by Mutaz Sunbul

Created on: September 18, 2008

Micronutrients are important elements for the body to maintain it's biological processes, growth, repair and production of enzymes and hormones. They are present in small amounts in the body; less than 50 ppm (part per million) of body weight, while "macronutrients" are present in larger amounts and needed by larger amounts.

Although micronutrients are needed by small amounts daily, they are very important for our human body. Deficiency of 1 micronutient can cause serious forms of illness. Those very small elements are responsible for the most important nutritional global health problems.

The most important micronutrients are vitamins(A,B,C,D,E and K) and trace elements such as iron, zinc, selenium and manganese. Generally, developed countries have lower rates of micronutrients deficiencies due to food fortification and supplementation. While in developing and poor countries, these deficiencies occur in much higher rates.

The importance of micronutrients :
They are essential to produce hormones and enzymes that promote body growth, repair and resistant to infection. Examples of diseases that occur due to micronutrients deficiency include Iron aeficiency anaemia, Iodine deficiency and Vitamin A deficiency.

Iron deficiency anaemia is the most common nutritional deficiency in the world according to the WHO; and the only significant deficiency in industrial and developed countries inspite of efforts to reduce it's occurance rates.

Vitamin A and Iodine deficiency are also global health problems (both are micronutrients). Iodine deficiency is the commonest cause of mental retardation and lowered IQ in the world. Vitamin A deficiency causes nutritional blindness and xerophthalmia for millions of children every year. Special at risk groups are school children, mothers, pregnant women and preterm infants.

Prevention of deficiencies:
Eating natural sources of micronutrients like plant food which is the best source for vitamins and minerals. Animal foods include liver, liver oil, egg yolk, organ meat and fish. Green leafy vegetables are great sources of iron together with liver and meat. Raw common salt is specially important to prevent Iodine deficiency, that's why it is fortified with specific amounts of Iodine in all countries, drinking water and irrigation water are also fortified with iodine (iodinated water).

Supplementation of these important elemnts for mothers and infants and other population at risk is a major step in prevention of these deficiencies. Breast feeding for infants during the first few months is highly valuable for prevention of iron deficiency.

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