Unit 21 Nutrition in Health and Social Care P2

Foods are not ‘pure’ substances. Although referred to as protein foods, or carbohydrate foods, this only recognized the food to be high in a particular nutrient. In fact, foods are mixtures of different nutrients and other chemical substances such as toxins, pigments and additives. Protein, carbohydrates and fat are regarded as macronutrients due to the size of their molecules. These nutrients are needed in large quantities in the body to enable the body to function properly. Vitamins and minerals are required in lesser amounts but are equally necessary and must be obtained from the food consumed. These are known as micronutrients.

Vitamins aid our bodies to develop and grow properly and are necessary since our bodies are not able to manufacture all essential substances. Abiding in a society where fast eating and processed foods are popular, many of us struggle to get all the nutrients we need out of our daily diets. Necessary vitamins are needed and if our bodies do not get them, our bodies cannot survive.

Vitamin B-1 is needed for digestion of foods and efficient nerve system work. Vitamin B-2 is required as aid for body cells growth. Vitamin B-3 supports the detoxification of your body. Vitamin K is an excellent aid for blood clots.

Regarding brain function, B vitamins are essential in the maintenance of myelin, neuro-transmitter production, and methylation cycle. Fat-soluble vitamins are necessary in inflammatory regulation, regeneration of antioxidants and genetic modification.

Vitamins are organic molecules that are essential for normal health and growth. Because vitamins are not synthesized in the body, they need to be obtained in trace amounts from the diet (Timberlake, 2015). The human body cannot produce all of the nutrients needed to function. There are many different types of vitamins the human body needs. Each vitamin has a different function that helps the body to perform specific activities like produce energy, boost the immune system, regulate cell and tissue growth, protect cells from damage, guide mineral utilization, etc. (Timberlake, 2015). If the human body does not receive enough of the vitamins it needs, it can lead to many deficiencies and altered functions that over time can foster illness development. Vitamins are a necessity that humans need to sustain life.

A vitamin is a tiny molecule that your body uses to carry out a reaction. Your body cannot create vitamin molecules itself, because it has no way to. Therefore, the vitamin molecules must be obtained through food that you consume or eat. The body needs many vitamins to maintain its daily functions and activities. These vitamins include: vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin D, vitamin E, vitamin K, and B vitamins such as riboflavin, niacin, thiamine, folate, B12, B6, niacin, pantothenic acid, and biotin. Vitamin A can usually be found in food sources high in cholesterol and saturated fats. For example, cheese, milk, and cream. Alternatively, you could consume beta-carotene. It is a natural antioxidant that is used by the body to make vitamin A. So you could find vitamin A through vegetables and certain fruits instead of eating fatty foods and foods that are high in cholesterol. The stronger or more intense the color of a vegetable or fruit means a higher concentration of beta-carotene content. Foods high in beta-carotene content include cantaloupe, pink grapefruit, broccoli, spinach, sweet potato, carrots, and mango. Vitamin K is typically produced by our intestines and its function is to primarily allow blood clotting when you are injured, and ensure that calcium gets to the bones and blood and helps prevent calcification from occurring in the arteries and soft tissues. Foods high in vitamin K include cauliflower, broccoli, Brussel sprouts, spinach, cabbage, and kale. Vitamin D

Although you can absorb energy only from the calories found in food. Since vitamins and minerals contain no calories and they don’t directly supply the body with energy. Is important know that Vitamins and minerals are essential nutrients your body needs in small amounts to work properly. Most people should get all the nutrients they need by a varied and balanced diet. They are essential in small amounts to maintain good health, promote growth and regulate body functions. Normally they are not synthesized in the body and therefore most of them are supplied by the diet, though sometimes they are formed in the body. A vitamin in particular is a group of organic substances which help regulate chemical reactions take place in the body. Minerals are natural, non-organic substances which are important components of bones and soft tissues of the body. Balanced amounts of each and every vitamin in the body should be properly followed and taking more than the DVs can present a real danger since it is possible to take in toxic levels of vitamins and minerals especially through supplements. Vitamins are classified based on their solubility. The fat soluble vitamins are A, D, E and K. They can be stored in the body. The water soluble vitamins are the B-complex vitamins and C. Major minerals include sodium, potassium, chloride, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium and sulfur. Given all the information about vitamins and minerals generalities and that the main source of nutrients comes from a

The body often absorbs fat soluble vitamins using the intestine, and stores them in the fatty tissues as well as the liver. The process necessitates enough amount of fat in a person diet. Fat soluble vitamins stay in a person's body for a long time, thus increases the toxicity risk. At times overconsumption the fat soluble vitamins frequently happens in a normal diet. Nevertheless, if a lot of fat soluble vitamins are taken through supplements then risky side effects are bound to happen. Vitamins such as A, E, K and D are examples of vitamins that are classified as fat soluble. Vitamin A plays a significant role in most bodily functions like the growth of bones, division of cells, vision, gene expression and reproduction(Hickson 2001). Vitamin The eyes to adjust to changes of light and tooth development. The skin, mucus membrane found in the nose, lungs, throat, and mouth also need vitamin A to aid in moisture. Sources of vitamin A comprise of dairy products, fish

What are vitamins? They are organic compounds required by body to help with metabolism, protect health, and for proper growth (Grabowski and Tortora, 2002). They are also used for the formation of hormones, blood, nervous chemicals and genetic material. Knowing the importance of the human body’s requirements for vitamins raises the question of how is it possible that the human body can still be allowed to become deficient of these vital compounds. Causes for these deficiencies vary and will be examined while also looking at how they the long term effects of their absence affect the human body.

2. What are the major groups of nutrients? What is the role of each of nutrient group in a healthy / balanced diet?

Vitamins are chemically unrelated organic compounds which can be used in many metabolic process. The vitamin B complex are water soluble vitamins that are needed to form the coenzymes or enzymes in metabolic pathways. Niacin is used to produce NAD+ which is used in cellular respiration and NADP+ used in the pentose phosphate pathway and would lead to someone developing pellagra. Additionally, vitamin B12 is used to form cofactors required in the conversion of homocysteine to methionine an amino acid needed in the protein synthesis. Also in the isomerization of methylmalonyl-CoA to Succinyl-CoA, an intermediate in the TCA cycle, and a deficiency can lead to the development of pernicious anemia

Classification of vitamins is made only by their solubility and not by the position they occupy. Each is responsible for a specific function, regardless of the group they belong to. Thus, the group of fat-soluble vitamins includes: Vitamin A - Important oxidant that protects cells against free radicals, it main sources are fruits and strong colored vegetables such as carrots, squash, broccoli and spinach and yellow animal fat foods like liver, eggs and milk; Vitamin D - It is synthesized with the help of sunlight and essential for the production of insulin and maintaining the immune system, helps with calcium absorption, it main sources are fatty fish like tuna and salmon; Vitamin K - 13 Component in the formation of proteins essential for blood

Vitamins A, D, E, and K are considered the fat-soluble vitamins. There are many sources which you can find these vitamins in.

Vitamins and minerals have given people a large number of benefits by protecting body health.

Macro nutrition are nutrients which animals need in large amount. The nutrients animals need in large amount are carbohydrates, protein and fats. Micro nutrition is nutrients that animals in small amount. The nutrients animals need in small amount are vitamins and minerals.