Nutrient Knowledge > Micronutrients
Micronutrients are elements or substances, like minerals and vitamins, which are crucial in tiny amounts for normal growth and metabolism. Different micronutrients have different roles: some transport substances, some are important for vision, growth, or fighting infections. Others help make proteins and DNA, while others help the blood and other body tissues function properly.
Although a deficiency in any micronutrient can cause problems, your task is to learn about 12 micronutrients today. You'll need that information later on to help diagnose the cases of malnutrition.
Mouse over the nutrients below to learn more.
Vitamin A
carrots, cantaloupes, sweet potatoes, spinach, eggs
Niacin
dairy products, eggs, fish, nuts
Vitamin B12
fish, meat, poultry, eggs, cheese
Vitamin K
green leafy vegetables, green tea, beef liver
Iron
red meat, fish, lentils, spinach, tofu
Vitamin C
citrus fruits, peppers, broccoli, kiwi
Iodine
salt, fish, seaweed, cheese, milk, fruit
Selenium
Brazil nuts, tuna, cod, wheat, oats sunflower seeds
Folate
leafy green vegetables, beans, liver citrus
Sodium
Chloride, salt
Zinc
red meat, seafood - oysters, beans, nuts, yogurt
Vitamin D
fatty fish, fortified milk
Quiz Me!
Vitamin A
Vitamin A is a fat-soluble vitamin that plays an important role in vision (particularly night vision), bone growth, reproduction, cell division, and cell differentiation. Vitamin A helps regulate the immune system and may help lymphocytes fight infections. It also promotes healthy surface linings of the eyes and the respiratory, urinary, and intestinal tracts so that infections cannot enter the body through those openings.
How do we get vitamin A in our bodies?
For vitamin A, we should eat colorful fruits and vegetables (especially carrots, cantaloupes, sweet potatoes, and spinach), eggs, liver, whole milk, and some fortified food products.
What are the symptoms of a vitamin A deficiency?
Blindness, night blindness, decreased immunity, as well as increased respiratory and diarrheal infections are all symptoms of vitamin A deficiency.
How can a person deal with a vitamin A deficiency?
Interventions depend on the seriousness of the condition. In general a person can make dietary changes or take supplements.
Vitamin D
Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin. It promotes calcium absorption, maintains adequate blood calcium and phosphate concentrations. Vitamin D is needed for bone growth. Vitamin D also has other roles in the body, including modulation of cell growth, neuromuscular and immune function, and reduction of inflammation.
How do we get vitamin D in our bodies?
Good sources of vitamin D include fatty fish and fish liver oil, fortified foods. Sunlight on your skin (in moderation!) is another good way to absorb vitamin D! Vitamin D is produced when UV rays from sunlight strikes the skin.
What are the symptoms of a vitamin D deficiency?
A vitamin D deficiency can cause rickets (softening of the bones) in children and osteomalacia (softening of the bones) and osteoperosis in adults.
How can a person deal with a vitamin D deficiency?
To increase the amount of vitamin D, a person can carefully increase exposure to sun, make dietary changes, or take supplements. Cod liver oil is used to treat rickets.
Vitamin B12
Vitamin B12, also called cobalamin, is a water-soluble vitamin required for proper red blood cell formation, neurological function, and DNA synthesis.
How do we get vitamin B12 in our bodies?
Fish, meat, poultry, eggs, milk, and milk products, fortified breakfast cereals, some nutritional yeast products are all good sources of vitamin B12.
What are the symptoms of a vitamin B12 deficiency?
A person with vitamin B12 deficiency may experience fatigue, weakness, constipation, loss of appetite, weight loss, numbness and tingling in the hands and feet, difficulty maintaining balance, depression, confusion, dementia, poor memory, and soreness of the mouth or tongue. B12 deficiency also causes a type of anemia that stops DNA synthesis in red blood cells, called megaloblastic anemia.
How can a person deal with a vitamin B12 deficiency?
Depending upon the medical condition, a person may need vitamin B12 injections. In some cases, changing the diet or taking supplements will help a vitamin B12 deficiency.
