Micronutrients & Water

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Presented By:Network for a Healthy California

Huntington Beach Union High School District

What are Micronutrients?

What are Micronutrients?

Essential elements only needed in small quantities.

Vitamins & Minerals

A Look at Vitamins

Vitamins are: Nutrients that are made by living

things Required in small amounts Assist in many chemical reactions Do not directly supply you with

calories Fat soluble or water soluble

vitamin a vitamin c thiamin folic acid niacin thiamin

What are the fat soluble vitamins?

&Why do these vitamins

require fat to be included in our diets?

Fat Soluble Vitamins

Fat soluble – absorbed with the help of fat; stored in fatty tissues and liver Vitamin A Vitamin D Vitamin E Vitamin K

Why is Vitamin A important?

&What foods provide Vitamin

A?

Vitamin A Function- helps maintain skin and

eyes; helps protect against infection

Food Sources Animal: liver, eggs, cheese, milk Plant (beta carotene): yellow, orange

and dark green vegetables & fruit – carrots, apricots, sweet potatoes, kale & collard greens

vitamin a beta carotene zeaxanthin carotenoids alpha carotene lutein vitamin a

Why is Vitamin D important?

&What foods provide Vitamin

D?

Vitamin D

Function – helps maintain bones & teeth; helps control calcium levels in our blood, prevents rickets

Sources: milk, eggs, butter, liver, fortified cereals, oily fish (salmon) & exposing our skin to the sunlight

vitamin d ergocalciferol cholecalciferol sunshine vitamin vitamin d1 vitamin d10

Why is Vitamin E important?

&What foods provide Vitamin

E?

Vitamin E Function – helps maintain red

blood cells and is an antioxidant Sources – margarine, vegetable

oil, salad dressing with vegetable oil, wheat germ, sunflower seeds, almonds, whole grains, legumes, leafy green vegetables

vitamin e alpha tocotrienol beta tocopherol gamma delta vitamin e

Why is Vitamin K important?

&What foods provide Vitamin

K?

Vitamin K

Function – helps blood to clot, helps in forming bones

Sources – leafy green vegetables, broccoli, canola & olive oils, cabbage

vitamin k phyllopquinone menaquinones menadione vitamin k1 vitamin k2

Water soluble – dissolves in water

Thiamin (B1) Riboflavin (B2) Niacin (B3) Pyridoxine (B6) Cobalamin (B12)

Pantothenic acid Folic Acid (Folate) Biotin Vitamin C

Water Soluble Vitamins

Why are the B Vitamins important?

&What foods provide the B

Vitamins?

B Vitamins

Function: help metabolize carbohydrates, fats & proteins Folic Acid helps form red blood cells Thiamin & B12 helps in nervous

system function Sources: meat, whole grains, leafy

green vegetables, eggs, dairy

thiamin riboflavin niacin pantothenic acid pyridoxine biotin vitamin b12

Why is Vitamin C important?

&What foods provide Vitamin

C?

Vitamin C

Function: helps produce connective tissue, repairs, helps absorb iron, protects from bruising, keeps gums healthy, helps heal cuts, protects from infection

Source: citrus fruits, broccoli, kiwi, cantaloupe, red peppers, tomatoes

vitamin c ascorbic acid dehydroascorbic acid

A Closer Look at Minerals

Minerals:

Naturally occur in rock or soil Help trigger or regulate body

processes Give our bodies structure

What minerals are needed by the body?

A Closer Look at Minerals

Calcium Chlorine Chromium Cobalt Copper Fluoride Iodine Iron Magnesium

Manganese Molybdenum Phosphorus Potassium Selenium Sodium Sulfur Vanadium Zinc

Key Nutrients for Teens?

Let’s highlight three key nutrients: Calcium Iron Folic Acid

Structural component of bones & teeth

Helps muscle contract Helps blood clot Transmits nervous system

messages

Calcium

Hel

lo!!

How many of you think you get enough calcium?

U.S. Teens & Calcium Consumption

9 out of 10 girls are NOT getting enough calcium

7 out of 10 boys are NOT getting enough calcium

Why be concerned about calcium intake during teen years?

Other than infancy, this is most rapid growth period 15-20% of adult height is acquired 50-80% of adult weight Approximately 45% of total skeletal

mass is acquired

Amount of calcium in our bodies at different stages

Newborn: 27 grams 10 years old: 400 grams 15 years old: 800 grams Adult: 1200 grams Adult with Osteoporosis: 750

grams

Weight Bearing Exercise and Bone Health

Running, walking, and weight-lifting add to the strength of bones

Consume calcium-rich foods and keep moving!

How much calcium should a teen get?

Ages 9-18

1,300 mg of calcium per day

What food groups contain calcium?

Sources of Calcium

Milk , cheese, yogurt Leafy green vegetables Some fish with bones

(sardines) and shellfish Tofu Sesame seeds, beans Fortified foods

Calcium/Vitamin D Link

Need vitamin D for absorption of calcium

Most milk products are fortified with vitamin D

Exposure to sunlight activates vitamin D production in the body

Calcium

Bone

Vitamin D

Lactose Intolerance

Decreased production of enzyme lactase

Very common problem among many ethnic groups

Lactose Intolerance

Lactose reduced or lactose free dairy products

Add lactase enzyme to fluid milk

Take lactase supplement Consume small quantities

of lactose foods

Iron

Component of red blood cells that carries oxygen

Immune system function Helps vitamin A function Helps produce collagen

Iron Foods

Lean Meats Shellfish Sardines Spinach Enriched and Whole Grain Foods Dried Fruits

Symptoms of Iron Deficiency

Get tired quickly Shortness of breath Dizziness Severe - anemia

headaches sleeplessness feeling cold pale

U.S. Teens and Iron Deficiency

More teen girls are iron deficient than teen boys

Diagnosis made via blood test

Easily reversible by consuming iron rich diet

Why are more girls iron deficient than boys?

Recommended Iron Intake

Teen Girls:

15 mg/day

Teen Boys:

10-12 mg/day

Iron Absorption Foods that increase absorption:

Vitamin C foods combined with iron containing foods

Foods that decrease absorption: Coffee, tea High fiber foods

Which foods would you combine to enhance iron

absorption?

Folic Acid

Cell building B vitamin Helps to produce DNA and RNA Plays a role in reducing spina bifida May have role in protecting

against heart disease Works with vitamin B12 in forming

hemoglobin in red blood cells

Folic Acid Recommended for Teens

400 mcg folic acid per day This recommendation is largely

based upon reduction of spina bifida

Current recommendations are the same for both genders

Good Food Sources of Folic Acid

Orange Juice

Leafy Green Vegetables

Legumes

Fortified Grain Products cereals pastas breads flour

Nutrients

Macronutrients- Carbohydrates, Protein, and Fat

Micronutrients- Vitamins and Minerals

What is the one essential nutrient we have not discussed?

Water

About 65% of our body is water

Almost all of our body’s chemical reactions need water

Blood and tissue have high water content

Water Carries away waste material Maintains body temperature–

sweating Carries electrolytes

sodium/ potassium– regulate many processes in cells (nerves and muscles)

How much fluid do we need each day?

Fluid Needs

We need about 6 – 8 eight ounce cups of fluid or about ½ gallon

General Guidelines

Eat a variety of foods to make sure you are consuming all the micronutrients

Refer to www.MyPyramid.gov for guidelines on nutrition and physical activity