Nutrients and Health Benchmark Assessment

Nutrients and Health Benchmark Assessment

Sarah Matson

Grand Canyon University: BIO-319

June 18h, 2016

Introduction

In this benchmark essay for Nutrition, I will be explaining what the importance is of macronutrients to maintain proper health. I will also give examples of different types of food sources and explain why they are beneficial. Secondly, I will explain the importance of different vitamins that are necessary to strengthen and maintain proper health. I will give examples of important vitamins, and include what foods they can be found within.  Lastly, I will explain the importance of select minerals that are necessary to maintain proper health and where they can be found.

Importance of Macronutrients

Macronutrients are a “class of nutrients that humans need to consume in relatively large quantities (more than a gram per day)” (McGuire, 2013). Carbohydrates, lipids, proteins and water are considered to be macronutrients. Our body requires a large amount of carbohydrates on a daily basis. Data from the USDA states that 45%-65% of calories consumed, should predominately come from carbohydrates.

Carbohydrates

Consumption of carbohydrates are important to maintain proper health because they are responsible for being the main source of fuel, and are the easiest macronutrients used for energy in the body. Every single cell and tissue within the human body can use glucose, the most important type of energy that emanates from carbohydrates. The central nervous system, the kidney’s, brain, heart and muscles all require carbohydrates in order to function properly. Carbohydrates are able to be stored within the liver and muscles to be used at a later time if needed. Another important function of carbohydrates is that they play a crucial role in intestinal health and waste elimination (University of Illinois, 2014). There are many different healthy foods that contain carbohydrates. Some examples of these would be unprocessed whole grains, vegetables, beans and fruits. These types of healthy carbohydrates, aid in our good health by supplying the body with various minerals, vitamins, fiber and phytonutrients (Harvard School of Public Health, 2016).

Protein

Another important macronutrient that is necessary to maintain proper health is protein. The thousands of different kinds of proteins have many roles throughout the body. Proteins function as building blocks that make up important structures in the body, such as muscles, skin and bones. They play a role in movement, support complex internal communication systems, aid the immune system to fight off infections and diseases, and regulate multiple chemical reactions that are necessary for human life (McGuire, 2013).  Proteins are required for growth, tissue repair, production of essential hormones and enzymes and maintaining lean muscle mass. They can also be used for energy, when carbohydrates aren’t available. The body requires amino acids, which are the building blocks of proteins. These amino acids can be either essential or nonessential. Nonessential amino acids are unable to be produced in the body, so including foods that contain protein in our diets is important. There are many different healthy foods that contain protein. Healthy protein is found in foods like poultry, meats, fish, cheese, dairy products, nuts, legumes, and tofu. There are different recommended daily allowances of protein for adult men and women. In the United States, adult women should eat 46 grams of protein per day, while men should consume 56 grams (Harvard II, 2016).  Healthy types of protein such as poultry and fish can decrease the risk of developing cardiac disease, premature death, and various diseases such as diabetes (Harvard II, 2016).

Lipids

Lipids are the last group of micronutrients that are necessary to maintain proper health. These fats provide a high concentration of energy, are influential to the structure of cell membranes and are required for the development and maintenance of both the nervous and reproductive systems. Lipids also are in charge of the regulation of all the different processes that occur within a cell (McGuire, 2013).  There are three different types of lipids. These are saturated (bad fats), unsaturated (good fats) and trans fats (bad fats). Although fats are typically frowned on, it is important to know that some types are essential for survival. Both saturated and trans fats are known to cause obesity and different diseases, like cardiovascular disease (University of Illinois, 2014).  However, eating foods that contain unsaturated fats such as avocados, olive oil, nuts and canola oil can actually decrease the risk of a person developing cardiovascular disease. Fats are needed for normal development and growth, energy, the absorption of certain kinds of vitamins, protection of vital organs, and provide taste, stability and consistency to foods (University of Illinois, 2014).

Importance of Vitamins

The body requires thirteen vitamins, which are needed for normal cell function development and growth. These vitamins are separated into two groups. They are, fat-soluble and water-soluble. Vitamins D, A, E, and K are fat-soluble, which can be easily absorbed by our body, while accompanied by dietary fats. The other nine vitamins are water-soluble. Since water-soluble vitamins need to be used instantly, any excess will be excreted through urine. However, vitamin B12 is able to be stored within the liver for multiple years (Zieve, 2015).  Vitamins can be found in all kinds of food. Common vitamins such as vitamin D can be produced when skin gets exposed to sunlight. Many fat-soluble vitamins can be found in meats, green leafy vegetables, dark skinned fruits, eggs, fortified milk and dairy products, fortified cereals, nuts and seeds, dark green vegetables, and sunflower and corn oil. Water-soluble vitamins can be found in foods such as dairy products, legumes, pork, yeast, nuts, avocado, citrus fruits, lean meats, whole-grain cereals, organ meats, bananas, and eggs.