While the pieces of our healthy diet puzzle come in various sizes, some of the nutrients we need to live a balanced and healthy lifestyle occur in minuscule amounts. These are the vitamins and minerals, also known as micronutrients, and though they might be small, they have a big impact as we’re unable to function properly without them.

The human body requires 13 vitamins including vitamins A, D, E and K, vitamin C and eight B vitamins: thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, vitamin B6, biotin, folate and vitamin B12. Minerals and trace elements required are calcium, chromium, copper, iodine, iron, magnesium, manganese, molybdenum, phosphorus, potassium, selenium, sodium and zinc.

Micronutrients are needed for nearly all the body’s metabolic and developmental processes, so are vital to general well-being.  Each one plays a specific role in helping the body to run smoothly; iron circulates oxygen between our tissues, vitamin A supports vision and skin, vitamin C is important for the proper functioning of the  immune system, while vitamin D keeps our bones, muscles and teeth fully functioning (1-6). Despite their importance, micronutrients are not produced by the body. Or where they are, they’re produced in such meagre amounts that more have to be acquired from our diet to meet our needs.

In an ideal world, we’d get all the vitamins and minerals we need from our usual diet. But modern, hectic lifestyles don’t make it easy to get the right amount of essential nutrients to keep our bodies working at their best. Failure to get enough and deficiencies can have a knock-on effect on health and may even contribute to causing disease (7-10).

Studies have shown that adults who are  overweight or  obese have a higher risk of lacking  several micronutrients in comparison with those of  normal body weight (11). In fact, many weight-loss plans which are not carefully designed can actually increase the risk of being deficient in several vitamins and minerals (12, 13).

A healthy, balanced diet is key to getting all essential micronutrients. Swapping high-energy, nutrient-poor foods for lean protein sources, fruits, vegetables, whole grains and healthy fats help not just weight loss but provide the body with the nutrients it needs. When following a calorie-restricted diet, it’s important to plan this wisely to ensure sufficient micronutrient intake despite the lower energy value of food consumed. Our nutritional needs are constantly changing and when they can’t be met through diet alone, dietary supplements can be a convenient option to top up our intake of these essential nutrients  (14).   

References

1. EFSA. Scientific Opinion on the substantiation of health claims related to vitamin C and protection of DNA, proteins and lipids from oxidative damage (ID 129, 138, 143, 148), antioxidant function of lutein (ID 146), maintenance of vision (ID 141, 142), collagen formation (ID 130, 131, 136, 137, 149), function of the nervous system (ID 133), function of the immune system (ID 134), function of the immune system during and after extreme physical exercise (ID 144), non-haem iron absorption (ID 132, 147), energy-yielding metabolism (ID 135), and relief in case of irritation in the upper respiratory tract (ID 1714, 1715) pursuant to Article 13(1) of Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006. EFSA Journal. 2009;7(10):1226-n/a.
2. EFSA Panel on Dietetic Products N, Allergies. Scientific Opinion on the substantiation of health claims related to vitamin D and maintenance of bone and teeth (ID 150, 151, 158), absorption and utilisation of calcium and phosphorus and maintenance of normal blood calcium concentrations (ID 152, 157), cell division (ID 153), and thyroid function (ID 156) pursuant to Article 13(1) of Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006. EFSA Journal. 2009;7(10):1227.
3. EFSA Panel on Dietetic Products N, Allergies. Scientific Opinion on the substantiation of health claims related to calcium and vitamin D and maintenance of bone (ID 350) pursuant to Article 13(1) of Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006. EFSA Journal. 2009;7(10):1272.
4. EFSA Panel on Dietetic Products N, Allergies. Scientific Opinion on the substantiation of health claims related to vitamin D and normal function of the immune system and inflammatory response (ID 154, 159), maintenance of normal muscle function (ID 155) and maintenance of normal cardiovascular function (ID 159) pursuant to Article 13(1) of Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006. EFSA Journal. 2010;8(2):1468.
5. EFSA Panel on Dietetic Products N, Allergies. Scientific Opinion on the substantiation of health claims related to vitamin A and cell differentiation (ID 14), function of the immune system (ID 14), maintenance of skin and mucous membranes (ID 15, 17), maintenance of vision (ID 16), maintenance of bone (ID 13, 17), maintenance of teeth (ID 13, 17), maintenance of hair (ID 17), maintenance of nails (ID 17), metabolism of iron (ID 206), and protection of DNA, proteins and lipids from oxidative damage (ID 209) pursuant to Article 13(1) of Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006. EFSA Journal. 2009;7(10):1221.
6. EFSA Panel on Dietetic Products N, Allergies. Scientific Opinion on the substantiation of health claims related to vitamin A (including β-carotene) and maintenance of normal vision (ID 4239, 4701), maintenance of normal skin and mucous membranes (ID 4660, 4702), and maintenance of normal hair (ID 4660) pursuant to Article 13(1) of Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006. EFSA Journal. 2010;8(10):1754.
7. Angelo G, Drake VJ, Frei B. Efficacy of Multivitamin/mineral Supplementation to Reduce Chronic Disease Risk: A Critical Review of the Evidence from Observational Studies and Randomized Controlled Trials. Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr. 2015;55(14):1968-91.
8. Biesalski HK, Tinz J. Multivitamin/mineral supplements: Rationale and safety - A systematic review. Nutrition (Burbank, Los Angeles County, Calif). 2017;33:76-82.
9. Rautiainen S, Manson JE, Lichtenstein AH, Sesso HD. Dietary supplements and disease prevention - a global overview. Nat Rev Endocrinol. 2016;12(7):407-20.
10. Feart C. Nutrition and frailty: Current knowledge. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry. 2019;95:109703.
11. Kimmons JE, Blanck HM, Tohill BC, Zhang J, Khan LK. Associations between body mass index and the prevalence of low micronutrient levels among US adults. MedGenMed. 2006;8(4):59.
12. Gardner CD, Kim S, Bersamin A, Dopler-Nelson M, Otten J, Oelrich B, et al. Micronutrient quality of weight-loss diets that focus on macronutrients: results from the A TO Z study. Am J Clin Nutr. 2010;92(2):304-12.
13. M GE, H JK, Brenna JT, S HM. Micronutrient Gaps in Three Commercial Weight-Loss Diet Plans. Nutrients. 2018;10(1).
14. Blumberg JB, Cena H, Barr SI, Biesalski HK, Dagach RU, Delaney B, et al. The Use of Multivitamin/Multimineral Supplements: A Modified Delphi Consensus Panel Report. Clin Ther. 2018;40(4):640-57.