Nutrition A04

7/31/2019 Nutrition A04

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NutritionA04: Micronutrients


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1. The importance of minerals that we losethrough sweat when exercising.

2. If we are mineral or vitamin deficientwhat problems/illnesses could this cause.i.e. lack of calcium = oestoporosis.


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Micronutrients The body needs minute amounts of vitamins and

minerals to help keep the body operatingsmoothly, they allow everything else to work

around them. An accurate metaphor for vitaminswould be to compare the human body to a car,the vitamins and minerals role would be all theextra parts such as oil and water that keep theoperating.

Vitamins and minerals are available from a

balanced healthy diet. The average amount of food eaten by a normal

adult each year is 820Kg of this only a tiny portion,around 350grams will be from vitamins or minerals.


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Vitamins Vitamins neither supply energy or contribute to

body mass. The body makes one vitamin, vitamin D by itself,

however, vitamin D is the only vitamin the bodycan produce by itself, therefore the rest need tobe obtained from your diet.

There are 13 different vitamins these are put intotwo different categories, water soluble vitamins orlipid soluble vitamins.

Lipid soluble vitamins are = A, D, E, K Water Soluble vitamins are = C, B6, B1, B2, Niacin,

pantothenic acid, biotin, folic acid, B12


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Lipid Soluble Vitamins Daily ingestion of lipid soluble vitamins is not absolutely

necessary as some are stored in the fatty tissue of the bodyso we dont need to constantly replenish them.

Vitamins A and D are mainly stored in the liver. Vitamin E is distributed throughout the fatty tissue of the

body, their fundamental difference with water soluble fats,which are distributed throughout the water in our body.

Vitamin K is stored in tiny amounts and is stored in the liver.To much vitamin K can poison the body and vitamin D cancause kidney damage, however you would have toconsume around 1000x your daily guideline allowance forthis to become fatal.

Lipid soluble vitamins are usually found in dietary lipids suchas meat


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Water Soluble vitamins These usually join with other compounds that are

used throughout the body for example for energymaking.

Water soluble vitamins are dispersed throughoutthe bodies water stores and therefore is not storedat such, unlike the lipid soluble vitamins.

If there is any excess water soluble vitamins thatthe body does not require, they are removed from

our system through urination. Water soluble vitamins are active in the body for

about 8-14 hours after ingestion.


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Role of Vitamins in the body Vitamins do not produce energy but they are used in the energy making

process.

Vitamins promote normal growth, provide proper metabolism, ensure goodhealth and protect against certain diseases. Vitamin is required by the bodyin small amounts for metabolism, to protect health, and for proper growth inchildren. Vitamins assist in the formation of hormones, blood cells, nervous-system chemicals, and genetic material.

Vitamins mainly serve as catalysts for certain reactions in the body. Theycombine with proteins to create metabolically active enzymes that in turnproduce hundreds of important chemical reactions throughout the body.

The fundamentals of cells depend greatly upon vitamins. Vitamins areresponsible for keeping cells strong, binding tissues, fighting infections, etc.Without vitamins our cells would not function properly and thus our organswould suffer and eventually we would no longer be able to survive. Vitaminshelp regulate metabolism, help convert fat and carbohydrates into energy,and assist in forming bone and tissue.


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Do Athletes require morevitamins?

Generally no, because the vitamins taken in canoften by used over and over again.

However, in rare cases some athletes can struggle

from insufficiencies in some vitamins and thereforeshould look to supplement their diets with therelevant vitamins, therefore they takemegavitamins, tablets which are packed full ofevery vitamin you need, often a lot more than thatwhich is actually necessary.

There is little harm in taking megavitamins however

the body will reject a lot of the vitamins as itcannot be stored and the healthy diet usuallycontains enough.

Taking too many vitamins i.e. 1000 x RDA can resultin health issues.


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Methods of reducing vitaminsloss when cooking

Tear leaves and dont cut them, cutting themcuts the veins of the leaves causing thevitamins to escape, where as tearing themtends to leave the major veins intact.

Prepare food just before you cook them.

Cook in as little water for as short amount oftime as possible.

Do not keep food hot i.e. under a grill

Always steam or microwave vegetable, thisstops the water containing the vegetables toescape.


