Micronutrients

What are they?

Micronutrients or trace elements are indispensable compounds for cellular processes differing from macronutrients because co2 and H2O are not metabolized not synthesized by the body, supplied through food and soluble in organic solvents. The category of micronutrients includes fat-soluble vitamins (A,D,E,K) and hydrosoluble (Vitamin C and E) as well as those of b complex (Thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, pyridoxine, biotin, folic acid and cobalamin). In addition to vitamins, minerals also make up the group of micronutrients being iron, sodium, chlorine, potassium, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, copper, zinc, selenium, iodide, manganese, boron, chromium and molybdenum.

What are micronutrients for?

Each has a specific function and correlates to maintain the functioning of the body adequate and healthy, promoting, for example, growth through participation in the process of cell division, metabolism as enzymatic cofactors, regulation of blood coagulation and etc.

How do micronutrients work?

They are obtained through food provided by the diet and some are present in abundance in foods of plant origin, others of animal origin and others in the two sources.

When do you need to supplement?

Inadequate intake of micronutrients can lead to nutritional deficiencies and excessive intake can cause severe health complications, in this sense supplementation is made from individual need, such as folic acid supplementation in pregnancy to avoid non-closing of the neural tube. Thus, micronutrient supplementation should be performed based on clinical reasoning.

Reference

Article
ESPEN
:Berger, M. M., Shenkin, A., Schweinlin, A., Amrein, K., Augsburger, M., Biesalski, H. K., Bischoff, S. C., Casaer, M. P., Gundogan, K., Lepp, H. L., de Man, A. M. E., Muscogiuri, G., Pietka, M., Pironi, L., Rezzi, S., & Cuerda, C. (2022). ESPEN micronutrient guideline. Clinical nutrition (Edinburgh, Scotland),

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