What's Your Micronutrient Status?
If you’re into fitness, on a weight loss journey, or following a keto diet, chances are you know exactly what macronutrients are. If by some chance you don’t know, there are three of them: protein, fat, and carbohydrates. We all need large amounts of macronutrients to supply our bodies with energy. Proteins are essential to many bodily systems in the body, such as tissue structure, hormone system, metabolic system, transport system, and for making enzymes. Fats are essential to support and maintain cell membrane integrity, are a source of energy, absorb fat-soluble vitamins, such as ADEK, insulate and protect our organs, and are a precursor to making our hormones, like testosterone and estrogen. Although carbohydrate consumption is controversial these days, they are used for energy and come in all shapes and sizes, some good, some not so good. The best sources come from fruit, vegetables, fiber, and for some folks, grains and beans/legumes.
The main difference between macro and micronutrients is that we need more macronutrients, but that doesn’t mean that micronutrients are any less important. Micronutrients are all the essential vitamins and minerals that our body needs for healthy development, disease prevention, and well-being. The only micronutrient our body can make is vitamin D. Everything else must be obtained from the diet through food or supplementation.
Many people take supplements. But, what if you were taking supplements that you don’t need? What if you were taking supplements you actually did need, but not in the correct doses or forms? What if you were missing the boat altogether and taking supplements that your body doesn’t need? People hear about supplements from podcasts, reading articles, their friends and family, and from misinformed doctors and practitioners and end up taking a handful, or two, of supplements that may be doing their body more harm than good. The best way to know exactly what you need is by testing.
What is a Micronutrient Deficiency?
A micronutrient deficiency is when your body is lacking in essential vitamins and minerals that are required for proper physical and mental development resulting in serious health consequences. For example, a deficiency in iron or vitamin B12 can lead to anemia, a condition where an individual’s blood lacks enough red blood cells. A vitamin A deficiency is the leading cause of preventable blindness in children. A zinc deficiency can affect the central nervous system, gastrointestinal system, and immune system, among others. Lesser known health consequences are directly tied to micronutrient deficiencies, but are not as obvious, and are often not thought of by the conventional medical establishment.
Hair Loss & Micronutrient Deficiencies
Hair loss can be triggered by genetics, stress, autoimmune diseases, and micronutrient deficiencies. Vitamin A, C, D, E, iron and zinc, all play an essential role in growing hair. There are other micronutrients as well. Riboflavin, folate, biotin, and B12 deficiencies are also linked to hair loss. Everyone is different and there’s no one equation to follow. Living a healthy lifestyle, eating optimal amounts of protein and fat (macros), along with knowing what micronutrients one is deficient in, is crucial to reversing hair loss. Even when one is eating an optimal diet, managing their stress, exercising, and sleeping well, it remains very challenging to get all of the nutrients, in the optimal amounts and forms required, to our cells to make the energy we need to do all of the biochemical jobs in our body, such as grow hair.
Weight Loss & Micronutrient Deficiencies
The inability to lose weight can be affected by micronutrient deficiencies. Some micronutrients, such as calcium, vitamins B5, B6, B12, B complex, and vitamin C improve metabolism. Low vitamin D levels are associated with weight gain as well. A deficiency in vitamin D can result in fatigue, low bone density, joint problems, depression, and muscle pain, making it hard for that person to feel good enough to exercise regularly, get outside in the sun, and to make healthy food choices.
Low Libido & Micronutrient Deficiencies
Many of us have heard that eating oysters will support increasing libido due to the high amounts of zinc. But, did you know that deficiencies in vitamin D, B12, magnesium, and selenium may also be contributing factors to a low libido? A vitamin A deficiency may slow down testosterone production, a vitamin D deficiency may slow down the production of both estrogen and testosterone, and a magnesium deficiency will interfere with dopamine levels, which are directly correlated with testosterone.
Sleep & Micronutrient Deficiencies
Do you experience restless nights or insomnia? Not being able to sleep soundly and wake up feeling refreshed has a direct, negative impact on your overall health and wellness. Not sleeping well will increase your risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, Alzheimer’s, weight gain, hormonal imbalances, and energy levels. Magnesium is a big player here, but so too, are vitamins B3 and B6. Niacinamide (B3) is a precursor to serotonin, and pyridoxal 5 phosphate (B6) is a precursor to dopamine, GABA, and serotonin. Micronutrient deficiencies are correlated to stress response, focus (ADHD), and even your workouts and recovery.
Testing for Micronutrient Deficiencies
Test, don’t guess, is my motto. Collecting data on how your body performs at its best is crucial to mapping out your lifestyle. We can collect data about our sleep and exercise performance, what foods we may be sensitive to, and our genetics. Why not look inside your cell to get a glimpse of how efficiently they are working for you? You are only as healthy as your mitochondria, the powerhouses of our cells. There are various labs that offer micronutrient assays. These tests are blood tests and should be taken through a provider that is well-versed in how to read the test and how to create a supplement, lifestyle, and nutrition protocol to follow for at least 6 months. I recommend retesting after the first 6 months to verify what deficiencies have been cleared, and then to retest once a year. As we age, our mitochondria reduce in number and don’t work as efficiently. Our cellular needs change and we will always have deficiencies.
For more information on the test that I offer, please submit a free consultation call request here.
This blog is not to be used as medical advice or for making any lifestyle changes to treat any medical condition in either yourself or others. Consult your own physician for any medical issues that you may be having.