Understanding Minerals and Macronutrients for Health and Nutrition

Nutrition notes Minerals Minerals are nutrients that help the body grow, develop and maintain its health. So there are two kinds of minerals; i) Macro nutrients Nutrients that the body needs most. Contains; Calcium, Phosphorus, Magnesium, Sodium, Potassium, Chloride and Sulfur. ii) Micronutrients Nutrients that the human body needs in small quantities (relative amounts). These; Iron, Manganese, Copper, Iodine, Zinc, Cobalt, Fluoride and Selenium. Macronutrients 1. Calcium Daily products such as milk, cheese, yoghurt, foods containing calcium. Function of calcium Helps form bones Blood clotting Muscles and weakness Nerve conduction Heartbeat Calcium deficiency - tetany, osteoporosis and otitis. Too much calcium - Constipation, kidney failure, mental disorders, etc. such as behavioral changes. 2. Phosphorus Functions of Phosphorus Together with calcium and vitamin D, it hardens bones and teeth. Helps release energy from fats, proteins and carbohydrates during metabolism Energy stored as ATP in cells Acid-base balance Functions of carbohydrates

1. Energy source 2. Building blocks of other nutrients (sticky molecules) 3. Eating too much food stores fat Lack of carbohydrates Weight loss in children (about 130 g/day, i.e. 50-60% of the total) daily calories). Over carbohydrates can cause obesity. 2. Protein contains nutrients carbon, hydrogen, oxygen and nitrogen. The daily requirement for adults is 50 g/day. 45-60 g/day for young men, 44-46 g/day for women. The end products of proteins are amino acids. Nitrogen is removed as urea. Protein Class i) Essential Amino Acids are amino acids that cannot be produced by the body and must be obtained from the diet. It is 8 out of. Therefore; Isoleucine, Lysine, Methionine, Phenylalanine, Threonine, Tryptophan, Valine and Histidine ii) Non-Essential Amino Acids are amino acids produced by the body and therefore not found in food. Examples: Alanine, Arginine, Aspartic Acid, Cysteine, Glutamic Acid, Glycine, Praline, Serine, Asparagine, Selenocysteine. Protein products: animal protein such as meat, fish, eggs, vegetable protein such as beans, peas and other grains.