Micronutrients

Question 1

What are micronutrients?

Answer 1

Nutrients we need in small amounts

Question 2

What are examples of micronutrients?

Answer 2

1) Vitamins
2) Minerals
3) Trace elements

Question 3

What are vitamins?

Answer 3

Organic compounds( they come from plants and animals) and are used in processes that keep us alive and well.

Question 4

Where are fat soluble vitamins found?

Answer 4

In fatty foods such as :
1) meat
2) fish
3) animal-based products
4) vegetable oils

Question 5

What are the four FAT SOLUBLE vitamins?

Answer 5

Vitamins A,D,E, and K

Question 6

What do you know about Vitamin A i.e. function, main source, what happens if you rarely eat it, recommended intake.

Answer 6

Vitamin A is needed for good eyesight, healthy immune system and skin
The main source is retinol, found in liver,butter,oily foods and eggs
Too much vitamin a can weaken bones and foods containing very high levels need to be avoided during pregnancy
The NHS recommends 0.7mg of vitamin A for men and 0.6 mg for women each day.

Question 7

What do you know about Vitamin Dv i.e. function, main source, what happens if you rarely eat it, recommended intake.

Answer 7

Vitamin D helps the body absorb various minerals including calcium, which is important for the development of healthy bones and teeth
Too much can make you absorb too much calcium which leads to kidney damage
Too little can lead to bone diseases like osteomalacia(where bones become soft),rickets and osteoporosis(where bones become brittle)
The NHS recommends 0.01 mg of vitamin D a day, although in summer most of us should be able to get enough through natural exposure to the sun

Question 8

What do you know about Vitamin E i.e. function, main source, what happens if you rarely eat it, recommended intake.

Answer 8

Vitamin E is important as it keeps the skin and eyes healthy and immune system
Found in leafy greens,vegetable oils, and wheat germ
Too much can interfere with blood clotting cause nausea and blurred vision
Too little is rare but leads to weak muscles and eyesight issues
NHS recommend 4mg of vitamin E for men and 3mg for women each day

Question 9

What do you know about Vitamin K i.e. function, main source, what happens if you rarely eat it, recommended intake.

Answer 9

Vitamin KJ helps clot blood, heal wounds, and maintain immune system and bones
Found in leafy greens ,cereals ,vegetable oils ,plus some meats and dairy foods.
There is no excessive level of Vitamin K
Having too little is extremely rare but it can cause uncontrolled bleeding in new-borns
NHS recommend a daily intake of 0.001mg of Vitamin K for every kg of body weight.

Question 10

What happens to fat soluble vitamins that arent used up by the body?

Answer 10

They are stored in fat tissues for future use. This means that we don’t necessarily need to take in the same amount of each vitamin every day.

Question 11

Where are water soluble vitamins stored?

Answer 11

They aren’t generally stored in the body so we need to take them in daily

Question 12

What does “water-soluble”?

Answer 12

dissolves in water

Question 13

What do you know about Vitamin B1 i.e. function, main source, what happens if you rarely eat it, recommended intake.

Answer 13

Function- Helps the nervous system and with energy release from foods.
Sources include- Bread, pasta, rice, peas, eggs, and liver
Problems caused by having little- Tiredness, weakness and beriberi(in severe cases) a disease that affects the heart, blood vessels and nervous sytem

Question 14

What do you know about Vitamin B2 i.e. function, main source, what happens if you rarely eat it, recommended intake.

Answer 14

Function- Helps with energy release from foods and repair of tissues
Sources include- Milk, eggs, cheese and leafy greens
Problems caused by having too little- Dry skin, a sore throat and sores around the mouth

Question 15

What do you know about Vitamin B3 i.e. function, main source, what happens if you rarely eat it, recommended intake.

Answer 15

Function- Helps wit energy release from foods and maintaining a healthy nervous system and skin
Sources include- Wheat, nuts, meat and fish
Problems caused by having too little- Pellagra(a disease causing fatigue, depression and loss of memory)

Question 16

What do you know about Vitamin B9 i.e. function, main source, what happens if you rarely eat it, recommended intake.

Answer 16

Function- Crucial for growth, healthy babies and works with vitamin B12 to make red blood cells
Sources include- Liver, peas, and leafy greens.
Problems caused by having too little- Anaemia, tiredness, weak muscles and mouth sores.

Question 17

What do you know about Vitamin B12 i.e. function, main source, what happens if you rarely eat it, recommended intake.

Answer 17

Function- Helps the nervous system and works with vitamin B9 to make red blood cells.
Sources include- Milk, eggs, meat and fish
Problems caused by having too little- Tiredness and nerve damage in serious cases.(Vegans are most likely to have little as they don’t consume any animal products.

Question 18

What do you know about Vitamin C i.e. function, main source, what happens if you rarely eat it, recommended intake.

Answer 18

Function- Protects the body from infection and allergies, keeps blood vessels healthy and heals wounds
Sources include- Citrus fruits, tomatoes, strawberries and green veg
Problems caused by having too little- Anaemia and scurvy(tiredness and bleeding gums)

Question 19

What does excessive mount of vitamin c cause?

Answer 19

Stomach pain and diarrhoea.

Question 20

Where are antioxidants found? Give examples.

Answer 20

Antioxidants(e.g. vitamins a,c,e) are found in foods such as fruit and veg-many people believe they help protect our bodies from these damaging free radicals.

Question 21

What are minerals?

Answer 21

Minerals are chemical elements that our bodies need is small amounts. They help in various chemical reactions in our body and are needed for a variety of reasons.