{"id":14714,"date":"2020-12-01T02:01:45","date_gmt":"2020-12-01T02:01:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bulk.com\/uk\/the-core\/?p=14714"},"modified":"2026-05-07T11:22:56","modified_gmt":"2026-05-07T10:22:56","slug":"micronutrients-definition-examples-benefits","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.bulk.com\/uk\/the-core\/micronutrients-definition-examples-benefits\/","title":{"rendered":"Micronutrients: Definition, Examples &amp; Benefits"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>The term &#8220;macronutrients&#8221; is used frequently in the health and fitness world, and for the right reasons. Your macronutrients consist of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bulk.com\/uk\/the-core\/25-great-food-sources-of-carbohydrates\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">carbohydrates<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bulk.com\/uk\/the-core\/why-are-healthy-fats-good-for-us\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">fats<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bulk.com\/uk\/protein\">protein<\/a>. This is how people record and monitor the quantity of each macronutrient they consume daily to weekly with the goal of either to lose, gain or maintain body weight.<\/p>\n<p>However, the term heard less often is micronutrients. Often a neglected aspect of the diet; but why don\u2019t people record this element too? It can be argued that it is just as important to be hitting the recommended daily allowance of the different micronutrients. The reasons for this will be highlighted in this article by showing you the importance and benefit of micronutrients for overall health and body functioning.<\/p>\n<h2>What are micronutrients?<\/h2>\n<p>Micronutrients are substances required by the body in order to facilitate normal bodily functioning. In an overview, they are crucial for the production of enzymes, hormones and other substances that are key for key processes within the body (World Health Organisation). The two major micronutrients are <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bulk.com\/uk\/health-wellbeing\/vitamins-minerals\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">vitamins and minerals<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h3>Vitamins &amp; Their Benefits<\/h3>\n<p>There are 13 essential vitamins and they can be grouped into 2 categories \u2013 fat and water-soluble. There are 4 fat-soluble vitamins and 9 water-soluble vitamins. All of these vitamins play different roles in the functioning of your body. In summary, these are just some of the roles vitamins play:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Maintenance of normal skin \u2013 Vitamin A<\/li>\n<li>Maintenance of normal bones \u2013 Vitamin D<\/li>\n<li>Maintenance of hair \u2013 Biotin<\/li>\n<li>Contributes to normal psychological function \u2013 Vitamin B6<\/li>\n<li>Contributes to normal energy-yielding metabolism, normal function of the nervous system, normal red blood cell formation \u2013 Vitamin B12<\/li>\n<li>Contributes to normal collagen formation and the normal function of gums \u2013 Vitamin C<\/li>\n<li>Contributes to normal collagen formation and the normal function of teeth \u2013 Vitamin C<\/li>\n<li>Contributes to normal blood clotting \u2013 Vitamin K<\/li>\n<li>Contributes to normal energy-yielding metabolism \u2013 Vitamin B1<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>These are only some of the roles vitamins play. There are so many other functions that the vitamins mentioned above (and the ones missed) play on body growth, repair and maintenance.<\/p>\n<h4>Tip<\/h4>\n<p>If you really struggle to eat enough foods such as fruit and vegetables which are filled with vitamins,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.bulk.com\/uk\/products\/complete-multivitamin-complex\/bble-cmvc\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">multivitamin complexes<\/a> are a great alternative without having to take numerous different tablets!<\/p>\n<p>Are you beginning to see why micronutrients should be important in your diet? Let\u2019s move on to minerals.<\/p>\n<h3>Minerals &amp; Their Benefits<\/h3>\n<p>Minerals can be classed as inorganic substances, similar to vitamins, which have many different functions. Again, like all of the micronutrients, they are only needed in small amounts. But do not underestimate their significance. They can be split up into two categories also \u2013 major minerals and trace minerals.<\/p>\n<p>Major Minerals consist of:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Contributes to normal energy-yielding metabolism \u2013 Calcium<\/li>\n<li>Contributes to normal muscle function \u2013 Calcium<\/li>\n<li>Contributes to normal neurotransmission \u2013 Calcium<\/li>\n<li>Contributes to normal protein synthesis \u2013 Magnesium<\/li>\n<li>Contributes to normal muscle function \u2013 Magnesium<\/li>\n<li>Contributes to normal function of the nervous system \u2013 Magnesium<\/li>\n<li>Phosphorus contributes to the maintenance of normal bones \u2013 Phosphorus<\/li>\n<li>Phosphorus contributes to the maintenance of normal teeth \u2013 Phosphorus<\/li>\n<li>Potassium contributes to normal functioning of the nervous system \u2013 Potassium<\/li>\n<li>Potassium contributes to normal muscle function \u2013 Potassium<\/li>\n<li>Potassium contributes to the maintenance of normal blood pressure \u2013 Potassium<\/li>\n<li>Chloride contributes to normal digestion by production of hydrochloric acid in the stomach \u2013 Chloride<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Trace Minerals consist of:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Iron contributes to normal formation of red blood cells and haemoglobin<\/li>\n<li>Iron contributes to normal oxygen transport in the body<\/li>\n<li>Fluoride contributes to the maintenance of tooth mineralisation \u2013 Fluoride<\/li>\n<li>Selenium contributes to the protection of cells from oxidative stress \u2013 Selenium<\/li>\n<li>Chromium contributes to the maintenance of normal blood glucose levels \u2013 Chromium<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h4>Tip<\/h4>\n<p>Food sources high in minerals are generally; fish, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bulk.com\/uk\/foods\/nuts-seeds\">nuts&amp;seeds<\/a>, legumes and vegetables.