Micronutrients Flashcards
What are micronutrients?
Substances that the body needs in small doses e.g vitamins
Name sources of fat-soluble vitamins
Fatty foods - e.g. beef liver, butter, fatty fish, cheese.
How does the body store fat-soluble vitamins?
The body stores fat-soluble vitamins it doesn’t use up in fat tissue.
For this reason, the body doesn’t have to take in the same quantities of fat-soluble vitamins every day.
This also means we’re in danger of storing an excess of these vitamins.
Name 3 micronutrients?
Vitamins
Minerals
Trace elements
Why does the body need vitamin A?
The body needs vitamin A for growth, keeping the immune system healthy, and for good skin and eyesight.
Vitamin A is an….?
Antioxidant
Name sources of vitamin A
We get vitamin A from retinol. Meat, full-fat milk and fatty fish all contain retinol. We can also make retinol from carotene. Carrots and other orange/yellow fruits and vegetables contain carotene.
What happens if we have excess vitamin A?
Excess vitamin A over a period of time weakens bones.
Pregnant women are advised to stay clear of foods containing lots of vitamin A (like liver).
What happens if we have too little vitamin A?
Too little vitamin A can weaken the immune system, cause blindness at night and inflamed skin and stunt growth.
What is the daily dose recommendation of vitamin A?
- 7mg for men.
0. 6mg for women.
Name sources of vitamin D
We get vitamin D from fish liver oils and fatty fish like tuna and salmon.
We can also get vitamin D from being in sunlight.
Vitamin D function
Vitamin D aids mineral absorption, including calcium absorption. Our bodies need calcium to develop healthy teeth and bones
What happens if we have excess vitamin D?
If we take in too much vitamin D, our bodies may absorb too much calcium. Excess calcium can cause damage to our kidneys
What happens if we have too little vitamin D?
Bone diseases, such as osteomalacia (soft bones), osteoporosis (brittle bones) and rickets, can arise from the body getting too little vitamin D.
What is the daily dose recommendation of vitamin D?
0.01mg
Name sources of vitamin E
Vegetable oils (e.g. sunflower, corn, and soybean oils).
Nuts (e.g. peanuts, almonds and hazelnuts).
Seeds (e.g. sunflower seeds).
Green leafy vegetables (e.g. swiss chard).
Function of vitamin E
Vitamin E helps to boost the immune system.
We also need vitamin E for healthy skin and eyes.
Vitamin E is an antioxidant, which means it can protect our bodies from free radicals.
What happens if we have excess vitamin E?
Excess vitamin E can cause someone to feel nauseous, disrupt blood clotting and lead to blurred vision.
What happens if we have too little vitamin E?
Weak muscles and eyesight problems are both symptoms
What is the daily does recommendation of vitamin E?
Men : 4mg
Women : 3mg
Name sources of vitamin K
We get vitamin K from leafy greens, liver, green tea, cheese.
Function of vitamin K
Like vitamin E, vitamin K supports the immune system. Vitamin K helps us to maintain healthy bones.
Vitamin K also helps blood clotting and helps us to heal wounds.
What happens if we have excess Vitamin K?
We can’t have too much vitamin K
What happens if we have too little vitamin k?
Although adults are very unlikely to have too little vitamin K, newborn babies can suffer from uncontrolled bleeding if they have too little vitamin K.
What is the daily dose recommendation for vitamin K?
0.001 mg per kg of body weight
What vitamins are water soluble?
B and C
What are water soluble vitamins?
Vitamins that dissolve in water
Why do we have to take water soluble vitamins everyday?
Generally, the body doesn’t store water-soluble vitamins like it does fat-soluble vitamins.
This means we must take them in every day.
What happens if we have excess amounts of water soluble vitamins?
As the body excretes water-soluble vitamins in urine, we’re unlikely to experience serious side effects from having excess amounts.
That being said, having too much vitamin C can lead to diarrhoea and stomach pains.
Name sources of vitamin B2 - Riboflavin
We get vitamin B2 from milk, fortified breakfast rice, mushrooms and eggs.
Function of vitamin B2
We need vitamin B2 for tissue repair and to help release energy from carbohydrates, fats and proteins.
What happens if you have too little vitamin B2?
Symptoms from having too little vitamin B2 include mouth sores, a sore throat and dry skin.