Iron
Iron is a mineral that is part of many proteins and enzymes including the proteins (hemoglobin & myoglobin) involved in oxygen transport.
How do we get iron in our bodies?
Good sources of iron include red meat, fish, poultry, lentils, beans, fortified cereal, tofu, and spinach.
What are the symptoms of an iron deficiency?
Fatigue, decreased immunity, poor work performance, slow cognitive development, difficulty maintaining body temperature, and glossitis (inflammation of the tongue) are all associated with iron deficiency.
How can a person deal with an iron deficiency?
A person must make dietary changes to include more iron or different form of iron (ex. meat) or take supplements.
Zinc
Zinc is a mineral that's critical to the immune system as it fights off invading bacteria and viruses. Zinc also helps make proteins and DNA. It is important during pregnancy, infancy, and childhood. It helps wounds heal and is important for proper senses of taste and smell.
How do we get zinc in our bodies?
Zinc is found in many foods, including oysters, red meat, poultry, seafood, fortified breakfast cereals, beans, nuts, whole grains, and dairy products.
What are the symptoms of a zinc deficiency?
Slow growth in infants and children, delayed sexual development in adolescents, impotence in men, hair loss, diarrhea, eye and skin sores, loss of appetite, weight loss, problems with wound healing, decreased ability to taste food, and reduced alertness are all symptoms of zinc deficiency.
How can a person deal with a zinc deficiency?
A person can change diets to include more zinc-rich foods or take zinc supplements.
Iodine
Iodine is a mineral. Our bodies use iodine to make thyroid hormones that control the body's metabolism and other important functions. Thyroid hormones are also needed for proper bone and brain development, during pregnancy and infancy.
How do we get iodine in our bodies?
We can consume iodine by eating iodized salt, fish, seaweed, or shrimp. We can also get it from dairy products, products made from grains, or fruits and vegetables, but the amount depends on the amount of iodine in soil and fertilizer. Iodine is most commonly found in oceans and coastal soils. It is least commonly found in mountainous areas.
What are the symptoms of an iodine deficiency?
If a person doesn't have enough iodine, the person cannot make enough thyroid hormone. That may result in stunted growth, mental retardation, delayed sexual development in a fetus, lower - than - average IQ in infants and children, decreased ability to work and think clearly, and possibly development of goiter, a swelling of the thyroid gland in the neck.
How can a person deal with an iodine deficiency?
A person with iodine deficiency can make dietary changes or can take iodine supplements.
Folate
Folate is a water-soluble B vitamin that is used to make DNA and RNA, to protect DNA, and to make normal red blood cells. It's important that pregnant women have enough folate because folate is critical during periods of rapid cell division and growth.
How do we get folate in our bodies?
Good sources of folate include liver, citrus, green leafy vegetables, lentils, and beans. Folate is also found in fortified cereals and breads.
What are they symptoms of a folate deficiency?
If a pregnant mother is folate deficient, the fetus can develop neural tube defects, which can result in the brain or spinal cord not developing properly. Children with folate deficiency can have slow growth, while adults with folate deficiency can have anemia, heart palpitations, fatigue, diarrhea, weakness, and irritability.
How can a person deal with a folate deficiency?
To increase folate intake, a person can eat folate-rich foods or take a folate supplement.
Vitamin K
Vitamin K is named such because of its German name, Koagulationsvitamin. Notice that the first part of that name sounds like coagulate, which is exactly why Vitamin K is so important to humans; it plays a role in helping blood clot. Vitamin K is also important for healthy bones.
How do we get vitamin K in our bodies?
Not only is Vitamin K found in many foods, some bacteria in your intestine also make it! Good sources of vitamin K include green leafy vegetables (kale, spinach, broccoli, greens), green tea and beef liver. The chlorophyll in green plants provides the Vitamin K.
What are the symptoms of a vitamin K deficiency?
Vitamin K deficiency is very uncommon. However, a person who is deficient will have problems with blood clotting. A person might also bruise easily, get frequent nosebleeds or have other heavy bleeding.
How can a person deal with a vitamin K deficiency?
Vitamin K supplements are available and a person can also change his /her diet to include more foods rich in vitamin K. Newborns have a higher risk of vitamin K deficiency and most pediatricians recommend a vitamin K injection for newborns.
