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An essay on micronutrient
An essay on micronutrient
Importance of vitamins, macro and micronutrients in the body
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Humans need a variety of foods in order to fulfill their dietary needs in micronutrients. However, in the developing world, where diets are mainly based on starchy staples, seasonal fruits and vegetables and not so much in animal products, lack of dietary diversity can be a serious problem. (Arimond, M., & Ruel, M. T. (2004). Dietary diversity is associated with child nutritional status: evidence from 11 demographic and health surveys. The Journal of Nutrition, 134(10), 2579-2585.)
Iron is an essential micronutrient in humans. Approximately 2/3 of total body iron is functional iron, most of which is in the form of haemoglobin [2]. Three major factors affect iron balance and metabolism: intake, storage and loss. In terms of intake, extremely important is iron bioavailability and capacity of absorption. Absorption is determined by the dietary iron content, bioavailability of dietary iron, amount of storage and rate of erythrocyte production. Iron bioavailability differs for haem and non-haem iron. Non-haem iron consists mostly of iron salts, and it can be found mainly in plants. Haem iron is a part of haemoglobin in meat, poultry, and fish and is 2-3 times better absorbed. However, non-heam iron accounts for the majority of iron in the diet, mainly in vegetarians[2] [3]. There are certain proteins in the body that are strictly related to iron status. Transferrin transports newly absorbed dietary iron and iron that has been released following the degradation of hemoglobin [4]. Transferrin receptors are located on cell membranes and signalize the cell’s need for iron and ferritin which is used for iron storage if the amount exceeds the current body need [2][5].
According to WHO, anaemia is a condition in which human body is defi...
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...pecialized Nutrition Europe, Brussels, Belgium that the absorption of iron is increased by vitamin C and it applies to all ages, including infants and young children [****]. The Panel has also concluded that there is a cause and effect relationship between dietary intake of vitamin C and increased non-haem iron absorption.
The most potent dietary inhibitors for iron absorption are phytates and polyphenols. Their inhibitory effect can be to some extent overcome by vitamin C[*****].
In this study an iron status improvement based on dietary diversification will be implemented. Mungbeans and Guava fruit juice are the two intervention agents selected for the study. Mungbeans are high in iron content and highly consumed in India (12). Similarly, Guava fruit is widely consumed in India ($$) and is a good source of vitamin C which can improve the iron absorption (2).
Because the Ornish diet restricts participants to a strictly vegetarian meal plan, people who follow the diet often become deficient in beneficial nutrients such as vitamin B12, iron, and omega-3 fatty acids1. Vitamin B12 and iron are nutrients often found in animal products such as meat, while omega-3 fatty acids are most common fish – the foods present in a balanced diet, but absent in the Ornish diet. Deficiencies of these chemicals can often lead to conditions such as anemia, or prevent beneficial effects that are imparted by omega-3 fatty acids such as mood stabilization and improved cardiovascular health. Because the body needs iron to produce hemoglobin – a vital part in a red blood cell’s ability to transport oxygen to other cells, a lack of the substance would cause a large decrease in the effectiveness and number of red blood cells. In addition, due to vitamin B12’s regulation of blood cell production, a decreas...
..., non-heme iron will be the prime source of iron implicated in her diet, which has been discovered to be a less absorbing iron found in plant-based sources than in comparison to heme iron, which is predominantly found in animal products. In order to effectively enhance the absorption of non-heme iron, adequate intake of vitamin C needs to be initiated within her diet. Zinc and iron must not be consumed in excess of each other in order to prevent deficiencies of either due to their counteracting mechanisms; however, it is not a major problem in vegan diets due to its rare incidence. Although Jenny Brown does not initiate supplements in her diet, Jenny can still receive adequate nutritional benefits that are essential for her health by consuming a variety of plant-based sources and following the recommended requirements of nutritional intakes, according to her status.
Kidney dialysis comes at a price. With chronic kidney disease (CKD), there can be problems with iron depletion. Dialysis slowly depletes a patient of iron. On average, about 5-7 mg of iron is lost in each session. Until recently, the main way doctors tried to compensate for this loss was by adding 100 mg of iron into the bloodstream. This treatment comes with risks of oxidative stress and can cause liver damage. A new drug has recently been in the news and seems to help greatly with this problem. The drug is called Triferic. Triferic mimics the way iron is absorbed into the body naturally. The absorption gradually goes to the body’s bone marrow and helps to maintain levels of hemoglobin. Triferic is still in the trial stages with 3 successful trials done so far. It very well may become an integrated treatment for those with CKD. (Glatter, 2013)
Typically the human body is able to tell when it has a sufficient amount of iron stored and stops taking it in; this is not what happens
According to Witney and Rolfes 2012, Vitamin C is a water-soluble vitamin that is necessary for normal growth and development. Water-soluble vitamins dissolve in water and leftover amounts of the vitamin leave the body through the urine. Hence the reasons why we need a continuous supply of this vitamin our diet. Vitamin C in humans must be ingested for survival. It is an electron donor, and this property accounts for all its known functions. As an electron donor, vitamin C is a potent water-soluble antioxidant in humans.
