Micronutrients for Weight Loss

Micronutrients are a key part of nutrition, and while they are not directly related to weight loss, they play a vital role in keeping your body healthy.
Understanding micronutrients can be very useful in deciding which vitamins and supplements may be right for you and your weight loss goals.

What is a Micronutrient?

Micro nutrients are commonly referred to as vitamins and minerals with a total of 28 micro nutrients needed to maintain good health. As a whole, micro nutrients act as enzymes, or play other functional and structural roles within the body.
In general, eating lots of fruits, vegetables, and whole-grains ensures that you get the needed micro nutrients for optimum health.
Multi-vitamin supplements generally contain all 28 micro nutrients. Because micro nutrients are not always absorbed by the body, and, in some cases, not at all when taken as a multi-vitamin supplement, doctors recommend micro nutrients be obtained from a diet rich in vitamins and minerals, and not from supplements.

How Micronutrients Effect Weight Loss

When given the proper tools, it is easier to maintain proper health, including weight management. When you are healthy and your body has all the tools necessary to function properly, your workouts will be more effective.
Some micro nutrients are closely involved in specific body functions related to weight management. For example, Vitamins B1, B5, and B6 aid in metabolism, while Chromium aid in insulin action, and Selenium and Iodine contribute to thyroid hormone function. Metabolism, insulin and thyroid hormones can all have an effect on body weight and appetite.

Micronutrient Deficiencies

A severe deficiency in any one micro nutrient can lead to poor health including unintended weight loss. For example, a deficiency in iron can result in anemia; anemia is the most common micro nutrient deficiency in the world with other common deficiencies including vitamin C, B12, D, and calcium.
Calcium may be the most difficult to master because nutritionists disagree on the proper consumption of the vitamin. A deficiency can cause osteoporosis, a disease that causes weak, brittle bones, while too much is thought to cause prostate cancer and kidney stones. To add to this confusion, calcium is dependant on another micro nutrient for absorption, vitamin D.

Vitamins

Of the 28 micro nutrients, 13 are vitamins: vitamins A, B, D, E, K and C, B1 (Thiamine), B2 (Riboflavin), B3 (Niacin), B5 (Pantothenic Acid), B6 (Pyridoxine), B12, and folic acid.
Vitamins are carbon-containing, or organic compounds, that act as enzymes that aid in body function. This means that they help in various chemical reactions in the cells of the body.
Consuming too much of any one vitamin, particularly vitamins A and D, can be toxic.

Minerals

Minerals are found in soil where they are then absorbed by plants and later consumed by humans.
Calcium, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Potassium, Sodium, Chloride, Iron, Zinc, Copper, Chromium, Selenium, Iodine, Manganese, and Molybdenum are micro nutrient minerals.
Some minerals, such as Calcium, serve both structural and functional roles within the body.