How Micronutrient Inadequacy May Lead To Immune Dysfunction | Rhonda Patrick

Most people in the United States are getting enough of their macronutrients like protein, carbohydrates, and fats. But what people are not getting enough of our micronutrients. Micronutrients are about 30 essential vitamins minerals, trace elements, essential fatty acids, and amino acids that must be obtained from our diets since we cannot make them. Many people in the U.S. are not obtaining adequate amounts of these micronutrients from their diets.

For example, in United States, 60% of the population has inadequate intake of vitamin E, 45% has inadequate intake of magnesium, 34% has inadequate intake of vitamin A, 25% has inadequate intake of vitamin C, 8% has inadequate zinc intake. Omega three fatty acid intake is very, very low, and 70% of the U.S. population has insufficient vitamin D levels. Several vitamins, including vitamins, A, B6, B12, C, D, E, and folate, and minerals and trace elements, including zinc, iron selenium, magnesium, and copper play important and complimentary roles in supporting both the innate and adaptive immune systems. Deficiencies or insufficiencies in micronutrients negatively affect immune function and can decrease resistance to infections.

Micronutrient support the integrity of physical barriers that inhibit infection such as the skin and mucosal layers of the gut and respiratory track. Micronutrients are also involved in producing anti-microbial proteins in differentiation, in motility, in phagocytic and killing activities of neutrophils and macrophages and promotion of and recovery from inflammation. Micronutrients, particularly vitamin C and D, support adoptive immunity via lymphocyte differentiation, proliferation, and homing, cytokine production, antibody production, and the generation of memory cells. Deficiencies or suboptimal status of these nutrients can impair immune functions by decreasing lymphocytes, impairing phagocytosis, altering cytokine production or reducing antibody response.

It seems possible that suboptimal intakes of a range of micronutrients could contribute to variation in immune outcomes that is seen in the general population.

Source: FMF Clips