What Micronutrients Are and Their Role in Your Health

By James Porcelli, M.D. –

Micronutrients are what are commonly referred to as “vitamins and minerals.” Micronutrients include such minerals as flouride, selenium, sodium, iodine, copper and zinc. They also include vitamins such as vitamin C, A, D, E and K, as well as the B-complex vitamins.

Micronutrients are essential for good health, and micronutrient deficiencies can cause serious health problems. Micronutrients include such dietary minerals as zinc and iodine, and they are necessary for the healthy functioning of all your body’s systems, from bone growth to brain function.

Different from the macronutrients protein, carbohydrate and fat; micronutrients are called “micro”-nutrients because your body needs only very small quantities of them for survival. However, if your body doesn’t get the small quantities of micronutrients that it needs, serious health problems can result.

Micronutrients are vital to the proper functioning of all of your body’s systems. Sodium, for instance, is responsible for maintaining the proper fluid balance in your body; it helps fluids pass through cell walls and helps regulate appropriate pH levels in your blood. Here are some of the ways that other micronutrients help maintain your body’s systems:

• Manganese promotes bone formation and energy production, and helps your body metabolize the macronutrients, protein, carbohydrate and fat.
• Magnesium helps your heart maintain its normal rhythm. It helps your body convert glucose (blood sugar) into energy, and it is necessary for metabolizing the micronutrients calcium and vitamin C.
• Iron helps your body produce red blood cells and lymphocytes.
• Iodine helps your thyroid gland develop and function. It helps your body to metabolize fats, and promotes energy production and growth.
• Chloride helps regulate water and electrolytes within your cells, as well as helping to maintain appropriate cellular pH.

SpectraCell Micronutrient Testing for Nutritional Deficiencies
The SpectraCell Micronutrient test measures the intracellular amounts of selected vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and other essential micronutrients within your lymphocyte white blood cells. Unlike traditional blood and urine tests, it provides a complete picture of an individual’s functional intracellular nutritional status.  The test also measures the cell’s ability to withstand oxidative stress. Oxidative stress is responsible for chronic cell damage and disease.

Even people with healthy habits can have nutrient deficiencies. Biochemical individuality, absorption, chronic conditions, age, and lifestyle influence individual micronutrient requirements. A healthy-looking person can have micronutrient deficiencies that might only be revealed through testing.

Getting Enough Vitamins and Minerals
Getting enough micronutrients can be challenging. Eating a balanced diet including plenty of nuts, whole grains and green leafy vegetables, and plenty of colorful fruits and vegetables, like red cherries, purple grapes, yellow bananas and orange carrots can help you maintain adequate levels of micronutrients. However, it is often difficult to eat enough of the right kinds of whole foods. When this is the case, Vitamin Therapy is a great way to ensure your body has everything it needs for optimal health.

The vitamin aisle at your local retailer is overwhelming to say the least. The choices seem unlimited, from individual vitamins and multi-vitamins, to pills, capsules and liquid, to an assortment of brands and prices.

Vitamin Therapy options ensure that you receive just the right amounts of each micronutrient that you need for optimal health. Vitamin therapy IV’s and injections are infused directly into your system giving you the full benefit of the vitamin and mineral treatment blended specially for you. These products contain ingredients that are certified pure and are absorbed 100% into your system. Our prescribed, customized treatments are not only more beneficial to your body; they are cost effective, too.

Intake the proper amount of micronutrients to ensure optimal health and prevent deficiency disorders! The SpectraCell Micronutrient Test and Vitamin Therapy are available at Trim Wellness Café, for more information please call 239-598-9327 today!

New Owner at Trim Wellness Café
Dr. James M. Porcelli is the new owner and onsite physician of Trim Wellness Café. With more than 14 years of experience, Dr. Porcelli is Board Certified in internal and age management medicine. He specializes in integrated medicine, preventative wellness, anti-aging, and hormone replacement therapy.

Since founding JMP Medical over six years ago, Dr. Porcelli’s philosophy of preventative wellness and treating patients by combining acute care, age management, and hormone therapy have enabled him to expand his practice to include Trim Wellness Café.

Dr. Porcelli will continue to offer acute patient and total body wellness care.

9655 Tamiami Trail N., Ste. 102. For more information or to make an appointment, call 239-598-9327 or visit TrimWellnessCafe.com.