What Are the 6 Essential Nutrients the Body Needs?

Most people understand that the body has certain requirements for proper function. Sleep, for instance, is required for maintenance, rest, and repair. Like sleep, food is also essential for body functions. We need food for survival, but a deeper dive into what is inside our food can help us better understand why food is so important. 

Food and supplements contain essential vitamins, minerals, and nutrients that the body needs to thrive. Essential means that our bodies require them but can’t readily make them on their own. As such, we have to get them from the foods we eat or a supplement. 

Together, we will consider the six essential nutrients the body needs, and what happens when we don’t get them. We’ll also discuss why deficiencies are rare, and why that makes a newly discovered deficiency so important. Lastly, we’ll talk about how to correct this deficiency so our bodies can thrive.

The 6 Essential Nutrients

The body needs six nutrients for survival. They are carbohydrates, fats, proteins, water, vitamins, and minerals. Each of these nutrients plays a crucial role in the health and function of our bodies. Nutrients can be divided into two categories: macronutrients and micronutrients. 

Macronutrients include carbohydrates, fats, and proteins. Micronutrients include vitamins and minerals. Water is its own category, and a person’s need for water varies drastically based on their body weight, age, and activity level. 

Let’s look at the importance of each of these nutrients and what happens if we are deficient in one or some of them. 

Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates are molecules of sugar. Carbs are used primarily as a source of energy. The body breaks down carbohydrates into glucose, which is then carried to individual cells by insulin. The cells use the glucose to carry out cellular processes. 

There are three different types of carbohydrates: sugars, starches, and fiber. 

• Sugar. The simplest type of carbohydrate is the sugar molecule. You can find sugar in sodas, candy, snacks, and processed foods.
  
• Starch.Complex carbohydrates are referred to as starches. These are chains of sugars attached to one another. These can be found in breads, pastas, and in some vegetables like potatoes and carrots.
  
• Fiber. Fiber is also a complex carbohydrate. Your body can’t break down most fiber which can help support a feeling of fullness and also helps support your digestive tract. You can find fiber in fruit, vegetables, beans, nuts, seeds, legumes, and whole grains.

Without enough carbohydrates, the body may not get enough fiber. Eliminating carbohydrates from a diet completely can also reduce or eliminate other essential vitamins and minerals that are found in foods that contain carbohydrates (like fruits and vegetables). 

Symptoms of not getting enough carbohydrates can include headaches, fatigue, bad breath, nausea, and constipation. 

Protein

A second essential nutrient is protein. Protein is a foundational building block of every tissue in our bodies. The basic molecule of protein is known as the amino acid. Protein is needed for building new cells and tissues, and for repairing damaged tissue. 

There are three different types of amino acids. 

• Essential amino acids. These amino acids are needed by the body but cannot be made by the body. Good sources of essential amino acids include meat, dairy products, nuts, seeds, and beans.
  
• Nonessential amino acids. The body can make these amino acids by synthesizing essential amino acids.
  
• Conditional amino acids. These are amino acids that the body requires during periods of illness or stress. 

If you don’t get enough protein in your diet, you could experience a decline in muscle strength, brittle hair and nails, and feelings of tiredness. Your need for protein will depend on your age, body weight, and specific goals as they relate to building and retaining muscle. 

Vitamins

Vitamins are needed for healthy cell function, growth, and tissue repair. The chemical processes inside the cells that fuel all the processes in the body rely on vitamins. There are 13 essential vitamins. 

Some of these can be made by the body through the synthesis of other vitamins or nutrients (for instance, vitamin D can be made by the body when exposed to the sun, and niacin can be made through the synthesis of other B vitamins.) However, most of these will need to come from food or supplements so that we get the amount we need. 

The 13 essential vitamins are vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin D, vitamin E, vitamin K, vitamin B1, vitamin B2, vitamin B3, vitamin B6, vitamin B12, pantothenic acid, biotin, and folate.

Vitamins can be broken down into two categories: fat-soluble vitamins and water-soluble vitamins. 

• Fat-soluble vitamins. These vitamins are better absorbed with the presence of dietary fat. They are stored in the liver, adipose tissue, and muscle.
  
• Water-soluble vitamins. These vitamins are not stored in the body. Any excess amount of these vitamins that the body intakes and does not use is excreted through urine. 

Vitamin deficiencies are rare in developed countries. Healthy eating and access to an abundance of food have made deficiencies like scurvy (vitamin C deficiency) and rickets (vitamin D deficiency) nearly extinct. If a person has a vitamin deficiency today, it is usually due to an underlying medical condition, weight loss surgery, or an extremely restrictive diet. 

Minerals 

Minerals help keep your body in a state of homeostasis. They assist with fluid levels, body temperature regulation, and respiration. They’re essential for creating and maintaining hormone levels and keeping bones and muscles strong. 

Minerals can be broken down into two groups: macrominerals and trace minerals. 

• Macrominerals. These minerals, which include calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, sodium, potassium, chloride, and sulfur, are needed in larger quantities than trace minerals.
  
• Trace minerals. These minerals include iron, manganese, copper, iodine, zinc, cobalt, fluoride, and selenium. 