Sodium
Table salt is sodium chloride. It provides sodium and chloride ions that have crucial roles in our bodies. The ions are important for cell membrane function, nerves, absorption of other nutrients, maintaining proper blood pressure and more. However, only a minimal amount of salt is necessary for our bodies to work properly.
How do we get sodium in our bodies?
Sodium is found in most foods. Unprocessed foods are healthier for humans, in that most of them have only low amounts of sodium. Processed foods can contain very high levels of sodium. In fact, it is estimated that 75% of sodium intake in the US is from processed foods. Most people ingest too much sodium. It is important to read the nutrition labels carefully.
What are the symptoms of a sodium deficiency?
A sodium deficiency is very rare. What is more common is over-consumption of sodium. However, when sodium falls below normal blood levels of 136-145 mM, hyponatremia can occur. This can happen in association with a variety of disorders. Symptoms include tiredness, headache, muscle cramps, nausea and disorientation. If sodium levels fall even lower, seizures and coma can occur.
How can a person deal with a sodium deficiency?
The treatment for hyponatremia will depend upon the severity of the condition and may range from drinking less water to getting an injection of sodium solution. The underlying cause of the hyponatremia must also be addressed.
Niacin
Niacin, also known as Vitamin B3, is a water-soluble vitamin. Niacin is necessary for healthy skin, nerves and the digestive system. Niacin also helps make hormones in the adrenal gland and helps improve blood circulation.
How do we get niacin in our bodies?
Good sources of niacin include dairy products, eggs, enriched breads and cereals, fish, meat, beans, nuts, and poultry.
What are the symptoms of a niacin deficiency?
A niacin deficiency will affect a person's skin and nervous system. Fatigue, depression, vomiting, indigestion, canker sores are symptoms of mild selenium deficiency. A person with severe niacin deficiency will develop pellagra, which presents with skin rashes, diarrhea, dementia, and if untreated, death.
How can a person deal with a niacin deficiency?
Niacin supplements are available and a person can also change his /her diet to include more foods rich in niacin.
Selenium
We only need very small amounts of Selenium, a mineral, but it plays an important role in our bodies. It is used to make selenoproteins, some of which are antioxidants and others of which are important to our immune systems and thyroid function.
How do we get selenium in our bodies?
Many of the foods we eat contain selenium. The amount of selenium in plants depends upon how much is in the soil that plant grew in. Selenium is also found in nuts, fish, and meat. Foods rich in selenium include Brazil nuts, tuna, cod, bagels, sunflower seeds, egg noodles and more. Because Brazil nuts contain such high amounts of selenium, they should be consumed infrequently and in small amounts.
What are the symptoms of a selenium deficiency?
Selenium deficiencies are found in countries where there is not a lot of selenium in the soil in which food is grown. A selenium deficiency alone doesn't cause any illnesses, but it can make the body more susceptible to illnesses. Some diseases are associated with a selenium deficiency, including Keshan disease (which results in poor heart functioning), Kashin-Beck disease and another disease that results in mental retardation. A selenium deficiency might also contribute to a weakened immune system and heart disease.
How can a person deal with a selenium deficiency?
People with selenium deficiencies can eat foods higher in selenium, if available, or take selenium supplements.
Vitamin C
Vitamin C is a water-soluble vitamin that acts as an antioxidant in our bodies.
How do we get selenium in our bodies?
Citrus fruits (such as oranges, grapefruit, lemons), red peppers, green peppers, broccoli, kiwifruit, strawberries, cantaloupe, and other fruits and vegetables are good sources of vitamin C. Some foods are also fortified with vitamin C.
What are the symptoms of a selenium deficiency?
Vitamin C deficiency is rare, but if a person is deficient, the person can develop scurvy. Symptoms include inflamed gums, small spots on the skin, fatigue, joint pain. Sometimes wounds won't heal well. People with scurvy can develop depression, loose teeth and anemia. Untreated scurvy can be fatal.
How can a person deal with a selenium deficiency?
A person with a deficiency can eat more vitamin C rich foods or take a vitamin C supplement.
