What are Micronutrients?

Micronutrients are one of the major groups of nutrients your body needs. They include vitamins and minerals and are vital to healthy development, disease prevention and your general wellbeing.

Vitamins are absolutely necessary for good immune function, energy production and blood clotting, whilst Minerals play an important role in growth, bone health and fluid balance.

While it’s possible to get most of them from a balanced diet, a western diet is typically low in a number of important nutrients.

Understanding your micronutrient levels can be an important part of building an overall picture of your health. It can help you make the adjustments you need through your diet, or by taking supplements - to make sure your body is getting exactly what it needs.

^{Supplements are only part of the solution. How do you know which ones to take? - Learn more}

What effects do they have on the body?

All micronutrients are extremely important for the proper functioning of your body. Consuming the right amount of different vitamins and minerals is key to good health and can even help fight disease.

This is because micronutrients are part of nearly every process in your body - as well as certain vitamins and minerals acting as antioxidants.

What about nutrient deficiencies?

A nutritional deficiency occurs when the body doesn’t get (or absorb) the necessary amount of a nutrient (typically from food). Deficiencies can lead to a variety of health problems, including difficulties with digestion, skin problems, defective bone growth and even dementia.

The best way to prevent deficiency is to eat a balanced diet that includes fresh, wholesome, and nutritious foods. However, supplements may be necessary for people who can’t obtain enough from their diet alone.

People at the highest risk of micronutrient deficiencies typically include pregnant women, people aged 60+, vegetarians, vegans and children.

Here are some common nutrient deficiencies:

Vitamin A: important for vision, your immune system, and reproduction. It also helps towards making sure your heart, lungs, kidneys and other organs work properly.

Vitamin D: helps regulate the amount of calcium and phosphate in the body.

Vitamin B12: needed to make red blood cells, as well as keeping the nervous system healthy.

Calcium: important for the health of your teeth & bones.

Iron: makes up a large part of your red blood cells, in which it binds with hemoglobin to transport oxygen to your cells.

Iodine: an essential mineral for normal thyroid function and the production of thyroid hormones.

Magnesium: important for many processes in the body, including regulating muscle and nerve functions, blood sugar levels, and blood pressure and making protein, bone and DNA.

What are the health benefits of Micronutrients?

Studies suggest that consuming the right amount of all micronutrients (especially those with antioxidant properties) can provide significant benefits to your health, including helping to protect against certain diseases, including cancer, Alzheimer’s and heart disease.

Be careful not to over do it

If you're looking to address your symptoms or find out where to start, then identifying your bodies current balance enables you to find the right foods and supplements to take. Multivitamins may well provide too much of something that is rich in your diet, and cause a negative impact.

Too much of any one micronutrient can cause symptoms such as vomiting, diarrhea, headaches, muscle weakness, kidney stones, and other serious health complications. It can also impair your bodies ability to absorb other vital minerals and vitamins.

What to do next?

An at-home Micronutrient Test Kit can provide specific insights into your diet and identify deficiencies of key vitamins and minerals that are essential for your overall health and wellbeing. Online results will be available to you in 2-5 days.

By helping you to identify micronutrient deficiencies, you can take steps to improve your overall health and immune system.

So why not find out by getting tested at home, with ease, and save 30% at the same time:

Identify your balance