Micronutrients-the key to health.

Micronutrients are essential nutrients, needed to sustain life but in small quantities and include vitamins, minerals, anti-oxidants, enzymes, phyto-chemicals. Most of us are aware that vitamins and minerals are vital to our health. A balanced healthy diet should give us all of the micronutrients require, however, vitamin and mineral supplementation has become a big part of our lives. Where possible, our main source of micronutrients should be natural, whole food. Our bodies will recognise the nutrient and absorb it as necessary. A vitamin created in a lab may chemically be the same as the vitamin found in the food, but it is missing all of the other components that naturally occur in the food. This is the reason why there is so much research to suggest that most of the vitamin pill you take ends up in the toilet bowl as it’s not absorbed. Below is a list of commonly known vitamins and minerals, where they best naturally occur and deficiencies.

Recently, Anti-oxidants have been the toast of nutrition. They are known to be very powerful in the prevention of degenerative diseases such as cancer, heart disease and stroke. This is an extremely important fact as the latest statistics to come from the Irish Cancer Society is that one in three of us will have some form of cancer before we reach 74. There are up to 30,000 new cases of cancer diagnosed in Ireland each year alone and up to 70% of these could be prevented through a lifestyle change whether it’s by quitting smoking and/or drinking, lessening your exposure to the sun or by eating a healthy balanced diet with lots of fruits and vegetables. Common antioxidants are: vitamin A (beta carotene), C, E (alpha tocopherol), Selenium, Lycopene and Lutein. There are several dozen of these already known to us but there are literally ten’s of thousands still not labelled even though scientists know they exist so they’ve categorised them as phyto (plant)-chemicals.

Enzymes are proteins are found in all raw fruits and vegetables and are responsible for our body being able to absorb all of the nutrients in the produce we eat. If we don’t have the correct enzyme for the correct nutrient it just simply won’t be fully absorbed. But unfortunately enzymes are heat sensitive and are destroyed at 49° to 65° Celsius…that’s why fruits and vegetables should really be eaten raw in order for us to get the most nutrition out of them. It’s also worth bearing in mind that not only enzymes help in the absorption of nutrients but also the nutrients themselves can help each other...like teamwork. For example Vitamin C will increase the amount of iron that can be absorbed from a food and Vitamin D works well with Calcium. You will generally find partnered nutrients in the same food as nature intended us to eat the whole food and not to take isolated supplements with one or other of the nutrients missing. Conversely, some vitamins and minerals can hinder the absorption of another. E.g. Calcium and Iron. If taken in the same supplement, or consumed at the same time in a meal, the calcium binds to the iron and neither are absorbed. The best rule of thumb is to stick to the natural food, your body will know what to do with it!

