Daily Requirement of Minerals Vitamins Essential Nourishment Facts

Food intake comprises of carbohydrates, fats, water fiber and proteins. Essential minerals and vitamins that cannot be processed by the human body, we take as foods. Vegetables, fruits, nuts and oils have lots of essential nutrition that our body needs. Here we examine what should be the dietary intake on a daily basis so that the food is balanced and has enough nourishment.

Primary consideration

a.     Carbohydrates: Carbohydrates consist of disaccharides, monosaccharides and polysaccharides. The body metabolizes them and converts them to glucose. Glucose is the only form of sugar that can be used by the body for its energy requirements. The hormone insulin carries the glucose into the cells for utilization for various metabolic processes.

We find complex carbohydrates in the form of starch in root vegetables and bread. Fructose constitutes the simple carbohydrate that we find in fruits.

Ketosis can occur if you do not consume enough carbohydrates. This takes place to provide energy for the body and the functioning of the brain. When the brain seeks energy from fats the partially broken down fats become acidic molecules known as ketones.

                                              i.     Sources: Cereals, Sugar crops, vegetables, milk and milk products, root crops, pulses, fruit.

                                            ii.     Amount: At least 50% – 60 % of the energy should come from carbohydrates. If you increase the percentage, the food will become deficient in proteins, fibers and fats. For example, 100 g of sugar will give you 100 calories of carbohydrates. Cereals give 90 – 92 %.

b.    Fats: The body has two kinds of fats, white and brown. The white fat stores energy while the brown fat burns up releasing energy. You can understand why fats are important by studying the amount of energy stored by each food component.

We have three kinds of fats – trans fats, saturated fats and unsaturated fats. The body requires fats to transport vitamins to various organs in the body. Choosing good fats over bad fats helps you avoid heart diseases, high cholesterol and elevated blood pressure.

Monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats reduce cholesterol levels and thus are good for your health. Trans fats are found in pre-processed foods. Saturated fats you find in fried foods. Trans fats and saturated fats are bad for your health.

Component of food	Energy stored (kJ/g)
Fat	38.8
Carbohydrate	17
Protein	17.2
Alcohol	29.3
Sugars, sweeteners	9.8
Fiber	7.6

                                              i.     Sources: Sources of good fats are:

1.    Monounsaturated fats

Peanut oil, Canola oil, Olive oil, sunflower oil, nuts and peanut butter.

2.    Polyunsaturated fats

Corn oil, safflower oil, walnuts, soybean oil, flax seeds, pumpkin seeds, fatty fish, soymilk.

Sources of bad fats are:

1.    Saturated fats

Whole fat diary products, cheese, butter, chicken with skin, palm oil, coconut oil, meat with whole fats.

2.    Trans fats

Margarine, snack foods like popcorn and crackers, pastries, cookies, candy bars.

Omega-3 fatty acid found in fatty fishes helps reduce incidence of heart disease.

                                            ii.     Amount: Fat constitutes 22% – 33 % of your total calorific requirement. If you follow a 2000 calorie diet then fats will make up 440 – 650 calories. Keep trans fat at 1% –3 % (approximately 6 calories) per day and saturated fats to 9% – 10% (approximately 180 calories to 200 calories). For instance, one teaspoon of fish oil will give you 1.9 g of omega-3 fats. Every 50 g of walnuts give you 4.54 g of fats. 

c.     Proteins: Proteins are building blocks in the body for building cells and tissues. As a source of energy, protein has only 4 Kcal of energy compared to the 9 Kcal that carbohydrates and fats have. The body needs 9 essential amino acids (base form of the proteins) of which five can be synthesized within the body. Protein is needed for regular growth and maintenance within the body.

                                              i.     Sources: Egg, meat, milk and fish are complete proteins. Cereals, whole grains, such as millet, rye, oats, wheat and rice also contain proteins. Turkey, fish, cheese, beef, beans and eggs top the list of protein rich food.