Name sources of vitamin B1 Thiamin
We get vitamin B1 from pork and other meats, wholemeal bread, fortified breakfast cereals, milk etc.
Function of vitamin B1
We need vitamin B1 to support our nervous system and help to release energy from carbohydrates.
What happens if we have too little vitamin B1?
Symptoms of having too little vitamin B1 include: weakened muscles, fatigue and beriberi (a disease affecting blood vessels, the heart and nervous system).
Name sources of vitamin B9 Folic acid/ folate
We get B9 from green leafy vegetables, yeast extract, chickpeas, asparagus etc.
Function of vitamin B9
We need B9 for growth and producing healthy babies.
Both B9 and B12 form red blood cells.
What happens if we have too little of vitamin B9?
Symptoms of having too little B9 include fatigue, muscle weakening and megaloblastic anaemia.
It’s very important that women get enough folic acid. Deficient folic acid at conception can lead to spina bifida in offspring.
Name sources of vitamin B12
We get B12 from liver, cheese, yeast, fish, eggs etc.
Function of vitamin B12
We need B12 to help our nervous systems function properly and to make healthy red blood cells.
What happens if we have too little vitamin B12?
Symptoms of having too little B12 include fatigue, nerve damage and pernicious anaemia.
Name sources of vitamin C
Mainly citrus fruits
Function of vitamin C
We need vitamin C to fight infection and to protect our bodies from allergies.
Vitamin C helps us to heal wounds and maintain healthy blood vessels.
What happens if we too little vitamin C?
Symptoms of having too little vitamin C include scurvy, a condition that causes fatigue and bleeding gums, and anaemia.
Vitamin C is an……?
antioxidant
It’s really important that we get enough, as we can increase the risk of getting cancer from having too little.
Name sources of vitamin B3 Niacin
We get B3 from pork, beef, wheat and maize flour, eggs etc.
Function of vitamin B3
B3 helps to release energy from foods. We need B3 for healthy skin and a healthy nervous system.
What happens if we have too little vitamin B3?
A symptom of having too little vitamin B3 is a disease called pellagra, which causes diarrhoea, dementia, and sores in the mouth.
Function of antioxidants
Antioxidants help defend our bodies against chemicals.
Antioxidants help to protect body cells from free radicals, which are chemicals that can damage body cells.
Name sources of antioxidants
We mostly get antioxidants, like vitamins A, C and E, from fruits and vegetables, as well as other foods including whole grains, nuts, and some poultry, fish and meat.
Why is important that we only prepare fruit and vegetables when we plan to eat them?
they lose vitamin C as soon as they’re exposed to air.
As vitamins B and C are water-soluble, you shouldn’t leave fruits and vegetables in water for too long. The B and C vitamins they contain will dissolve.
Why should you try avoid cutting fruit and vegetables into tiny pieces?
Cutting fruit and vegetables into tiny pieces means exposing more of their surface areas to air and water
What are symptoms of having too little phosphorus in your diet?
Weakened muscles
Painful bones
Function of calcium
We need calcium to maintain strong teeth and bones.
We also need calcium to maintain healthy nerves and muscles to support blood clotting
Excess calcium effects
Excess calcium in the kidneys can increase the risk of developing kidney stones and cause the kidneys to stop working
Calcium deficiency effects
Weakened bones and teeth.
Bending of bones.
Slowed blood clotting.
Children that don’t get enough calcium can develop rickets or osteoporosis from having weaker bones
Iron function
Iron is an important part of haemoglobin, which makes red blood cells red
Excess iron effects
Constipation.
Feeling nauseous.
Stomach cramps
Iron deficiency effects
Iron deficiency anaemia.
Pale skin.
Fatigue
Sodium function
Salt supports nerve and muscle function. Salt also helps to monitor the body’s water content
Excess sodium effects
Symptoms include cardiovascular disease and high blood pressure
Sodium deficiency effects
People can experience nausea and muscle cramps if they take in too little salt
Phosphorus function
We need phosphorus to develop strong teeth and bones and for making cell membranes (particularly in the brain)
Excess phosphorus effects
Excess phosphorus can make calcium absorption more difficult
Phosphorus deficiency effects
Symptoms of having too little phosphorus include painful bones and weakened muscles
Why do we need water?
Keep skin and mucus membranes healthy
Support digestion
Controls our body temperature
Removes waste
Why do we need fluoride
Maintain healthy teeth
Fight off tooth decay
Harden enamel
