Wallace et al. (2014) report that – according to the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), 2007-2010 – out of the 16,444 subjects included (ages 4 and older), at least one-third do not meet the Estimated Average Requirement (EAR) for several micronutrients, including:
| Micronutrient |
| Vitamin A |
| Vitamin C |
| Vitamin D |
| Vitamin E |
| Vitamin K |
| Calcium |
| Iron |
| Magnesium |
| Potassium |
| Choline |
In a 1- to 2-page document, which you will submit as a document attachment within your Post-First submission (text submission is not needed, only the file attachment), include the following (cited) information for one micronutrient of your choice from the list above:
1. Micronutrient name
2. Main role(s) in human health. You may list a maximum of three (3) roles.
3. RDA/AI from infancy (0-12 months) to older adult (70 years and older) for both male and female.
4. A few foods that can be included in one’s dietary regimen in order to meet the needs of a teenager, adult, or older male or female. List for each food:
- Food item & (appropriate) Serving size
- Amount of nutrient (grams, milligram, micrograms)
Please consider the food item itself. Although some foods are very high in a micronutrient, an individual in the general public may not have access to, be able to afford, or prefer the food (according to culture, geographical location, and socioeconomic status). You may use the FoodData Central Database which is used for the Food-Nutrient Identity Destination Activity. There are also Food Composition Tables located at the end of the textbook, beginning on page 788.
5. Absorption implications. Describe what may inhibit (decrease) or promote (increase) absorption of the micronutrient.
6. Rationale for deficiency. Describe reasons why someone may become deficient in the nutrient. You may certainly list “inadequate intake/consumption of foods that have X micronutrient” as well as “decreased absorption due to X, Y, and Z” (as explained in #5). But, what else may be the cause of the micronutrient deficiency?
example you could use this template
Micronutrient: Zinc
Major Roles (Insel et al., 2017, pp. 514-515):
|
DRIs (RDA & AI) (NIH, 2019):
|
0-6m |
6-12m |
1-3y |
4-8y |
9-13y |
14-18y |
19-30y |
31-50y |
51-70y |
70y+ |
|
2mg |
3mg |
3mg |
5mg |
8mg |
11/9mg* |
11/8mg* |
11/8mg* |
11/8mg* |
11/8mg* |
*Male/Female
Individual: 16-year-old Female requires minimum of 9mg per day
|
Food Item |
Serving size |
Amount (USDA) |
|
Cheerios |
1 cup |
3.75mg |
|
Strawberry low-fat Yogurt |
6oz container |
1mg |
|
Hamburger, 85% lean |
3oz patty |
5.3mg |
|
Total: |
10.05mg |
|
Absorption implications (Insel et al., 2017, p. 515):
- Inhibited when ingested with (high amounts of) phytates found in foods such as grains, nuts, and legumes
Rationale for deficiency (Insel et al., 2017, p. 517):
- Gastrointestinal conditions that result in malabsorption of nutrients in the small intestine
- Populations that eat grains and very little of anything else
- Excessive zinc excretion from diarrhea and infection
References
Insel, P. A., Ross, D., McMahon, K., & Bernstein, M. (2017). Nutrition (6th ed.). Burlington,
MA: Jones & Bartlett Learning.
NIH (n.d.). Nutrient recommendations: Dietary reference intakes (DRI). Retrieved October 15,
2019, from https://ods.od.nih.gov/Health_Information/Dietary_Reference_Intakes.aspx.
USDA (n.d.). FoodData Central. Retrieved October 15, 2019, from https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/
