Weekly Buzz: Micronutrients
August 19, 2011, By Craig J. Heimbuch 0 comments
I keep hearing the word in unexpected places. The grocery line. The doctor's office. Conversation among friends. It seemed like everyone has something to say about micronutrients except those of us who know nothing about them. This seemed like a job for Google.
If you go by the Wikipedia description, micronutrients are "nutrients required by humans and other living things throughout life in small quantities to orchestrate a whole range of physiological functions, but which the organism itself cannot produce." Seems simple enough, right? There are vitamins and minerals we need in order to function as bodies and yet our bodies can't produce them. Your mom knew this stuff. That's why she made you take your Flintstones chewables every morning. And I think we can all agree that maintaining a proper diet made up of the right foods, supplemented by careful use of supplemental vitamins, is essential to maintaining a healthy body. You might even want to read up on the micronutrients food list to keep the right superfoods on your plate.
But do you know what can happen if you don't get the right micronutrients?
One assumes a general malaise, perhaps less-than-optimum performance, but after consulting the Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University's "Micronutrient Information Center" I quickly realized just how important it is that we all eat plenty of leafy greens and take our One-a-Days.
Consider these examples of what can happen if you're lacking a particular micronutrient from your diet:
Biotin
Biotin is a B-Complex vitamin that can only be synthesized by bacteria, yeasts, molds, algae, and some plant species. According to the Pauling Institute's website, symptoms of a Biotin deficiency include, "hair loss and a scaly red rash around the eyes, nose, mouth, and genital area. Neurologic symptoms in adults have included depression, lethargy, hallucination, and numbness and tingling of the extremities. The characteristic facial rash, together with unusual facial fat distribution, has been termed the "biotin deficient facies" by some investigators. Individuals with hereditary disorders of biotin metabolism resulting in functional biotin deficiency often have similar physical findings as well as evidence of impaired immune system function and increased susceptibility to bacterial and fungal infections."
Thiamin
Thiamin is another B-vitamin that's linked to the prevention of cataracts and is used in the treatment of Alzheimer's and congestive heart failure. Don't get enough of this stuff and you end up with a nasty and ancient (the first cases were described in China around 2600 BC) case of Beriberi in one of its common forms. There's Dry Beriberi, for which symptoms include: a kind of neuropathy colloquially known as "burning feet syndrome," exaggerated abdominal reflexes and diminished sensation and weakness in the arms and legs. Wet Beriberi gives you a racing pulse, enlargement of the heart and, eventually, congestive heart failure. But my favorite terrifying form is Cerebral Beriberi which "include abnormal eye movements, stance and gait abnormalities, and abnormalities in mental function that may include a confused apathetic state or a profound memory disorder termed Korsakoff's amnesia or Korsakoff's psychosis."
Vitamin D
Vitamin D is a fat-sulluable vitamin essential for maintaining normal calcium metabolism. Everyone's heard of the disease that's caused by a Vitamin D deficiency in children—Rickets—but did you know that adults can get a little something called "Osteomalacia"? It's basically a weakening of bones that results in a heck of a lot of pain.
The Institute's list of micronutrients goes on and on and makes a convincing case that we should all be paying attention to our diets to make sure we get enough of them. But how?
Author and nutritionist Joel Fuhrman put together a handy guide to micronutrients and micronutrient-rich foods. The Aggregate Nutrient Density Index helps explain how micronutrients work and how to get them in the most efficient way possible through super foods. It's like a micronutrient-rich food shopping list and can help you put together the ideal diet for a healthy system.
So, there. Now you can speak intelligently the next time a coworker comes up and asks what the best way to prevent Beriberi is; or when you're at a party and everyone is talking about the latest micronutrient diet craze. You are armed, my friend. Now get out there and eat some kale (which just happens to have a perfect score on the ANDIndex).
You're healthier already.
