Micronutrition
This is what the micronutrition.
What is the difference between macronutrients and micronutrients?
The nutrients procured from food can be divided into 2 types:
- i macronutrients, which supply energy to the body. There are 3: proteins (1 g = 4 Kcal), carbohydrates (1 g = 4 Kcal), lipids (1 g = 9 Kcal). They are the main components of food, therefore we eat them daily.The essential thing is their distribution: proteins must represent 10 to 15% of the total energy intake, carbohydrates from 50 to 55%, and lipids from 30 to 35%.
- i micronutrients they do not provide energy, but they are still essential for our survival. These are vitamins (C, B, A…), minerals and trace elements (calcium, iron, potassium, iodine…), fatty acids and amino acids. They guarantee the "balance of the body and we need them in defined quantities, the so-called" recommended daily allowances ", which vary from one person to another (men, women, children, elderly, pregnant women ...).
Micronutrition, a new branch of nutrition?
Just a few decades ago, only macronutrients counted; today, however, nutritionists, doctors and specialists have realized the "importance of micronutrients. From this observation a new branch of nutrition was born," micronutrition ", which consists in satisfying the organism's needs for micronutrients , with a "personalized diet, associated if necessary with food supplements.
The different micronutrients
There are several types:
- Vitamins. There are 13, plus provitamin A. Present in the body in small quantities, they are essential for the functioning and growth of the organism. We find them in all foods. Babies, athletes, pregnant women, chronic patients, smokers, stressed people, the elderly need a greater intake of these substances.
- Minerals and trace elements. They are chemical elements, present in the organism in the form of residues. Even if their quantity is negligible, they are essential for our survival, since they are part of the composition of muscles, organs, teeth and body fluids, and participate in chemical reactions They are calcium, potassium, magnesium, selenium, iron, copper, zinc ...
- Fatty acids. They are the main components of lipids. We find them in dairy products, meat, fish, eggs, oils, butter and margarine. They can be saturated or unsaturated (especially Omega 3 and 6). We must not exaggerate with saturated fatty acids, as they are harmful to the cardiovascular system, but this is not the case for unsaturated fatty acids, which have a beneficial action.
- Amino acids. They are the basic components of proteins, present everywhere in our body: muscles, tissues, enzymes, hormones, blood ... There are 24, of which 8 are called "essential" because they are not manufactured by the body. We find them in the products of origin animal, in legumes and cereals. They are tryptophan, cystine, lysine, taurine ...
The field of action of micronutrition
Our diet is now increasingly poor in micronutrients, in particular due to cultivation methods (use of pesticides, insecticides ...), food extraction techniques (refining), cooking (microwaves, frying ...) and conservation . It is not uncommon, therefore, to suffer from serious deficiencies, especially when it belongs to a category of people at risk (sportsmen, smokers, stressed people, children, elderly people, pregnant women ...). Generally, these deficiencies manifest themselves with functional problems: digestive disorders, stress, overweight ... The body, in these cases, is slow.
Micronutrition, through food rebalancing and / or the use of supplements, allows you to preserve or regain well-being. To avoid excessive doses or prescribing errors, it is always best to follow the advice of a doctor.
