negative consequences for our health. A lack of micronutrients in your diet can affect your mood, impair your immune system and cause cognitive problems and (chronic) fatigue.
It is therefore important to keep your daily intake of vitamins and minerals high. This strengthens your body and your immune system and gives you the necessary energy.
Why do we suffer from nutrient deficiencies?
These days we live in an environment with easy and convenient fast-food, TV dinners, soft-drinks and lots of unhealthy snacks.
These foods generally contain a lot of calories, sugars, sweeteners, harmful (trans-) fats, sodium and all kinds of additives and are very low in (or have no) vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.
A nutrient deficient diet has a negative influence on our health, energy levels and performance and in the worst case can even lead to illnesses and chronic diseases such as diabetes type II, cancer and cardiovascular disease.
Other lifestyle factors which can cause nutrient deficiency are smoking, drinking alcohol and the use of medication.
How can you prevent a micronutrient deficiency?
The answer to this is actually very simple: Eat food in its original natural form. Eat lots of fruits and vegetables and choose fresh and unprocessed products with few ingredients and/or additives as much as possible.
Fruits and vegetables have an abundance of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and healthy phytonutrients. So it is definitely a good idea to add more fruits and vegetables (with every meal) to your diet to meet your daily micronutrient requirements.
Also, keep in mind that vitamins cannot tolerate heat and it is better to steam, roast or stir-fry vegetables, so that it won't lower their vitamin content.
Micronutrients are involved in all processes in your body and essential to keep your body healthy. Most processed food products contain very little micronutrients and can therefore cause vitamin and mineral deficiencies.
But if you eat a varied and well-balanced diet that consists of lots of fruits and vegetables and limited processed foods you will get all the vitamins and minerals that your body needs for great performance and optimal health.
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