Staying on top of your micronutrient intake can help prevent unpleasant side effects and long-term health concerns.
Thanks to the fluctuating hype of diets such as keto and IIFYM, macronutrients — nutrients your body requires in large amounts, including carbs, fat, and protein — are often in the spotlight.
But micronutrients, the vitamins and minerals you need relatively small amounts of to properly function, deserve just as much attention. “Micronutrients affect every aspect of health, from immunity to metabolic function, fertility, healthy pregnancies, and mental health,” says Lauren Slayton, M.S., R.D., a registered dietitian and wellness partner with Provenance Meals, an Equinox Circle partner.
Still, many Americans don’t meet daily micronutrient requirements, which may be due to eating energy (read: calorie)-rich, nutrient-poor diets, according to Oregon State University (OSU). Roughly 75 percent of the population doesn’t eat the recommended amount of fruit, while more than 80 percent don’t eat the suggested amount of vegetables, per OSU.
In the U.S., micronutrient inadequacies — when your intake is greater than the level associated with deficiency but below dietary intake recommendations — are more common than deficiencies, according to OSU. While a deficiency results in easily observable symptoms (think: anemia owing to an iron deficiency), an inadequacy is often linked with symptoms that are more difficult to detect, such as general fatigue, attention and memory difficulty, and trouble fighting infections. However, over the long run, micronutrient inadequacies can increase the risk of chronic disease, per OSU.
There are dozens of essential micronutrients, nearly all of which must be obtained through your diet, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The one exception: vitamin D, which is found in food and can also be produced by the body in response to UV exposure. Yet, the micronutrient is still, on average, underconsumed, which can cause bones to become thin and brittle and potentially lead to health concerns such as osteoporosis.
Magnesium — a mineral responsible for regulating muscle and nerve function, blood sugar levels, and blood pressure, among other functions — is also underconsumed in the U.S., per OSU. Over time, running low on the micronutrient can lead to a deficiency that causes nausea, vomiting, fatigue, weakness, and a loss of appetite, according to the National Institutes of Health. Due to the prevalence of inadequate intakes, Slayton says she focuses on both magnesium and vitamin D with clients.
So, how do you ensure you’re consuming a wide variety of micronutrients in adequate amounts? The first step: Eat a diverse diet, research suggests. The meals from Provenance, for instance, include vegetables, lean proteins, nuts, seeds, eggs, and seafood, helping eaters stay on top of their macro- and micronutrient nutrient intake, says Caroll Lee, the founder and CEO of the company. “Our meals are rich in ingredients that have high nutrient value, including fiber, protein, healthy fats, vitamins, minerals, and other important nutrients,” Lee adds. “They are designed to pack a big nutritional punch. For example, that means we’ll create a chia seed pudding for breakfast — which is high in fiber, protein, and plant-based omega-3s — over a highly processed, mostly nutritionally void breakfast like cereal or toast.”
Dietary supplements can help improve your levels if you have a micronutrient inadequacy or deficiency, but you shouldn’t incorporate them into your diet haphazardly. “If you’re deficient [in iron] or anemic, you should supplement it,” says Slayton. “But if you’re not, iron supplements can have side effects.” Supplements containing 25 milligrams or more of iron can minimize zinc absorption, and high-dose iron supplements can also lead to GI upset, constipation, diarrhea, and vomiting, among other symptoms, according to the NIH.
That’s why Slayton recommends a more strategic approach to meeting your individual micronutrient needs. Consider a blood test a few times a year. “There’s a saying, ‘test, don’t guess,’” says Slayton. “[Preventing inadequacies and deficiencies is] not only [about] consuming nutrients, but how your body processes them. Two people could take the same vitamin D supplement and, based on their weight [and] genes… it would raise their levels differently.”
The bottom line: “Every body is different, and some people will do better with more animal protein, a plant-based diet, or a diet high in healthy fats,” says Lee. “We [at Provenance] encourage our clients to pay attention to what they eat and how they feel. Listening to the body can be very educational in what is the ‘best’ diet.” And when in doubt, book an appointment with your healthcare provider for personalized insights on optimizing your nutrient consumption.
Through Equinox Circle, members can harness the healing power of food with $100 off your first four Provenance orders of $150 or more, priority delivery on all orders, and 10% off products and cleanse programs in the Wellness Shop.