                                            ii.     Amount: Around 30% of the calories must come from proteins. This means in a 1980 calorie diet you must have 660 – 700 calories of proteins. For example 100 g cheese will give you 150 calories of proteins and 100 g of turkey will provide 130 calories of proteins.

d.    Water

                                              i.     Do not forget this vital ingredient. Water reduces the risk of heart attack, boosts the metabolism, helps transport vitamins to various organs, helps excrete waste. Metabolic water is water synthesized inside the body from metabolic activities (For every 100 g proteins – 41.3 g, starch – 52 g and fat – 109 g). One must drink around 2.5 litres of water every day.

e.    Fiber

Dietary fiber consists of that portion of the food that cannot be digested. We have soluble and insoluble fiber. Insoluble fiber helps reduce incidence of heart disease, relieves constipation and improves bowel movement. Soluble fiber helps reduce blood glucose levels and reduce cholesterol.

                                              i.     Amounts: Recommended amounts of fiber for men will be 38 gram and for women will be 25 gram.

                                            ii.     Sources: Potatoes, cauliflower, wheat bran, beans and nuts are good sources for fiber.

Secondary consideration

Vitamins

Vitamins are essential chemical elements and compounds that is mostly derived from the food we eat. They help break the carbohydrates, proteins and fats present in the food and convert them into energy. They help produce genetic material, blood cells, hormones and chemicals needed for your nervous system. They do not provide energy by themselves as they do not have any calorific content.

We categorize vitamins as fat soluble and water soluble vitamins. We have four fat soluble vitamins Vitamin A, Vitamin D, Vitamin K and Vitamin E that need fat to undergo transportation to various parts of the body. The other ten vitamins are water soluble.

                                              i.         Vitamin A: It helps maintain normal vision and cell growth. Vitamin A helps immune system and so deficiency can lead to infections. It further helps in protein transformation, good skin health and gene transcription. Daily requirement is 700 µg to 2,800 µg. Pumpkin, squash, leafy greens and carrots are rich in Vitamin A.

                                            ii.         Biotin: We refer to this as Vitamin H or Vitamin B7. Necessary for converting food into energy in the metabolic process, our body requires 30 mcg of Biotin everyday. Sources are bread, egg, salmon and whole grain bread.

                                          iii.         Vitamin B 12: This vitamin finds use in cell creation, metabolism of amino acid and fatty acids and provides protection for nerve cells. Daily requirement of this vitamin is 2.45 µg. Foods containing this vitamin are pumpkin, mango, carrot and eggs.

                                           iv.         Vitamin B6: Also known as pyridoxine, Vitamin B6 helps synthesize serotonin, steroids and red blood cells. Daily requirement is 1.35 – 81 mg. hazelnuts, potatoes with skin, bananas,  and salmon have plenty of Vitamin B6.

                                             v.         Choline: Choline is a water soluble B vitamin. The human body requires Acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter that plays a role in activities of the muscle and brain. Choline helps in the formation of acetylcholine. Vegetarians have high risk of choline deficiency. Daily requirement would be 500 mg. Sources are broccoli, beef, milk chocolate, milk and eggs. Do not exceed 3,000 mg.

                                           vi.         Vitamin D: Helps in maintaining bone density, functioning of nervous system, immunity functions and metabolizes of calcium while the body synthesizes Vitamin D from the sun shine shining on the skin. Daily requirements is 15 µg and not to exceed 50 µg. Egg yolks, fortified milk and salmon are good sources of this vitamin.

                                         vii.         Vitamin C: This vitamin helps the body absorb iron and has antioxidant properties. It helps form collagen in blood vessels, bones, muscle and cartilage. Minimum requirement of Vitamin C is 75 mg and one should not exceed 2000 mg. Pepper, guava, broccoli, oranges and tomatoes have Vitamin C.

                                       viii.         Vitamin K: This is a fat soluble vitamin that helps bone development and wound healing. Women consuming pills for birth control should avoid taking Vitamin K supplement as this could give rise to unnecessary clots. Daily recommended dosage is 100 – 120 µg. You get it from parsley and broccoli.

                                           ix.         Vitamin E: Excellent source of antioxidant, Vitamin E helps maintain cell integrity. It relieves pain and numbness in limbs, improves coordination and battles muscle weakness. Recommended intake is 15 mg. One should not exceed 1000 mg. Sources include hazelnuts, almonds, canola oil and olive oil.

                                             x.         Niacin: Also known as Vitamin B3, Niacin helps maintain your hair, nails and your RBC. It helps convert food to energy. Extreme deficiency of this vitamin can lead to death too after you go mad. It begins as a skin irritation and then leads to diarrhea (Four D’s). Daily requirement is 16 mg. Upper limit is 35 mg. Sources are coffee, chicken, and peanuts.

