What Are Macronutrients and Micronutrients?

Fitness enthusiasts often talk about macros and micros. Learn what they are and how much you should be eating in this episode of BrainStuff.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:02):
Welcome to brain Stuff from how Stuff Works, Hey, brain Stuff,
Lauren Volga bomb Here. Once upon a time, calories bore
the brunt of dieters. Ire would be weight watchers meticulously
crunched numbers on nutrition labels and brands made major bucks
shilling snacks made of little more than artificial sweeteners and air. Then,

(00:23):
as the world learned more about the potential waistline expanding
and otherwise unhealthy power of processed sugars, many people begin
paying less attention to their total cloric intake and more
attention to the composition of their meals. Focusing on quality
over quantity isn't a bad idea, since nutritionists are adamant
that not all calories are created equal, meaning your body

(00:44):
will process a hundred calories worth of kale much differently
than wild process a hundred calories worth of ntella, which
sadly isn't very much to tella. But breaking down the
benefits of what's on your plate requires some basic knowledge
of the building blocks of food. So do you even
count Macro's bro Should you ever find yourself down in

(01:04):
Instagram fits bow rabbit hole, you may be overwhelmed by
the amount of talk about macros. Along with pounding protein
powder and nailing dead lifts. Fitness enthusiasts often discussed the
practice of counting macronutrients to hit their goals. Macronutrients are
what constitute the foods you eat, and they can be
broken down into the following basic categories. Carbohydrates, proteins including

(01:27):
essential amino acids, and fats including essential fatty acids, though
experts often also tack on water and fiber to this
list as your body needs them for healthy organ function
and digestion. Different types of macronutrients have different amounts of
calories per serving. Fats yield about nine calories program, while
proteins and carbs contain about four calories program each. Dietitians

(01:49):
generally recommend divvying up your diet so that you get
a variety of macronutrients, since each type provides different payoffs. Carbs,
most commonly found in foods like grains, fruits, and vegetables,
fuel your brain and body with energy. Proteins often obtained
from meat, dairy, eggs, tofu and lagoons, help prepare and
build your muscles, skin, and organs, and aid in hormonal production.

(02:11):
Fats found in foods like avocados, olive oil, seeds, nuts,
and various animal products are stored in your body and
then used as backup fuel and to protect and insulate
your organs and bones, including one that we particularly prize
around here, your brain. Everyone's nutritional needs are different, but
the U. S Department of Health and Human Services generally
recommends the following daily macro ranges for adults forty to

(02:35):
sixty of your diet from carbs, ten to thirty pc
from protein, and twenty from fat. But micronutrients matter too.
Dr Donald hens Red, head of the Mayo Clinic Healthy
Living Program, recently talked about micro and macronutrients in an
addition of Mayo Clinic Minute. He said, we need both

(02:56):
macronutrients to help with energy, and we need micronutrients to
help our body be healthy and digest those macronutrients. The
World Health Organization has an even more colorful definition of
micronutrients quote called micronutrients because they are needed only in
minuscule amounts. These substances are the magic wands that enable
the body to produce enzymes, hormones, and other substances essential

(03:19):
for proper growth and development. What both of those definitions
mean essentially, is that micronutrients are the vitamins and minerals
found in food, and as you can imagine, there are
a ton necessary to keep your brain and body in
top shape. They typically fall into the following categories. Water
soluble vitamins like vitamin C and B, vitamins, fat soluble

(03:40):
vitamins like vitamins A, D, E, and K, and essential
trace minerals from chromium to zinc. About thirty vitamins and
minerals are considered essential. That means your body can't manufacture
enough of them on its own, so you need to
get them from food. And five micronutrients vitamin B, six,
vitamin C, B of an, E, magnesium, and zinc are

(04:02):
important for keeping your immune system boosted, so it's a
good idea to ensure your food choices are chalk full
of them. But one last thing, not all micronutrients supplement
pills actually deliver a useful amount of vitamins and minerals
to your body. As Dr Howard D. Sso, Associate Professor
of Medicine at Harvard Medical School, told Harvard Health, you

(04:23):
should ideally try to meet your vitamin and mineral needs
through your diet rather than supplements, and indeed research shows
that wild supplements can be a stop gap for a
poor diet. It's better to spend your money and effort
on eating a balanced diet. It'll probably taste better too.

(04:43):
Today's episode was written by Michelle Konstantinovski and produced by
Tyler Klang. For more on this and lots of other
nutritious topics, visit our home planet, how stuff works dot com.