Most people get the minerals they need from eating a balanced diet. However, if you have a mineral deficiency, you may experience side effects like fatigue, muscle cramping, joint pain, irregular heartbeat, and a decreased immune system. 

Water

The body is 60% water. Water plays a crucial role in our well-being and has many important functions. Water is essential for thermoregulation, waste removal, tissue protection and repair, digestion, skin hydration, joint lubrication, and transportation of nutrients and oxygen to every part of the body. 

Symptoms of dehydration include feeling thirsty, dry skin, feeling dizzy, dark urine, and chapped lips. The amount of water a person needs depends on their body size and activity level. The more water you lose through sweat, the more water you will need. 

Fats

Fats are a dietary macronutrient that is essential for proper function. The most basic form of fat is the fatty acid molecule. 

Fatty acids are important for absorbing certain fat-soluble vitamins, keeping the skin soft and hydrated, brain function, energy synthesis, blood clotting, and proper inflammatory response. Fats have a really big job in our bodies, but because some fats are better than others, they’ve gotten a bad rap. 

There are three different types of fats.

• Saturated fat. Saturated fats are solid at room temperature.
  
• Unsaturated fat.Unsaturated fat is fat that is liquid at room temperature. These can be broken down into monounsaturated fat and polyunsaturated fat.
  
• Trans fat. Trans fat is unsaturated fat that has been processed to behave like a saturated fat. 

While we’ve been told that all fats are bad, especially saturated fat, science says that’s simply not true. In fact, some fats are essential for the body. 

Omega-3 ALA and omega-6 LA are well-established as healthy fats, but a new saturated fatty acid known as pentadecanoic acid (C15:0 for short) has recently been accepted as the first essential fatty acid to have been discovered in almost 100 years. 

If we don’t get enough dietary fat, we may experience unwanted changes in hair and skin along with the inability to regulate body temperature, mental fatigue, and reduced immunity. Further, a deficiency in C15:0 could lead to even more negative health outcomes. 

C15:0 Deficiency

The discovery of C15:0 happened by chance. Researchers studying longevity in bottlenose dolphins found that certain populations with higher circulating levels of C15:0 had fewer occurrences of age-related illness than populations that did not have these levels. 

Taking their research further, they discovered that these same cellular-protective properties were available to humans, too. As initially published in Nature Scientific Reports in 2020, C15:0 has been shown to reverse aging inside human cells. 

Since that initial publication, there are now over 100 peer-reviewed publications describing the health benefits of C15:0. As an essential fatty acid, C15:0 is critical for our bodies as it actively repairs, restores, and revitalizes our long-term health at the cellular level by:*

• Strengthening our cell membranes (and us) against age-related breakdown.
  
• Repairing mitochondrial function, which keeps our body’s energy-producers going.
  
• Naturally activating receptors (including PPARs and AMPK) that regulate our metabolism, immunity, mood, sleep, and appetite.
  
• Naturally inhibiting damaging pathways (including mTOR and JAK-STAT) as a means to support longevity.

Concurrently, a deficiency in C15:0 has been found to lead to a condition known as Cellular Fragility Syndrome. This is important, because it’s the first known nutrient deficiency to have been discovered in over 75 years. (Think Vitamin C deficiency and scurvy) 

Cellular Fragility Syndrome begins with low levels of C15:0, and causes cells to become weak and unstable, and subject to ferroptosis, a type of cell death directly linked to accelerated aging, the progression of type 2 diabetes, heart disease, cognitive decline, and NAFLD.

The most alarming fact about Cellular Fragility Syndrome is that it affects nearly one in three people worldwide, and most people don’t know they have it. 

Correcting Cellular Fragility Syndrome

The only way to find out if you are deficient in C15:0 is to have a blood test. Your doctor can order a C15:0 test. Your C15:0 levels should be between 0.2% and 0.4% of the total fatty acids in our cell membranes for optimal health. If you’d rather test at home, click here to have a finger-prick test mailed to your home. 

If you find out you are deficient, there’s an easy way to fix it with fatty15.

Fatty15 is the first and only supplement that contains the pure, vegan-friendly version of C15:0. It contains just one calorie per dose, isn’t mixed with any other fats, and is ready for your body to absorb. With just one daily capsule, you can restore your circulating levels of C15:0 and fix Cellular Fragility Syndrome. 

It’s Essential

Getting enough of what you need in your diet is important. In addition to a balanced diet, taking a fatty15 supplement can help increase your levels of the essential C15:0 nutrient, prevent the Cellular Fragility Syndrome, strengthen your cells, and optimize your long-term health and wellness.

Taking fatty15 once per day is a solid step towards promoting optimal health and longevity

Sources:

The Basics: Six Essential Nutrients | Health and Wellness | Washington State University

Carbohydrates: MedlinePlus

Minerals: MedlinePlus

Dietary pentadecanoic acid supplementation at weaning in essential fatty acid-deficient rats shed light on the new family of odd-chain n-8 PUFAs | ScienceDirect

The Cellular Stability Hypothesis: Evidence of Ferroptosis and Accelerated Aging-Associated Diseases as Newly Identified Nutritional Pentadecanoic Acid (C15:0) Deficiency Syndrome

Ferroptosis: An Iron-Dependent Form of Nonapoptotic Cell Death