Key Micronutrients
Micronutrients are very
important, especially for teens as they are still growing.
Micronutrients improve your health, keep you energized, and prevent
diseases. They key micronutrients in a teen's meal plan should include
Vitamin A, Vitamin B12, Vitamin C, Vitamin D, Vitamin E, Calcium, Iron,
Potassium, Sodium, and Zinc.
Vitamin
A is essential for growth; it prevents infectious diseases, it supports
vision, and it repairs skin. When someone is deficient of vitamin A,
they have dark impaired vision, and very dry scaly skin. Vitamin A can
be found in foods such as: dairy products, liver, fish, leafy greens,
yellow and orange vegetables, and tomato products.
Vitamin
B12 is a water-soluble vitamin that helps with the metabolism of
proteins and lipids, and it keeps the body's nerve and blood cells
healthy. Signs of deficiency are tiredness, weakness, constipation, loss
of appetite, and weight loss. Vitamin B12 is most commonly found in
animal products.
Vitamin
C is an antioxidant and helps the immune system a great deal. Vitamin C
is also a main building block for collagen, which is what bone, skin,
and blood vessels are made of. Signs of a deficiency in vitamin C are
inflammation of the gums, scaly skin, nosebleeds, and painful joints.
Sources of vitamin C are citrus fruits, tomato products, and potatoes.
Vitamin
D is essential for maintaining calcium and phosphate metabolism. Signs
of vitamin D deficiency are aching bones, sweating and darker skin. The
main source of vitamin D is exposure to sunlight. You can also get
vitamin D from the flesh of fatty fish such as salmon, tuna, and
mackerel. Most people reach the recommended intake of vitamin D with
just sun exposure.
Vitamin
E is an antioxidant and helps with the immune system, and it is also
key for healthy eyes and skin. The deficiency of vitamin E is very rare
among the general public, and is only an issue in certain diseases where
fat is not properly digested. Vitamin E deficiency symptoms include
nerve damage, lack of muscle control, muscle weakness, blindness, and
impairment of the immune response. Vitamin E can be found in nuts,
seeds, and vegetable oils.
Calcium
is very, very important in adolescence, because it is essential for
bone growth, helps blood clot, and contract muscles. The bones you build
during a teenager must last throughout your whole life. Signs of
deficiency include numbness/tingling of the fingers, muscle cramps, poor
appetite, hallucination, and memory loss. Calcium sources are mainly in
dairy products like milk and yogurt.
Iron
helps to carry oxygen from our lungs to throughout our bodies and it
also helps with energy metabolism. Signs of deficiency include extreme
fatigue, pale skin, weakness, shortness of breath, chest pain, frequent
infection, and headaches. The main sources of iron are in lean meats and
fish, and grains.
The
potassium nutrient helps maintain the cellular membrane potential,
nerve impulse transmission, muscle contractions, and heart function.
Potassium also regulates water and mineral balance throughout the body.
Signs of deficiency include tiredness, cramping muscles, nausea,
tingling/numbness, vomiting, bloating, constipation, and dehydration.
Some sources of potassium are beans, dark leafy greens, potatoes, fish,
avocados, mushrooms, and bananas.
Although
it may seem unhealthy, sodium actually helps maintain muscle
contractions, pH balance, and fluid balance. Signs of sodium deficiency
include nausea and vomiting, headache, short-term memory loss, fatigue,
muscle weakness, and cramps. Many foods have sodium in them already, but
one food source of sodium is salt. Be sure to not intake too much.
Zinc
helps the immune system fight off invading bacteria and viruses,
neurologic function, and with reproduction. Signs of zinc deficiency
include diarrhea, hair loss, skin lesions, and loss of appetite. Foods
that contain zinc are red meats, poultry, oysters, and beans.
If
one micronutrient is deficient in your body, it could lead to serious
health issues. Along with macronutruents, every micronutrient is
important in your body, and you should eat the sufficient amount of
them.
Sources:
http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminA-HealthProfessional/
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