Vitamins, Minerals & Food Value

Vitamins and minerals are the compounds necessary for the healthy functioning of our bodies. We need vitamins and minerals in our diets, to help us grow, to see properly, to make bones, muscles, skin and organs, as well as to help to work for proper immune system. It is very important to take proper Vitamins, Minerals & Food Value.

What is a nutrient?

There are six nutrients essential for your body: vitamins, minerals, water, carbohydrates, protein, and fat. Each of the six nutrients plays a specific and crucial role in the body and must be obtained from food.

Some Foods - Balance Diets

Some Foods – Balance Diets

Vitamins

Vitamins fall into two categories: fat soluble and water soluble. The fat-soluble vitamins — A, D, E, and K — dissolve in fat and can be stored in your body. The water-soluble vitamins — C and the B-complex vitamins (such as vitamins B6, B12, niacin, riboflavin, and folate) — need to dissolve in water before your body can absorb them.

Water-soluble vitamins:

 B1 or Thiamin

What it does for our bodies:

• Helps release energy from carbohydrates
• Is needed for proper working of the heart, digestive and nervous systems
• Important for growth etc

Food sources: Pork, liver, eggs, oatmeal, brown rice, vegetables, potatoes

Deficiency disease: Beriberi, Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome

B2 or Riboflavin

What it does for our bodies:

• Important for growth and repair of tissues, supports antioxidant function, especially the skin and eyes
• Promotes energy production from food etc

Food sources: Dairy products, bananas, popcorn, green beans, asparagus, Almonds, Mushrooms

Deficiency disease:  Ariboflavinosis, Glossitis, Angular stomatitis

B3 or Niacin or Nicotinamide

What it does for our bodies:

• Important for growth,  it can also lower the risk of a second heart attack.
• Helps control cholesterol levels etc.

Food sources: Meat, fish, eggs, many vegetables, mushrooms, tree nuts

Deficiency disease: Pellagra

B5 or Pantothenic acid

What it does for our bodies:

  • Essential for the production of red blood cells
  • Deal with stress, B5 is often referred to as the “anti-stress” vitamin  etc.

Food sources: Meat, broccoli, avocados,whole-grain cereals, sunflower seeds etc

Deficiency disease: Paresthesia

B6 or Pyridoxine

What it does for our bodies:

• Helps process protein and carbohydrate
• Assists in making red blood cells etc

Food sources: Beef, Meat, pork and turkey, as well as vegetables like spinach, peas and carrots etc

Deficiency disease: Anemia, Peripheral neuropathy

B7 or BIOTIN

What it does for our bodies: 

• Helps process fat and protein
• Important for growth, metabolism, skin and nerve cell function etc

Food sources: Raw egg yolk, liver, peanuts, leafy green vegetables etc

Deficiency disease: Dermatitis, enteritis

B9 or FOLATE/ FOLIC ACID

What it does for our bodies:

• Produces red blood cells and DNA
• Keeps the nervous system healthy
• Important in early pregnancy to prevent birth Defects etc

Food sources: Leafy vegetables, wholegrains, peas, pasta, bread, cereal, liver etc

Deficiency disease: Megaloblastic anemia and deficiency during pregnancy is associated with birth defects, such as neural tube defects.

B12 or Cyano-cobalamin

What it does for our bodies: 

  • Works with folate to produce new blood and nerve cells and DNA etc

Food sources: Meat, poultry, fish, eggs, milk etc

Deficiency disease: Pernicious anemia

Vitamin C or Absorbic acid

What it does for our bodies: 

• Needed for healthy skin, gums, teeth, bones and cartilage, important for  biological function of the body.
• Assists with absorption of some types of iron
• Assists with wound healing and resistance to infection etc

Food sources: Many fruits(citrus fruit and juices, berries, amla, pineapple, mango, pawpaw, capsicum, parsley, broccoli, spinach, cabbage) and vegetables etc

Deficiency disease: Scurvy

Fat soluble Vitamins: 

Vitamin A 0r Retinol, retinal

What it does for our bodies: 

• Essential for proper eyesight, especially for night vision
• Essential for normal growth in children
• Builds immunity, increase ability to fight against infections etc

Food sources: Orange, ripe yellow fruits, leafy vegetables, carrots, pumpkin, squash, spinach, fish, halibut fish oil, soy milk, milk etc

Deficiency disease: Night blindness, Hyperkeratosis

Vitamin D or Cholecalciferol

What it does for our bodies: 

• Works with calcium and phosphorus to make strong, healthy bones and teeth

Food sources: Fish, eggs yolks , liver, Fish liver oils, such as cod liver oil, Fatty fish, especially salmon, tuna mushrooms etc.

Other Natural Source:  Sunlight

Deficiency disease: Rickets and Osteomalacia

Vitamin E or Tocopherol

What it does for our bodies:

• This antioxidant may play a role in preventing cancer and Coronary heart disease

Food sources: Sunflower seeds, Wheat germ, Nuts, seeds, vegetables, vegetable oils, like sunflower, safflower, and corn oil etc

Deficiency disease: Miscarriage in females, mild Hemolytic anemia for newborn infants

Vitamin K or Phylloquinone

What it does for our bodies:

• Essential for blood clotting

Food sources: Leafy green vegetables such as spinach, egg yolks, Wholemeal flour and bread

Deficiency disease: Bleeding diathesis

Balanced Diet

Balanced Diet- Vitamins, Minerals & Food Value

TO KNOW ABOUT PROPER BALANCE DIET – CLICK HER

Minerals

Calcium:

• Essential for building strong healthy bones and teeth, Helps for blood clotting
• Helps muscle contraction and nerve function etc

Food sources: Dairy products (milk, cheese etc),eggs, canned fish with bones (salmon, sardines),Almonds,tofu, thyme, oregano etc.

Potassium:

• Controls nerve impulses, muscle contractions & heart functioning
• Helps maintain fluid balance etc

Food sources: Sweet potato, tomato, beans, lentils, dairy products, seafood, banana, carrot, orange, Dried fruit etc.

Iron:

•  Hemoglobin, helps red blood cells carry oxygen around the body. It Prevents anemia etc.

Food sources: Lean red meat, poultry, seafood, nuts, beans, dark chocolate etc.

Chromium:

• Helps with normal growth
• Plays a role in controlling blood sugar levels, Involved in glucose and lipid metabolism etc.

Food sources: Broccoli, grape juice (especially red), meat, Egg yolk, whole grain etc.

Iodine: 

• Promotes normal thyroid function etc.

Food sources:  Seafood, Seaweed, Iodised salt etc.

Fluoride: 

• Helps with the structure of healthy bones and tooth
• Helps in the prevention of dental caries & osteoporosis etc.

Food sources: Fluoridated drinking water, Fish etc.

Phosphorus:

• Works with calcium in the formation of strong healthy bones and teeth
• Helps the body to store and use energy

Food sources: Red meat, dairy foods, fish, poultry, Yeast extract, bread, rice, oats etc.

Magnesium: 

• Helps in the formation of healthy bones etc.

Food sources: Nuts,Spinach, legumes, whole grains etc.

Sodium/Salt:

• Controls nerve impulse transmission
• Helps maintain water balance

Food sources: Sea,  vegetable salt, Yeast extract etc

Other minerals are Copper, Zinc, Chromium, Molybdenum etc.


1 Comment

gatsu · April 6, 2018 at 12:27 AM

Shredded Brussels Sprouts with Orange and Almonds

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