The Importance of Micronutrients in the Diet

1016 Words3 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Features of fat soluble vitamins

The human body requires small amounts of nutrients in microgram or milligram quantities in our diet because it cannot synthesize the necessary amounts on its own. These nutrients are considered micronutrients. Micronutrients are a combination of water, vitamins, and minerals. Vitamins are organic compounds that do not provide energy, but are essential to the body in helping “aid in metabolism, as well as the growth, development and maintenance of body tissues” (Byrd-Bredbenner, Moe and Beshgetoor 402). Vitamins are broken down into two groups, water-soluble and fat-soluble. The water-soluble vitamins are the B-vitamins, and vitamin C. The fat-soluble vitamins are A, D, E, and K. Minerals are needed in even smaller amounts, however these inorganic substances are necessary for “cell metabolism, nerve impulse transmission and growth and development” (Byrd-Bredbenner, Moe and Beshgetoor 485). Minerals can be categorized into major or trace minerals. The major minerals include Sodium, Potassium, Chloride, Calcium, Phosphorus, Magnesium, and Sulfur. Trace minerals are Iron, Zinc, Copper, Manganese, Iodine, Selenium, Chromium, Fluoride, Molybdenum and Ultratrace minerals.
Analyzing my 3-day food record reveals an interesting perspective into the needs of a pregnant women. Most pregnant women, like myself, follow the doctor’s recommendation and take prenatal supplements to provide the most nutritious environment for the baby to grow in. However, this does not mean one can eat whatever they want because supplements are just that supplements, they do not replace actual food. At the same time, toxicity can occur.
The only vitamin I was deficient in was vitamin D. I consumed 72% (10.76 mcg) of my daily recommended intake or DRI. Non-pregn...

... middle of paper ...

...ing and diarrhea.
The 3-day food record allowed me to take a closer look at what I was putting in my body. Since the project, I have been more vigilant in what I ultimately feed myself and the baby. I have taken to drinking more water and started juicing in addition to a more natural diet and no fast-food. I am not aware of any limitations in my findings of my diet analysis. I am aware that as far as micronutrients are concerned, it is very important to keep a keen eye on your intake. More is not always better, and supplements can cause harm if not careful. With that being said, supplements do not always supply the necessary minerals in one’s diet either. Ultimately, actual food sources are a better way to regulate proper micronutrient intake.

Works Cited

Byrd-Bredbenner, Carol, et al. Wardlaw's Perspectives in Nutrition. 9th. McGraw-Hill Education, 2013. Book.

Show More
Related

  • Review Of The Documentary 'A Growing Plague'

    1268 Words  | 3 Pages

    In the year 2010, the documentary Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead was released. In the film, Australian native Joe Cross has realized that his health is worsening very fast. So Cross finally decides that he will turn his life around by taking an extreme diet that will deprive him of macronutrients for 60 days. Macronutrients are nutrients found in foods other than fruits and vegetables. Micronutrients are those nutrients found in fruits and vegetables. Micronutrients provide minerals such as Vitamin A, Iodine, Iron, Folate, and Zinc. While the body does not need these in large amounts, they are essential to the body because they help develop disease prevention and promote well-being. Micronutrients are important to include

    Read More

  • Personal Diet and Weight Loss Management Analysis

    2640 Words  | 6 Pages

    The comparison of my two-day nutrition intake to recommendations demonstrates that I do not consistently consume a healthy diet. I do not follow the recommendations in the Food ...

    Read More

  • Why Should You Be Physically Active And Maintain Physical Fitness?

    857 Words  | 2 Pages

    “Nutrition is the science/study of ways in which the body uses food. It is also the study of how and why we make food choices” (Lesson 18). Nutrients are substances in food that provide energy for body tissues and are necessary for life and growth. There are six classes of nutrients: carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins, minerals, and water. Carbohydrates are a class of energy-giving nutrients that include sugars, starches, and fiber. Carbohydrates can be simple (donuts, chocolate, french fries, and gummy bears) or complex (bread, pasta, broccoli, oatmeal, and bananas). Fats are a class of energy-giving nutrients and are the main form in which energy is stored in the body. Fats can be good or bad for you and are either saturated (meats, butter, dairy) or unsaturated (vegetable oils). Proteins are nutrients made up of amino acids, which are needed to build/ repair body structures and to regulate processes in the body. There are incomplete proteins (fruits, vegetables, oats, bread, and rice) and complete (meat and dairy) versions of proteins. Water is an essential class of nutrients that keeps you alive and is necessary for almost every bodily function. Our bodies are made of approximately 60% percent water and because exercise makes you lose water through sweating it is important to drink at least 8 glasses a day. Minerals are a class of nutrients needed for certain body processes such as enzyme activity and bone

