Micronutrients, functions, deficiency, personalisation

Micronutrients include vitamins and minerals. Macronutrients, on the other hand, include proteins, fats, and carbohydrates. Humans must obtain micronutrients from food since your body can mostly not produce vitamins and minerals.

Vitamins and minerals are vital for growth, immune function, brain development, and many other important functions. On the other hand too high daily intake doses of certain vitamins, especially Vit C and Vit E have been linked to the increased lifespan of certain groups of consumers in older publications, in more recent publications a shortened life span was claimed in general  >>>  

In general, many scientists recommend the use of vitamins derived from natural sources rather the use of synthetically derived products, e.g because of a more diverse, adequate distribution of subtypes of the vitamin.

Functions

Antioxidants may protect against cell damage that has been associated with certain diseases, including cancer, Alzheimer’s and heart disease  >>> 

Reduction of oxidative (ROS- induced ) damage of cells structures such as  mitochondria, telomers, lipids, epigenetic system, DNA is a central dogma in molecular biology >>>

However, more recently it becomes clear that small amounts of different form of tress is even important for health: The concept of mitohormesis claims that reactive oxygen species at a low concentration act as signaling molecules to initiate a cascade of cellular events that ultimately protect the cells from harmful effects. The activation of the mitohormetic response even increases lifespan in different animal models >>>

Research has also linked an adequate dietary intake of vitamins A  to the development of certain cancers >>>

Getting enough of some vitamins may also help prevent Alzheimer’s disease. A review of seven studies found that adequate dietary intake of vitamins E, C and A is associated reduced risk of developing Alzheimer’s >>>

Research has also linked low blood levels of selenium to a higher risk of various diseases >>>

Also evidences are gathering that Vitamin D supplementation decreases risk of infection with Covid-19   and lowers death rates of Covid-19 infections. >>>

Deficiences

Most healthy adults can get an adequate amount of micronutrients from a balanced diet, but there are some common nutrient deficiencies that affect certain populations.

Vitamin D: Approximately 77% of Americans are deficient in vitamin D, mostly due to lack of sun exposure .
Vitamin B12: Vegans and vegetarians may develop vitamin B12 deficiency from refraining from animal products. Elderly individuals are also at risk due to decreased absorption with age.
Vitamin A: The diets of women and children in developing countries often lack adequate vitamin A.
Iron: Deficiency of this mineral is common among preschool children, menstruating women and vegans .
Calcium: Close to 22% and 10% of men and women over 50, respectively, don’t get enough calcium.

Personalisation of supplementation

Individual differences in nutritional and lifestyle behavior, in bioavailability and metabolisms, may explain the considerable variability in individual levels of vitamin concentrations in blood or even deficiencies. Unguided supplementation with products on the other hand may result in adverse health effects. This indicated that case careful analysis of blood levels of micronutrients, nutrition and lifestyle, work, personal forms of stress, as well as analysis of potentially established dangerous effects on the molecular mechanism of health ( see hallmarks of aging >>>) needs to result in a personalised regime of supplementation with micronutrients.