                                           xi.         Thiamine: Supports normal growth and helps convert food to energy. It is integral to muscles and nerves. Recommended daily dose would be 1.1 mg. You get it from whole cereal food items.

                                         xii.         Riboflavin: Riboflavin in water soluble  B vitamin that augments iron absorption in intestines, converts food to energy, enhances health of skin, eyes, brain, muscles and hair. Too much intake will turn color of pee into yellow. Daily requirements is 1.3 mg. Sources are egg, cereals cheddar cheese, almond and milk.

                                       xiii.         Folic acid: This B vitamin helps women get pregnant. People refer to it as Vitamin B9 or Vitamin M. This cannot be synthesized in the body. Recommended intake is 400 ---1000 µg per day. Pregnant women need to take more, about 600 –1000 µg per day. The body needs this for production and maintenance of new cells. Sources are orange juice, spinach, lentils, asparagus and cereals.

                                        xiv.         Pantothenic acid: Pantothenic acid takes part in carbohydrate as well as fat metabolism. This coenzyme helps in synthesis of cholesterol and neurotransmitters. Recommended dosage is 5 mg per day. Sources of Pantothenic acid are peanuts, sunflower seeds, eggs, vegetables, milk and meat.

Minerals

Minerals do not contain any carbon in their chemical makeup. They make up 4 –5 % of our body weight. They participate in nervous system responsiveness, initiation of chemical reactions, secretion of body fluids and maintain water balance in the body. 

                                              i.         Manganese: This element helps in bone building, healing of wound and in synthesizing energy. Daily requirement for men is 2.34 mg and for women is 1.79 mg. Green tea, oatmeal and pineapples are good sources for manganese. Take care not to exceed the daily intake over 10 mg.

                                            ii.         Magnesium: Other than building strong teeth and healthy bones in conjunction with calcium, magnesium helps in cell signaling, blood clotting, blood pressure regulation energy metabolism and proper contraction of muscles. Men would require 400 mg (women need a little less at 310 mg). Sources are bananas, spinach, brown rice and almonds.

                                          iii.         Iron: Essential component of hemoglobin (present in red blood cells) and myoglobin (present in muscles) that help conduct oxygen to different parts of the body. Iron helps the body produce collagen (blood clotting) hormones, neurotransmitters and amino acids. Women need more iron than men (18 mg, men 8 mg). Sources are potatoes, raisins, oysters and beef.

                                           iv.         Phosphorus: Phosphorus is good for the teeth and the skeletal system. It helps convert food into energy and forms a vital component of DNA as well as RNA and moves nutrients to  the respective organs. Daily requirement is 700 mg. One should not have more than 3,500 mg as this could lead to toxicity. Sources comprise of chicken, eggs, salmon, yogurt and cheese.

                                             v.         Molybdenum: Molybdenum helps accelerate the rate at which the body converts stored nutrients into energy. Daily requirement of this nutrient is 45 µg. Sources are chestnuts, peanuts, almonds and black beans. Do not exceed 1750 µg.

                                           vi.         Calcium: Teeth and bones need calcium. Calcium also plays a role in nerve signaling, blood pressure, blood clotting, muscle function and hormone secretion. Daily requirement is 1000 mg and upper limit is 2,500 mg. Spinach, cheddar cheese, yogurt and milk have plenty of calcium.

                                         vii.         Zinc: Zinc boosts the immune system, forms building block of cells, proteins and enzymes. It helps free Vitamin A from the liver. It enhances wound healing and sense of hearing and smell. Recommended intake is 11 mg daily. Do not go over 40 mg. Sources of zinc in food consists of cashews, milk, oyster, turkey and beef.

                                       viii.         Iodine: Iodine helps maintain basal metabolic rate. It aids thyroid function. It helps in body growth, development, muscle and nerve function and regulation of body temperatures. Daily requirement is 150 µg. Do not exceed 1000 µg. Sources are baked potatoes, milk, shrimp and eggplant.

                                           ix.         Fluoride: Fluorides help reinforce bone and teeth. Daily requirement is 3 – 4 mg. Sources are chicken and grape juice.

                                             x.         Copper: Copper helps create red blood cells, plays a part in functioning of nervous system, immunity and energy metabolism. Requirement is 900 µg per day. Sources are raw mushrooms, nuts, crabmeat and liver.