Vitamin Name	important for:	Food Source:	RDA	Deficiency
Vitamin A (Beta carotene converts to Vitamin A)	Vision, immune system and skin health.	Eggs, Carrots, dark green leafy vegetables, fortified milk.	1mg beta-carotene. Men need slightly more than women	Night blindness, dry eye, eye inflammation.
B1 (thiamin)	Converting Carbohydrates into energy. Nerve function.	Whole grains and beans	Men: 1.2mg Women:1.1mg	Tingling in fingers and toes. Confusion and exhaustion.
B2 (riboflavin)	Metabolising food into energy. Skin and eye health.	Whole grains, meat and milk.	Men: 1.3mg Women: 1.1mg	Irritated eyes, itchy lips and skin.
B3 ( Niacin)	Metabolising food into energy. Skin and nervous system health.	Meat, fish, poultry, eggs, milk, beans, nuts and wholegrains	Men: 16mg Women: 14mg	Skin infections, tiredness, loss of appetite.
B6 (pyridoxine)	Protein metabolism and the making of red blood cells.	Meat, fish, poultry, whole grains and dark green leafy vegetables.	1.3mg	Inflamed skin and anaemia.
Folic Acid or Folate	Formation of new cells. Can help reduce the incidence of NTD’s.	Orange Juice, beans, fortified cereals and bread, dark green leafy vegetables.	400mcg 800mcg for pregnant women, take a folate supplement.	Tiredness, anaemia, rapid heart beat, pale skin.
B12	Needed to form new cells and maintains nerve cell health.	All meat and dairy, soy and fortified cereals. Vegetarians need to supplement.	2.4mcg	Fatigue, dizziness, difficulty breathing.
Pantothenic Acid	Metabolising food into energy.	Common in most foods.	5mg	Rare.
Biotin	Metabolising food into energy.	Common in most foods.	30mcg	Rare.
Choline	Making Lecithin.	Common in most foods.	Men: 550mcg Women: 425mcg	Extreme cases can cause liver damage and CV disease.
Vitamin C	Anti-oxidant. Needed for bone and teeth health, healing, immune system. Helps with the absorption of Iron .	Citrus fruits, kiwis, melons, berries, tomatoes, broccoli, peppers (esp red), potatoes.	Men: 90mg Women: 75mg	Fatigue, bleeding gums, slow wound healing.
Vitamin D	Bone health as it helps the body absorb Calcium.	Sunlight, fish oils, eggs and fortified milk.	5mcg	Osteomalacia, Rickets
Vitamin E	Anti-oxidant. Prevents toxins from building up in the body.	Nuts and seeds, vegetable oil.	15mg	Muscle weakness, fertility problems.
Vitamin K	Blood clotting and done health.	Intestinal bacteria form Vit K, dark green leafy vegetables.	Men: 120mcg Women: 90mcg	Heavy menstrual bleeding, nosebleeds, easy bruising, osteoporosis.
Mineral Name	Important for:	Food Source	RDA
Boron (B)	Affects Ca metabolism.	Dark green leafy vegetables, non-citrus fruits, nuts and legumes.	Not established.	Diminished immune function and bone health.
Calcium (Ca)	Formation and maintenance of bone. Dental health. Blood clotting, muscle contraction and nerve transmission.	Milk products, broccoli, cherries, fortified soy products and juices.	11-19 yrs: 1300mg 20-50 yrs: 1000mg 50+ yrs: 1200mg	Poor teeth and brittle bones.
Chromium (Cr)	Working with insulin so the body can use blood sugar.	Wholegrains, nuts, seeds, meat.	Men: 30-35mcg Women: 20-25mcg	Insulin resistance, high blood pressure.
Copper (Cu)	Part of Haemoglobin and enzymes.	Fish, meat, nuts and seeds.	900mcg	Mood disorders.
Fluoride (F)	Bone and dental health.	Tea, seafood.	Men: 3.8mg Women: 3.1mg	Tooth decay, possible osteoporosis.
Iodine (I)	Thyroid function which regulates metabolism and growth.	Bread, fish, most plant and animal products.	150mcg	Enlarged thyroid gland, mental retardation in children.
Iron (Fe)	Oxygen transport in blood and muscle. Needed for energy.	Meat, poultry, fish, eggs, beans, dark green leafy vegetables, dried fruit and fortified grains.	Men: 8mg Women: 18mg Fe absorption and use during pregnancy will be monitored.	Anaemia, tiredness, difficulty concentrating.
Magnesium (Mg)	Building bone, muscle contraction, nerve transmission and manufacture of proteins.	Green leafy vegetables, nuts, beans, fish, wholegrains, vegetables.	Men: 420mg Women: 320mg	Muscle spasms, weak bones and CV disease.
Manganese (Mn)	Enzyme function.	Wholegrains.	Men: 2.3mg Women: 1.8mg	Impaired growth.
Phosphorus (P)	Energy transfer through cells.	Meat, poultry, fish, dairy, nuts and beans.	700mg	Similar to Ca deficiency.
Potassium (K)	Muscle and nerve function, protein synthesis and fluid regulation.	Fruits, especially bananas and vegetables, meat, poultry, eggs, milk, grains and beans.	Not established.	Fatigue, confusion, heart disturbances, muscle weakness.
Selenium (Se)	Anti-oxidant.	Fish, meat, wholegrains and vegetables.	55mcg.	Pain in muscles, white nail bed.
Zinc (Zn)	Sperm production, healing, enzymes involved in immune reactions.	Seafood, meat, poultry, beans, wholegrains.	Men: 11mg Women: 8mg	Growth problems with children, Slow wound healing.

Emma Brown B.Sc