I need a detox, but which micronutrients can help?

Micronutrients and their functions

There are many micronutrients that are essential for the body to function optimally. As a rule, like the macronutrients, they are supplied to the body through a balanced diet. If there is a deficiency, however, supplementation can also be considered, for example through food supplements.

However, which micronutrients does the body need and for which functions are they necessary?

Here is a brief overview:

• Vitamins:
  There are numerous vitamins, the best known are certainly vitamin C (ascorbic acid) and vitamin A (retinol). The body can only produce one of them, vitamin D, all the others have to be added. They are important because they are involved in numerous metabolic functions, they influence the immune system and play a key role in the formation of cells, blood cells and bones. Each vitamin has its own task, so no vitamin is dispensable.
• ‍Minerals:
  Minerals must also be supplied to the body from outside, mostly through food. Unlike vitamins, however, most of them are preserved during cooking. The most important minerals include calcium and iron (for bone structure). Iodine is also one of the minerals and is required for the formation of hormones in the thyroid gland. Also known are zinc and selenium, fluorine, sodium and potassium. Similar to the vitamins, minerals also have very different functions, for example potassium helps in the transmission of nerve signals.‍
• Amino acids:
  The body can provide some amino acids itself, but the group of essential amino acids is an exception. The human body needs these micronutrients as neurotransmitters and as building blocks for proteins. The essential amino acids include nine different ones, including lysine, isoleucine, valine and six others.‍
• Omega fatty acids:
  Everyone has probably heard the term omega fatty acids, or unsaturated fatty acids, often with the recommendation to eat more fish. Because these are often rich in unsaturated fatty acids. The body needs fatty acids to build cell walls and even protects against cardiovascular diseases.

How micronutrients help with detoxification

In addition, to many healthy substances, the body also absorbs many foreign substances and even toxins every day. Drugs, environmental pollution or food additives can put a strain on the body and limit functions. Stress can also lead to inflammation, for example, which in turn floods harmful substances into the body. The main detoxification organs in the human body are the liver, kidneys and bile.

Micronutrients play a major role in detoxification, so the targeted intake of taurine and glutamine, for example, can help to break down toxins in the body faster and more efficiently. The administration of citrulline, for example, can reduce the inflammatory markers of a fatty liver.

These are just a few examples of how micronutrients - in the form of vitamins, minerals, amino acids and essential fatty acids - are not only necessary for many functions in the human body, but can also make a significant contribution to detoxification and should therefore be supplied in sufficient quantities.

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Sources:

1. https://bmcresnotes.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13104-019-4130-6