    Read More

  • Dietary Analysis Assignment

    794 Words  | 2 Pages

    For years, I have been eating what I want. Food choices are a significant factor that affects our health. What we like or crave, often, is the determining variable in what we eat. Finding the right balance of food choices is the key factor in improving our health benefits. Choosing nutrient-dense foods will provide more nutritional value than foods that are found to be low in nutrient density. Making the right choices in foods, however, is extremely difficult. Often, I find myself enthralled in the latest fad, not considering the subtext of the foods I am eating, such as nutrients, vitamins, healthy fats and unhealthy fats, cholesterol and minerals. The diet project underlined a three-day food entry intake that provided a dietary analysis report

    Read More

  • Mothers and Children Benefit from Breastfeeding

    877 Words  | 2 Pages

    Is there any food on earth that can provide the PERFECT nutrition to a human? Yes, and it is breast milk. Breast milk is the perfect nutrition. This superior food contains hormones, live antibacterial and antiviral cells and essential fatty acids (What Makes Human Milk Special?, Mar-Apr 2006). All of which are helpful in protecting against any harm. Sicknesses in infants are lowered by the help that breast milk gives. Breastfed children are sick less often than children who aren’t breastfed (What Makes Human Milk Special?, Mar-Apr 2006). Breast milk contains all the nutrients that an infant needs as it continues to grow. When the child is brought into the world it has no way to fight off any d...

    Read More

  • Everything You Need to Know about Vitamins

    2022 Words  | 5 Pages

    The 13 well-identified vitamins are classified according to their ability to be absorbed in fat or water. The fat-soluble vitamins-A, D, E, and K-are generally consumed along with fat-containing foods, and because they can be stored in the body's fat, they do not have to be consumed every day. The water-soluble vitamins-the eight B vitamins and vitamin C-cannot be stored and must be consumed frequently, preferably every day (with the exception of some B vitamins, as noted below).

    Read More

  • The Importance of Exercise and Nutrition During Pregnancy

    1381 Words  | 3 Pages

    When it comes to eating right, it is important that the diet of a pregnant woman has food energy, protein, with many vitamins and minerals, as this is essential for the pregnancy to support the metabolic demands of pregnancy and the baby's growth. It is then, that knowing the fact that the diet of a pregnant woman should be well controlled it is ide...

    Read More

  • Vitamins, Nutrients, and Minerals

    387 Words  | 1 Pages

    When one hears the three words: vitamins, nutrients, and minerals, they think of one thing-being healthy and noticing what your intake is daily. Nutrition is all about vitamins and nutrients. Firstly, vitamins are an organic compound required by the body in small amounts of metabolism, to protect health, and for proper growth of children. Vitamins also assist in the formation of hormones, blood cells, nervous systems chemicals, and genetic material. There are 13 well-identified vitamins. Some examples of the 13 well-identified vitamins are: A, D, E, and K-fat contained foods, B, C-consumed immediately. A well known and commonly used in commercials for orange juice vitamin is vitamin C. Vitamin C or ascorbic acid is important in the synthesis and maintenance of connective tissues. The lack of vitamin C will result in a sickness called scurvy. Scurvy harms the gums, mucous membranes, and the skin. Another well-known vitamin and is also used to commercial to give more information about this beverage is the vitamin in milk. The vitamin in milk is vitamin D. If you do not drink milk and obtain this vitamin, your bones and teeth will become soft and weak. Lacking one or more of the 13 well-identified vitamins will cause sickness and weakness to your body. Secondly, nutrients are how the body assimilates certain compounds. Nutrients are classified in 5 major groups: proteins, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins, and minerals. One of the five nutrients is carbohydrate. The carbohydrate group principally consists of sugar, starch, dextrin, cellulose, and glycogen. In more basic terms, carbohydrates are sugars needed by human and other living organisms. Some types of foods that contain carbohydrates would be candies, ice cream, fruit juice, soda, chocolate bars etc. Lastly, vitamins are connected to minerals. Minerals are also a very important part of a healthy person. There are 11 major groups of minerals. They are: calcium, chromium, copper, iodine, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorous, potassium, selenium, and zinc. All these terms look very familiar if one has taken chemistry. These are the elements of our world. One of the more common minerals that most people have heard of is calcium. Calcium also helps with the structure and strength of teeth and bones. Vitamins and minerals work together to help humans maintain a healthy body. For example, vitamin D works with calcium to help for and maintain the strength of teeth and bones.