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Minerals

Just like vitamins, minerals help your body

grow, develop, and stay healthy. The bodyuses minerals to perform many differentfunctionsfrom building strong bones totransmitting nerve impulses. Some minerals areeven used to make hormones or maintain a

normal heartbeat.


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The difference between Minerals& Vitamins.

Although they are all considered micronutrients,vitamins and minerals differ in basic ways. Vitaminsare organic and can be broken down by heat, air,or acid. Minerals are inorganic and hold on to theirchemical structure.

So why does this matter? It means the minerals insoil and water easily find their way into your bodythrough the plants, fish, animals, and fluids you

consume. But its tougher to shuttle vitamins fromfood and other sources into your body becausecooking, storage, and simple exposure to air caninactivate these more fragile compounds.


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Calcium Calcium is the top macromineral when it comes to your

bones. This mineral helps build strong bones, so you can doeverything from standing up straight to playing football orrugby winning goal. It also helps build strong, healthy teeth,for chomping on tasty food.

Which foods are rich in calcium?

dairy products, such as milk, cheese, and yogurt canned salmon and sardines with bones

leafy green vegetables, such as broccoli calcium-fortified foodsfrom orange juice to cereals

and crackers


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Iron The body needs iron to transport oxygen from your lungs to the rest of your

body. Your entire body nit's important ineeds oxygen to stay healthy andalive. Iron helps because the formation of hemoglobin, which is the part ofyour red blood cells that carries oxygen throughout the body.

Which foods are rich in iron?

meat, especially red meat, such as beef

tuna and salmon

eggs

beans

baked potato with skins

dried fruits, like raisins

leafy green vegetables, such as broccoli whole and enriched grains, like wheat or oats


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Sodium/Potassium/Chlorine These make up what we tend to call salt. They keep your muscles

and nervous system working properly. Your blood and body tissues,such as muscles, contain water, potassium helps make sure theamount of water is just right. To much sodium can cause

hypertension and stress.

Which foods are rich in potassium?

bananas broccoli

tomatoes potatoes with skins leafy green vegetables, such as broccoli citrus fruits, like oranges dried fruits legumes, such as beans, peas, lentils, and peanuts


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Zinc Zinc helps your immune system, which is your

body's system for fighting off illnesses andinfections. It also helps with cell growth and helps

heal wounds, such as cuts.

Which foods are rich in zinc?

beef

pork lamb legumes, such as beans, peas, lentils, and

peanuts


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Phosphorus Health Benefits of Phosphorus in Human Nutrition

For strong bones and skeletal structure

For strong teeth, formation of tooth enamel, and healthy gums

For energy and metabolization of fats and starches

For growth and body repair

For heart regularity

For arthritis

For speedier recovery of burn victims For cancer prevention

For cell health

Natural Sources of PhosphorusMilk, yogurt, cottage cheese, American cheese, pork, hamburger, tuna,lobster, chicken, sunflower seeds, peanuts, pine nuts, peanut butter, branflakes, shredded wheat, whole wheat bread, noodles, rice, white bread,potatoes, corn, peas, french fries, broccoli, milk chocolate and sodabeverages (due to the phosphoric acid added as a preservative).

Usage Guidelines for Phosphorus

The RDA for phosphorus is 1000 mg. There is no known toxicity, but long termexcessive use may result in the inhibiting of calcium absorption. A deficiencyin phosphorus is rare but can result in weak or fragile bones, teeth, fatigue,weakness, loss of appetite, joint pain and stiffness, confusion, less energy, anda susceptibility to infections. A deficiency in the calcium-phosphorus balancecan lead to diseases like rickets, arthritis, pyorrhea, and tooth decay.Phosphorus is best taken as part of a multivitamin and mineral supplement.


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Magnesium For years, researchers have known that magnesium plays a critical role in endurance performance.

Magnesium mainly exists in muscles and bones, where it assists with muscle contractions and energymetabolism. Studies with lab animals and people show that magnesium deficiency reducesendurance, and that low blood levels of magnesium are associated with decreased aerobiccapacity. Unfortunately, this low level of circulating magnesium has been seen in runners aftermarathons, and probably resulted from mineral loss via sweating.

Researchers believe that low magnesium levels reduce production of a substance called 2,3-DPG(for our purposes, simply "DPG"), which is essential for oxygen delivery to exercising muscles. So,theoretically, increasing magnesium intake should boost DPG level, thereby improving oxygendelivery and in turn boosting aerobic capacity and performance.