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.
In conclusion, hunger is a constant, chronic pain distressing many children. Famished children should have become a thing of the past a long time ago. The thought may seem impossible, but the world produces enough food to feed everyone. In the world as a whole, per capita food availability has risen from about 2220 kcal/person/day in the early 1960s to 2790 kcal/person/day in 2006-08, while developing countries also recorded a leap (2015 World Hunger and Poverty Facts and
... “Improvement in iron deficiency anemia through therapy with ferric ammonium citrate and vitamin C.” April 1991; 37 (2): 161-71.
Nutrition assessments include clinical and dietary assessment, anthropometrics, as well as biochemical, laboratory immunologic and functional indices of nutritional status (Gibney, 2005). In epidemiological studies, different dietary investigation tools were designed to assess the nutritional status in individuals and populations, nutrition monitoring and surveillance and diet-disease research (Friedenreich, et al., 1992, Taren, 2002).
Iron is an essential part of a healthy diet. Iron compounds are employed for medicinal purposes in the treatment of anemia, when the amount of hemoglobin or the number of red blood corpuscles in the blood is lowered.
Vitamin C also known as ascorbic acid is needed for growth and maintenance of healthy tissues, especially skin, blood vessels, bones, gums, teeth. Vitamin C aids in resistance against infection and healing of wounds. It also helps the body absorb iron from food. Vitamin C can be found in green vegetables, potatoes, tomatoes and citrus fruits such as oranges and lemon. A lack of vitamin C can cause scurvy, iron deficiency and poor wound healing. A healthy diet should include a high amount of vitamin C because the human body cannot produce its own vitamin C.
Holistic nutrition is increasingly becoming popular in healthcare practice due to the growing detoxification culture amongst the people with the aim of improving individual health. Consumption of toxic elements toxifies the body, the consumption of processed food products is the primary cause of diseases amongst the people. There is increased use of Holistic Nutrition by both healthy people and people with health conditions with the aim of achieving optimum body function and health. The increased use of holistic nutrition in the community improves health outcomes and reduces poor health outcomes that are caused by poor lifestyle choices of using processed food products. Holistic nutrition provides a natural approach of ensuring positive health
Overall all the different forms of anaemia are caused due to lack of healthy red blood cells or haemoglobin in the blood. Both of these are important for the transportation of oxygen through the blood around the body. The period during pregnancy is one of the very important time frames for the causes of anaemia as the mother can lack iron in her blood cause an impact on the unborn baby so many babies are born with this deficiency and therefore causes the disorder to been hereditary. The causes are if the rate of iron loss or use is more than the rate of absorption. This is a a matter that occurs very often and is very common in pregnant women this obviously indicates that intake of iron before pregnancy is poor [4]. However iron deficiency is the most neglected nutrient deficiency in the world, particularly among pregnant women and children in developing countries [7]. In a pregnant women when the theres a increase in the red cell mass the haemoglobin is effected. The haemoglobin levels are effected during the beginning of a pregannacy and duing the end of it. During the beginning there is a decrease and towards the end there is a increase. The rason to why there is a increase during the early period is the because of...
This can not be done with the same ineffective tactics that were used in the past, so that’s why people are developing new ways to eradicate hunger. When the Second International Conference on Nutrition (ICN2) was held, they discussed the nutrition component and how important it is that it is not overlooked. By paying attention to nutrient-dense foods and recognizing the different entry points for improving nutrition, the ICN2 argues the world will be one step closer in achieving the Sustainable Development Goal. Some of the entry points they discussed include “the promotion of crop diversification…, strengthening local food production and processing, and exploring regulatory or voluntary instruments for promoting healthy diets” (goals 2). Promoting the nutrition aspect of the goal can help achieve it because nutrients are what keep people alive and
Proper nutrition is one of the most essential elements to being healthy and living a long life. People deal with food every day, and food has been a part of life since the beginning of civilization. What we eat becomes our diet, and our diet plays a major role in deciding how healthy we are and how well our body functions. Without proper diet, our body cannot carry out the functions it needs to perform. Most people have some common knowledge on what is good and what is bad for the human body to consume. Fruits, vegetables, nuts, and grains are some common items people think of when they think of healthy foods. However, it is not enough just to know what foods are good for your body, it is also important to understand why certain foods are good for you and what they do to help the body function.