    Read More

  • Nutrition and Cognitive Health

    1742 Words  | 4 Pages

    Beginning in the womb, nutrients obtained through the diet, in this case of the mother, begin playing a key role in the development of the brain and nervous system. A woman’s poor nutritional status before the time of conception can have detrimental effects on physical and cognitive development (Whitney & Rolfes, 2013, p. 486). It is clear that from the beginning of the lifespan nutrition plays a vital role and cognitive health and development. While nutrition is known to play a role in cognitive health, the question of just which nutrients and in what quantities will require many more years of research as new information is being discovered. There is a growing concern over the quality of ‘natural’ sources, such as breast milk and whole foods, as opposed to synthetic sources, such as infant formula and vitamin supplements. There has been much debate as to whether or ...

    Read More

  • Reflection For 3 Day Diet

    981 Words  | 2 Pages

    And even though these three days aren’t long enough to create an accurate picture of a person’s eating habits, the results can help individuals make the necessary changes to decrease the risk of future health issues associated with poor food choices. My DRI report shows the strengths and weaknesses of my diet based on the 3 day food consumption. My DRI goal for calories was 2,689 kcal, while I consumed an average of 2,090 kcal for 3 days. Along with calories, I consumed insufficient amounts of vitamin D, an average of 8% p/day. On the other hand, my Carbohydrates, Cholesterol, Protein and Vitamin C consumption exceeded the DRI recommended intake. My fat breakdown report indicates my levels are within the average range. My vitamins report shows that my vitamin C intake is very high at 230% in contrast with my vitamin D, which is very low at only 8%.

    Read More

  • Analysis Of My Food

    1322 Words  | 3 Pages

    My average intake is 66 mg. it is lower than the required Vitamin C intake. Deficiency in Vitamin C can develop scurvy, if vitamin C is missing on our diet. Oranges, lemon and other citrus fruits, bell pepper, kiwi broccoli, berries, tomatoes and papayas are rich in Vitamin C . Lack of Vitamin D on diet can develop rickets to small children. The required intake for this vitamins is 15microgram and my report is zero. Vitamin D can be achieved from exposure of skin to ultra violet rays of the sun. Vitamin E is responsible for transmission of nerve impulses, body weakness and eye problem that can cause blindness. My nutrient intake for Vitamin 10 mg AT and the require intake is 15 mg AT, which is 5 mg lower than the require amount. Food related to Vitamin E are green leafy vegies such as spinach, kale are rich in Vitamin E, in addition, broccoli, hazel nuts, squash and pumpkin are also rich in Vitamin E. My vitamin K intake is 3 microgram, way too low compared to the requirement which is 90 microgram. Vitamin K deficiency can cause hemorrhagic disease of new born. Food that gives Vitamin K are green leafy vegetables such as kale and spinach, canola oils, olive oils, and

    Read More

  • Essay On Macronutrients

    815 Words  | 2 Pages

    If you frequent health forums or fitness blogs, you'll have read the word “macros” before. The word is short for macronutrients. That leads to the question, “what are macronutrients?”

    Read More

  • Vitamins Facts

    1407 Words  | 3 Pages

    Vitamins are essential aids in many body processes, converting food the energy, building and maintaining cells, and other functions.

    Read More

  • Importance Of Balance Diet

    1512 Words  | 4 Pages

    Minerals (micronutrient), there are various minerals and each group plays a different role, calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg) and phosphorus (P) all help to harden bones and teeth. Iron (Fe) plays a crucial role in haemoglobin (Hb). Potassium (K), sodium (Na) and chlorine (Cl) are all helpful in maintaining the bodies PH balance and are all used in action potential (Grammarly,

    Read More

  • Nutrition Importance

    1156 Words  | 3 Pages

    As they always say HEALTH IS WEALTH! Your food selection today, makes you enjoy for the moment and affects your health tomorrow and in the future!

    Read More

More about The Importance of Micronutrients in the Diet

Open Document