A study done at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York tested this magnesium-DPG connection with trainedrunners. Subjects took either a placebo or a magnesium supplement (at twice the RDA) for twoweeks. Runners were tested on the treadmill before and after supplementation. Result: The extramagnesium failed to boost circulating DPG level or max VO2, nor was there any difference inperceived exertion among subjects.

Why these results? Magnesium supplementation may have been superfluous in this case, as the malerunners' diets already contained more than the magnesium RDA of 350 milligrams (the RDA for

women is 280 milligrams). In other words, more does not mean better. Yet, if you're one of thosepeople who don't get enough, your endurance may be suffering. Because oversupplementation cancause diarrhea and can interfere with calcium absorption and metabolism, try to get yourmagnesium from food sources, such as nuts, molasses, whole grains and dark green, leafyvegetables.


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Chromium Chromium Die-hard believers say this little metallic dynamo burns body fat while it builds muscle. No wonder chromium has

become the supplement of choice for so many runners, bodybuilders, even dieters.

Most minerals work as enzyme helpers during metabolism. Not so with chromium, which assists the hormoneinsulin in processing carbohydrates. Insulin also helps manufacture new proteins, which is where the theory ofchromium as a muscle-builder originates.

And the theory does sound reasonable; unfortunately, it just doesn't pan out. Much of the recent chromiumcraze is based on a slew of flawed studies showing that chromium supplements (in the form of chromiumpicolinate) improve muscle gains during strength training. Yet in a more recent, well-designed study on footballplayers, those who weight-trained four days a week while taking 200 micrograms of chromium saw no increase inmuscle mass compared to a placebo group.

As for endurance athletes, research on runners has shown that exercise speeds chromium loss via the urinefollowing exercise. This has led some researchers to believe that endurance athletes need more chromium,particularly since they tend to eat a high-carbohydrate diet that requires more insulin (hence more chromium)for carbohydrate processing.

But is this the case? And what about supplementation? First of all, scientists don't have enough hard informationto firmly establish an RDA for chromium. Chromium is difficult to measure in foods, plus we can't even trackwhether we're getting enough. Therefore, there's a range, 50 to 200 micrograms, that is designated as safe and

adequate. And, chances are, you're getting that much.

Just beware of eating too many refined foods, such as white bread and sweets, which are not only low inchromium but may boost your need for it (to help process carbohydrates). And, as with magnesium, stick withfood sources rather than a supplement. Getting too much chromium, which could only happen viasupplementation, can hamper your absorption of iron and zinc. Some chromium-rich foods are wheat germ, nutsand--surprise, surprise--beer.


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Zinc With this mineral, a little really does go a long way. Though you have only about 2 grams of it in your

body, zinc works in tandem with more than 100 different enzymes, many of which participate inenergy metabolism. Zinc is also essential for a healthy immune system. In fact, endurance exerciseseems to reduce zinc levels in the body, which may be part of the reason why runners are moreprone to colds and upper respiratory tract infections immediately following races or tough workouts.

In one study, athletes had twice the zinc loss through urine following a 6-mile run compared to whenthey didn't exercise. When you realize that a small amount of zinc is also lost in sweat, and that manypeople don't get their RDA to begin with, you see why up to 40 percent of athletes may have below-normal levels of zinc in their blood.

Part of the problem is that runners tend to shy away from the best sources of zinc--oysters, clams, liverand several other meats--because of meat's relatively high fat content. That's understandable, butyou can also get zinc from low-fat foods such as wheat germ, fortified breakfast cereals and black-eyed peas.

Unlike with magnesium and chromium, supplementation may be the best way to ensure you get yourRDA for zinc (15 milligrams for men; 12 for women). Look for a vitamin/mineral supplement containingno more than the RDA. Remember that high-fiber foods and the tannins found in coffee, some teasand wine can hamper zinc absorption, so plan your zinc intake accordingly.

Also, keep in mind that too much zinc blocks the absorption of copper, which in turn hampers ironabsorption. Admittedly, you'd have to get a lot of zinc to do this, as copper deficiency normallyresults from zinc intakes of six times the RDA. Lastly, you should know that over supplementation withzinc has been shown to lower "good" HDL cholesterol and raise "bad" LDL cholesterol.

Nutrition A04

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