By: Joelene Collins
Penn State University, Dietetics Student
Guest Blogger

If you were stranded on a desert island and you were allowed to only have ONE micronutrient, what would you choose? I am a highly indecisive individual, so in order for me to choose only one micronutrient, I would need to thoroughly examine the benefits of each. At the end of the day, you need a variety of micronutrients for health and wellness and you can get them from eating a variety of healthy foods. If you aren’t up to speed on your micronutrients, this post should help you.

Vitamin C
Many people might choose vitamin C, because of its supposed health benefits of aiding to fight off the “common cold”. Vitamin C has many health benefits, including being essential for collagen synthesis. Collagen is a protein responsible for the structure of hair, bones and skin. Without enough vitamin C, one can develop a condition known as scurvy. This condition will take a couple of months of being vitamin C deficient in order for it to occur.

Wow…I cannot imagine not being able to synthesize collagen! Some common symptoms are tender bleeding gums, internal bleeding and loss of teeth. That does not sound pleasant to me!

If you get stuck on a stranded island, look for citrus fruits to get your vitamin C. If you can find a red pepper, eat that! You can get a lot of vitamin C in just one red pepper.

Iron
Without sufficient consumption of iron, red blood cell production diminishes. Iron is required as part of the structure of a red blood cell. Red blood cells contain a structure called hemoglobin. Hemoglobin is responsible for transporting oxygen to cells throughout the body. With the diminished production of red blood cells, less hemoglobin and thus less oxygen is transported to cells throughout the body. If someone develops iron deficiency anemia, they will most certainly experience significant fatigue. That makes sense considering iron’s role in transporting oxygen (which is needed for energy metabolism) in the blood.

Something you may not know is that iron is better absorbed by the body if vitamin C is present. Iron (Fe) exists in most foods as Fe+3. Iron is absorbed as Fe+2. Vitamin C is able to convert iron from Fe+3 to Fe+2.

If you’re stranded on an island, look for wild animals and eat them to get your iron. If that’s not your thing, look for some beans and veggies like spinach.

Micronutrients Need Each Other

As I examine the rest of the micronutrients, I realize a common pattern. Each micronutrient, although it has a distinct function in the body, is reliant on another micronutrient in order to perform some of its functions. A deficiency in one micronutrient can often times lead to a deficiency in another micronutrient.

Calcium and Vitamin D - a perfect pair!

For instance, take calcium and vitamin D. Calcium is required for many functions, but most importantly for building strong bones. Vitamin D can act to increase the absorption of calcium from the small intestine as well as the re-absorption of calcium from the kidneys. Without sufficient vitamin D, bones become soft and brittle in adults. This is because not enough calcium is able to be absorbed from the diet. Calcium levels in the blood are the primary focus of the body to maintain. In order to do this the body through several processes is able to leech calcium out of the bones, thus causing soft, brittle bones.

If you’re stranded on a desert island, 15 minutes of sunshine should help you get the vitamin D you need. You can also get it from salmon (if you can catch one).

As I said in the opening, one micronutrient is not better than another. All of these nutrients play an integral role in some important process in the body. Together each nutrient depends on the other. Without needing a PhD, you can look at the big picture and eat a variety of foods each day, lots of veggies and fruits, some lean protein, and fat-free dairy will help you get what you need.