When aligning their diets, many people focus on macronutrients but neglect the importance of micronutrients. While macronutrients are the building blocks for overall body composition, micronutrients are vital for your immune system, internal processes, and even make a huge difference in skin health.
One of the most common micronutrient deficiencies is iron. Iron is vital to the process of producing red blood cells, and it is the only deficiency that is prevalent in developed countries.
There are serious diseases, such as scurvy, which are directly related to vitamin and mineral deficiencies. Vitamin C deficiency can prompt gum bleeding, failure to properly heal skin damage, and irregular hair growth.
Vitamin A plays a central role in skin maintenance and health because it controls cell division, differentiation, and growth. Not only does your skin need and love it, but it also aids your sight as well. Vitamin A deficiency is the leading cause of blindness in infants.
This is why you will see micronutrient heavy foods used as ingredients in many skin and healthcare products. It is also an easy way to know if a food should be consumed or not when dieting. Most foods that are heavy in micronutrients will also help align your macronutrient intake.
The only thing you need to be aware of is natural sugar intake in fruits, which is why they should be used as snacks. But don’t be afraid to load up on vegetables during meals.