Page 23 - Hello Philippines November 2015 'B' issue

HEALTH and Lifestyle food
Vitamins and minerals, do we need them?November2015/Fortnightly–No.22•UK&EuropeEdition
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 eating a varied
and balanced diet. If you choose to take
vitamin and mineral supplements, be
aware that taking too many or taking
them for too long can cause harmful
effects.
Some people may need to take
vitamin and mineral supplements.
The pages in this section contain
advice and information about vitamins,
minerals and trace elements essential
for health, including:
• what they do
• how much you need
• what happens if you have too much
• safety advice about supplements
What are vitamins? There are
two types of vitamins: fat-soluble and
water-soluble.
Fat-soluble vitamins. Fat-soluble
vitamins are found mainly in fatty
foods such as animal fats, including
butter and lard, vegetable oils, dairy
foods, liver and oily fish.
While your body needs these
vitamins every day to work properly,
you do not need to eat foods containing
them every day.
This is because your body stores
these vitamins in your liver and fatty
tissues for future use. These stores
can build up so they are there when
you need them. However, if you have
much more than you need, fat-soluble
vitamins can be harmful.
Fat-soluble vitamins are:
Vitamin A is also known as retinol
Citrus chicken recipe
A zesty protein-rich dish, not to
be confused with lemon chicken. Try
serving it with brown rice and some
green beans.
• Serves: 2
• Time: 45 minutes
Ingredients
• 1 tsp sunflower oil
• ½ onion, finely chopped
• 1 chicken breast
• 1 dessert spoon plain flour
• ½ red pepper, sliced
• juice of 1 orange, or 75ml orange juice
plus 25ml water
• 1 carrot, peeled and sliced
• 1-2 medium potatoes, cubed
• chopped parsley (optional)
• black pepper, freshly ground
• 130g brown rice, raw
Method
1. Heat the oil in a pan and brown the
onions over a low heat for two to
three minutes.
2. Cut the chicken breast into large pieces (of which sugars)
and coat each piece in the flour. Then
add the chicken to the pan and brown
for two minutes, stirring all the time to
make sure it doesn’t stick.
3. Once the chicken is cooked, add the
other ingredients. Then bring it to the
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and has several important functions. If you eat liver or liver pâté more • oily fish, such as salmon, sardines Small amounts can also be found
These include: than once a week, you may be getting and mackerel in meat and dairy foods.
too much vitamin A.
• strengthening immunity against • eggs How much vitamin K do I need?
infections If you do not get enough vitamin • fortified fat spreads
D, you could be more at risk of the • fortified breakfast cereals Adults need approximately 0.001mg
• helping vision in dim light harmful effects of too much vitamin A. • powdered milk a day of vitamin K for each kilogram
• keeping skin and the linings of some People who may be particularly short of their body weight.
of vitamin D include: How much vitamin D do I need?
parts of the body, such as the nose, • all pregnant and breastfeeding For example, someone who
healthy Most people should be able to get all weighs 65kg would need 0.065mg a
Good sources of vitamin A. Good women the vitamin D they need by eating a day of vitamin K, while a person who
sources of vitamin A include: • all people aged 65 and over healthy balanced diet and by getting weighs 75kg would need 0.075mg a
• cheese • people who are not exposed to much some summer sun. day.
• eggs
• fortified low-fat spreads sun, for example those who cover Groups of the population at risk of You should be able to get all the
• yoghurt up their skin for cultural reasons, not getting enough vitamin D are: vitamin K you need by eating a varied
Liver is a particularly rich source or those who are housebound or • all pregnant and breastfeeding and balanced diet.
of vitamin A, although this means confined indoors for long periods
you may be at risk of having too much • people with darker skin, such as women Any vitamin K that your body does
vitamin A if you eat liver more than people of African-Caribbean and • babies and young children under the not need immediately is stored in the
once a week (see below). South Asian origin liver for future use, so you do not
How much vitamin A do I need? The Vitamin D has several important age of five need it in your diet every day.
amount of vitamin A adults need is: functions. For example, it helps • older people aged 65 years and over
• 0.7mg a day for men regulate the amount of calcium and • people who are not exposed to much What happens if I take too much
• 0.6mg a day for women phosphate in the body. vitamin K? There is not enough
You should be able to get all the These nutrients are needed to keep sun, such as people who cover up evidence to know what the effects
vitamin A you need from your daily diet. bones and teeth healthy. their skin when outdoors, or those might be of taking high doses of
Any vitamin A your body does not A lack of vitamin D can lead to bone who are housebound or confined vitamin K supplements each day.