<\/p>\n<h2>Summary<\/h2>\n<p>So as you can see, even though you only need to consume small quantities of vitamins and minerals, they have a huge impact all over the body to keep you fit and healthy.<\/p>\n<p>The advice we would give is to check up on your diet and see what vitamins and minerals you are obtaining through your meals. Are you missing any of them? If so, can you add foods to improve your vitamin or mineral content? Or, if you struggle to incorporate this, vitamin and mineral supplements can be a great alternative.<\/p>\n<p>Micronutrients should be considered and incorporated appropriately into any diet, as the long term benefits won\u2019t necessarily be noticed, but you will appreciate them.<\/p>\n<h3>Related articles<\/h3>\n<p>Looking to learn more? We believe that every person, with support, has the right to transform their lives through fitness. That&#8217;s why we&#8217;ve put together of articles with expert advice, all to help you on your fitness journey. From intermittent fasting, leaning bulking and how macro splits,\u00a0check out relevant articles below:<\/p>\n<p><span data-sheets-value=\"{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:&quot;pull day workout&quot;}\" data-sheets-userformat=\"{&quot;2&quot;:769,&quot;3&quot;:{&quot;1&quot;:0},&quot;11&quot;:3,&quot;12&quot;:0}\"><a class=\"in-cell-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bulk.com\/uk\/the-core\/understanding-liquid-calories\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Liquid calories<\/a>\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0<a class=\"in-cell-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bulk.com\/uk\/the-core\/intermittent-fasting-101-what-why-when\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Intermittent fasting and bulking<\/a><br \/>\n<a class=\"in-cell-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bulk.com\/uk\/the-core\/what-are-thermogenics-do-they-work\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">What is Thermogenic?<\/a>\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 <a class=\"in-cell-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bulk.com\/uk\/the-core\/can-i-really-eat-carbs-and-still-lose-weight\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Can you eat carbs and lose weight?<\/a><\/span><span data-sheets-value=\"{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:&quot;pull day workout&quot;}\" data-sheets-userformat=\"{&quot;2&quot;:769,&quot;3&quot;:{&quot;1&quot;:0},&quot;11&quot;:3,&quot;12&quot;:0}\"><br \/>\n<a class=\"in-cell-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bulk.com\/uk\/the-core\/how-to-decide-your-own-macro-split\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Best macro split<\/a>\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0<a class=\"in-cell-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bulk.com\/uk\/the-core\/cheat-meals-destroy-gains\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">How often should you have a cheat day?<\/a><br \/>\n<a class=\"in-cell-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bulk.com\/uk\/the-core\/lean-gaining-packing-on-muscle-mass-not-fat\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">How to lean bulk<\/a>\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 <a class=\"in-cell-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bulk.com\/uk\/the-core\/bulking-with-a-low-appetite\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Food to bulk up<\/a><br \/>\n<a class=\"in-cell-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bulk.com\/uk\/the-core\/benefits-of-working-out-with-a-partner\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Find a gym buddy<\/a>\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 <a class=\"in-cell-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bulk.com\/uk\/the-core\/broscience-part-4-protein-shakes-milk-water\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Protein shakes with milk or water<\/a><br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The term &ldquo;macronutrients&rdquo; is used frequently in the health and fitness world, and for the right reasons. Your macronutrients consist of carbohydrates, fats and protein. This is how people record&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":29,"featured_media":16894,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[352],"tags":[1180,1181,1549],"class_list":["post-14714","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nutrition","tag-vitamins","tag-minerals","tag-micronutrients"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bulk.com\/uk\/the-core\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14714","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bulk.com\/uk\/the-core\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bulk.com\/uk\/the-core\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bulk.com\/uk\/the-core\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/29"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bulk.com\/uk\/the-core\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=14714"}],"version-history":[{"count":18,"href":"https:\/\/www.bulk.com\/uk\/the-core\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14714\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":25297,"href":"https:\/\/www.bulk.com\/uk\/the-core\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14714\/revisions\/25297"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bulk.com\/uk\/the-core\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/16894"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bulk.com\/uk\/the-core\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=14714"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bulk.com\/uk\/the-core\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=14714"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bulk.com\/uk\/the-core\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=14714"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}