Micronutrients

• Micronutrients

  Are needed in the body in tiny amounts. They do not provide energy but are needed to aid important processes in the body
• What are the two main groups of micronutrients

  Vitamins and minerals
• What are micronutrients measured in?

  Milligrams (mg)with 1mg=0.001g and mircograms with 1ug=0.001mg
• People have different requirements for each micronutrient according to their:

  Age

  gender

  physiological state (e.g pregnancy)
• Vitamins are grouped into

  Fat - soluble - a ,d ,e ,k

  water -soluble
• vitamin a

  helps immune system , vision and the maintenance of normal skin.

  found in animal products such as liver , diary, egg etc

  and in fruit and veg e.g oranges , carrots ,apricots and mangos

  lack of = night blindness
• Vitamin d

  Helps absorb calcium

  Sources- oliy fish , meat ,eggs and fortified breakfast creals and margarine /spreads
• Vitamin e

  Antioxidant and is required to protect the cells in our bodies against damage

  sources - plant oils , nuts and seeds

  helps maintains healthy skin and eyes and strengthen the immune system
• water- soluble vitamins are

  vitamins c and b
• thiamin (vitamin B1)

  release energy from food and helps nervous system and heart function.

  sources- peas and bread

  deficiency cases the nervous system disease beri-beri
• Riboflavin ( vitamin B2)

  helps release energy from food , reduce tiredness and helps maintain normal skin and normal nervous system

  sources - milk and products , eggs , some oily fish , mushrooms and almonds

  deficiency - causes dryness and cracking of the skin around mouth and nose and painful tongue that is red and dry
• niacin(vitamin B3)

  helps release energy from food , reduce tiredness and helps to maintain normal skin and normal nervous system

  sources - meat , poultry , fish , wholgrains , bread and some nuts and seeds

  deficiency- sun-sensitive skin know as pellagra but this is rare in the uk
• vitamin B6

  makes red blood cells , helps immune system work properly , regulate hormones and reduces tiredness

  diffency - its rare
• vitamin B12 


  helps make red blood cells and the nervous system work normally and reduce tiredness

  sources - meat , fish , shellfish , milk and cheese

  diffiency - pernicious anaemia - red blood cells enlarge and peripheral nerve damage
• folate and folic acid

  make red blood cells reduce tirdness and helps immune system work also needed for normal developemt of nervous system in unborn babies

  sources -green leafy veg , brown rice peas , oranges and bananas

  diffiency - poor folate status results in neural tube defects in new borns
• vitamin c

  helps protect cells from damage . it helps form collagen which is important for normal bones , gums ,teeth and skin. helps immune system and the nervous system to function normally

  it helps the absorption of iron in our bodies