What Is The Difference Between Macronutrients and Micronutrients?

You know your basic food groups. You know how much water you should drink a day. And you know what a healthy meal looks like, but do you know what macro-nutrients are?

You do, but you’ve just been calling them something different.

Your body requires a lot of materials to maintain homeostasis or an internal balance.

One of the more important materials comes in the form of nutrients.

Nutrients can be divided into macronutrients and micronutrients.

We’ll learn about what they are and why they’re so important to your health.

Last update on 2025-01-22 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

What are Macro-nutrients? Macro-nutrients are our main source of energy from foods. It also makes up the majority of our diet.

Macro-nutrients are in one of the three following groups:

• Carbohydrates
• Protein
• Fats

See, you knew what they were. Macro-nutrients contain vitamins and minerals essential to our well-being. Now, we consume each of these three groups daily, but do we know exactly what we’re eating?

Do we know which portions of the group are healthy and which are not?

Let’s go through each group and take a look.

Carbohydrates

Carbs are the macro-nutrients you need the most. There are two types of carbs: simple and complex.

Simple carbs are broken down fast, but because of this, your blood sugar rises quickly and can result in that “crash” we feel after eating a delicious cinnamon roll or whatever your favorite sugary snack is.

That’s because the sugar is burned so fast that the energy we feel from it fades quickly. Simple sugars also provide very little, if any, nutritional value.

Some examples of these sugars include:

• Fructose (found in fruit)
• Galactose (found in dairy products)
• Lactose (found in milk and dairy products)
• Maltose (found in fermented foods)

Complex carbohydrates take longer to break down and are what you should eat most. Since breaking down takes them a while, they provide steady energy with no blood sugar spikes.

Complex carbs also have fiber in them, which is good for your digestive and heart health.

Some examples include:

Starches like legumes, grains, peas, and potatoes

Dietary fiber like veggies and whole grains

Protein

Proteins are used to repair and build muscles and tissue. It also regulates your hormones and digestive enzymes.

Some examples include:

• Meats like beef, pork, chicken, lamb
• Fish or seafood
• Eggs
• Dairy like milk and yogurt
• Beans
• Nuts
• Soy/Tofu products

Fats

Everyone gives fat a hard time, but it can be good! Fats are used for energy now and can be stored later. It also stores vitamins, regulates hormone production, and protects your organs.

There are two types of fats: Saturated and unsaturated.

Your intake of saturated fats needs to be limited because this isn’t good fat. Some examples include meat fat, butter, full-fat dairy products, chips, biscuits, and cakes.

Unsaturated fats, on the other hand, should play a bigger role in your diet. Examples include fish, nuts, avocados, and vegetable oils like olive, canola, sunflower, and rice bran.

Last update on 2025-01-22 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

What Are Micronutrients?

Micronutrients is a term used to describe minerals and vitamins in general. Relative to your body’s macronutrients (fat and carbohydrates), your body needs vitamins and minerals in a smaller amount, hence the name “micro”.

Micronutrients are also referred to as essential nutrients because your body cannot produce vitamins and minerals from the inside. This means that all your vitamins and minerals must come from your diet.

Vitamins are compounds that are made by plants and animals and are broken down by a variety of materials, such as acid or heat. Minerals exist in water or soil, and they cannot be broken down.

This makes them inorganic. It can be difficult to discern which food items contain the most micronutrients, so it is recommended to eat a variety of foods to be on the safe side.

Why Do You Need Micronutrients?

Micronutrients are essential to the body because a variety of factors depend on a sufficient amount of vitamins and minerals. Micronutrients help maintain blood flow, your immune system, and other body parts.

For example, calcium is a mineral that is necessary for building bones and keeping them healthy. It also enables blood clotting.

Potassium, however, regulates your body’s fluid levels and muscle contractions.

Micronutrients have also been found to have a special role in your general well-being, and micronutrient deficiency can adversely affect your health.

Low levels of micronutrients have been linked to putting many at increased risk for heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and other chronic conditions.

How Can You Ensure You Have Enough?

As mentioned before, the body cannot synthesize micronutrients, meaning they must come from an external source.

For most people who do not have a deficiency, a well-balanced diet that incorporates healthy foods such as fruit and vegetables will ensure your body has a great internal balance.

For the sake of convenience, many opt to take supplements, such as multivitamins.

For the sake of the foods you eat daily, many sources can get you the proper micronutrients you need.

Calcium is most commonly found in dairy products such as yogurt, milk, and cheese.

Potassium can be found in a variety of fruits, such as bananas. Some vitamins are commonly present in vegetables, such as spinach, bell peppers, broccoli, and carrots.

As you can see, micronutrients are important for your body to function properly. So if you want to ensure that your body has the fuel it needs to maintain functioning, incorporate a well-balanced diet into your daily routine.

Hopefully, you will better understand what macronutrients and micronutrients are and why they play a big role in your overall health.

Stay healthy, and take care!