need immediately is stored for future deformities such as rickets in children, indoors for long periods
use. This means you do not need it and bone pain and tenderness as a • people who have darker skin such as Water-soluble vitamins. Water-
every day. result of a condition called osteomalacia people of African, African-Caribbean soluble vitamins are not stored in the
What happens if I take too in adults. and South Asian origin body, so you need to have them more
much vitamin A? According to some Good sources of vitamin D. We get Vitamin E has several important frequently.
research, having more than an average most of our vitamin D from sunlight functions. For example, it helps
of 1.5mg a day of vitamin A over many on our skin. The vitamin is made by maintain cell structure by protecting If you have more than you
years may affect your bones, making our body under the skin in reaction cell membranes. need, your body gets rid of the
them more likely to fracture when you to summer sunlight. However, if you Good sources of vitamin E. extra vitamins when you urinate.
are older. are out in the sun, take care to cover As the body does not store water-
This is particularly important for up or protect your skin with sunscreen Vitamin E is found in a wide variety of soluble vitamins, these vitamins are
older people, especially women, who before you turn red or get burnt. foods. The richest sources are plant oils generally not harmful. However, this
are already at risk of osteoporosis. This Vitamin D is also found in a small such as soya, corn and olive oil. does not mean that all large amounts
is where your bone density reduces and number of foods. Good food sources are necessarily harmless.
you have a higher risk of fractures. are: Other good sources include:
• nuts and seeds Water-soluble vitamins are found
• wheat germ, found in cereals and in fruit, vegetables and grains.
Unlike fat-soluble vitamins, they
cereal products can be destroyed by heat or by being
How much vitamin E do I need? exposed to the air. They can also be
lost in water used for cooking.
The amount of vitamin E you need is:
• 4mg a day for men This means that by cooking foods,
• 3mg a day for women especially boiling them, we lose
many of these vitamins. The best way
You should be able to get all the to keep as many of the water-soluble
vitamin E you need from your daily diet. vitamins as possible is to steam or
grill foods, rather than boil them.
Any vitamin E your body does not
boil, turn the heat down and simmer Allergy advice need immediately is stored for future Water-soluble vitamins are vitamin
over a low heat for about 20 minutes, This recipe contains wheat (gluten). use, so you do not need it in your diet C, the B vitamins and folic acid.
until the vegetables are soft and the every day.
chicken is thoroughly cooked. Food safety tips There are also many other types of
4. While the chicken is cooking, cook rice • always wash your hands, work What happens if I take too vitamins that are an important part
according to packet instructions. much vitamin E? There is not enough of a healthy diet.
surfaces, utensils and chopping evidence to know what the effects
Nutritional information boards before you start and after might be of taking high doses of What are minerals? Minerals are
handling raw meat, including vitamin E supplements each day. necessary for three main reasons:
Nutrient Per 100g Per 621g poultry • building strong bones and teeth
portion • keep raw meat away from ready-to- Vitamin K has several important • controlling body fluids inside and
eat foods such as salad, fruit and functions. For example, it is needed for
Energy 110 kcal 684 kcal bread blood clotting, which means it helps outside cells
• make sure that the chicken is wounds heal properly. • turning the food you eat into energy
(464 kJ) (2881 kJ) cooked until steaming hot all the
way through, that no pink meat is There is increasing evidence that Minerals are found in foods such
Protein 6.9g 42.7g left and that any juices run clear vitamin K is also needed to help build as meat, cereals (including cereal
• cook the rice as required and use strong bones. products such as bread), fish, milk
Carbohydrate 18.1g 112.3g immediately, or cool within one and dairy foods, vegetables, fruit
hour, refrigerate, then use within Good sources of vitamin K. (especially dried fruit) and nuts.
1.7g 10.7g 24 hours n NHS Choices
Vitamin K is found in: Essential minerals include calcium
Fat 1.7g 10.5g • green leafy vegetables, such as and iron, although there are also
many other types of minerals that are
(of which saturates) 0.3g 2g broccoli and spinach an important part of a healthy diet.
• vegetable oils
Fibre 1.1g 6.5g • cereals What are trace elements? Trace
elements are also essential nutrients
Sodium 0.01g 0.09g that your body needs to work properly,
but in much smaller amounts than
Salt 0.1g 0.2g vitamins and minerals.
Trace elements are found in small
amounts in a variety of foods such
as meat, fish, cereals, milk and dairy
foods, vegetables and nuts. n NHS Choices