What are the classifications of nutrients?

The current common classification method in the domestic nutrition community is to divide nutrients into two categories: macronutrients and micronutrients. There are also many cutting-edge studies that advocate classifying water, dietary fiber, and phytochemicals into independent "other essential nutrients" classification. This definition has not yet been completely unified.

I have been a community nutrition guide for five years. When I first entered the industry, there were still old textbooks that counted water as a macronutrient. However, most of the new guidelines in recent years do not mention this. The classification standards have been adjusted according to the progress of research. It doesn’t matter if you don’t understand those awkward terms. To put it bluntly, macronutrients are the three categories we eat the most every day: carbohydrates, proteins, and fats, all of which can provide energy to the body, just like the gasoline in a car. What we usually call “full” basically means eating enough of these three categories. For example, the millet porridge you drink in the morning is carbohydrates, the boiled eggs you eat are high-quality protein, and the fat in the egg yolk also accounts for a lot. The core nutrients of a breakfast are basically complete.

Corresponding to macronutrients are micronutrients. As the name suggests, they are two types of minerals and vitamins that are required by the body in extremely small amounts. There are dozens of them in total. Most of the requirements are in milligrams or even micrograms. Anything less will not suffice. In the past two months, I met a high school sophomore who always felt exhausted and unable to run 800 meters. After repeated tests, he found out that he had iron deficiency anemia. He usually ate refined rice noodles and fried chicken, and ate less red meat and dark green vegetables. His iron intake was not enough. There are also many people who always have rotten lips when the seasons change. In fact, he is deficient in B vitamins, which are all typical manifestations of insufficient intake of micronutrients.

The most controversial issue in the industry now is the classification of dietary fiber, water and phytochemicals. In the past, dietary fiber was included in carbohydrates, but later it was discovered that it cannot be digested and absorbed by the human body. Instead, it plays an irreplaceable role in intestinal peristalsis and blood sugar and blood lipid regulation. In recent years, there have been many voices wanting to list it separately. There are also those phytochemicals such as anthocyanins, lutein, soy isoflavones, etc., which were not considered “essential” in the past, and typical symptoms would not appear immediately if they were missing them. Now, more and more studies have proven that long-term insufficient intake will increase the risk of chronic diseases such as hypertension and intestinal cancer. There is no unified conclusion yet on whether they should be classified as essential nutrients.

In fact, for ordinary people, there is no need to worry about whether the classification is accurate. Just remember to try to diversify the food, eat a combination of whole grains and fine grains, and eat meat, eggs, milk, dark green vegetables, beans, and nuts every day. No matter what type of nutrients, there is basically no shortage, which is much more reliable than buying supplements one by one according to the classification list.