Confused about what nutrients you should be eating every day? Sarah Keogh tells you all you ever needed to know about what your body needs to keep you bright and healthy.
What vitamin is good for my skin? Which one can help fight colds? What does iodine actually do for me? When it comes to nutrition there are so many vitamins, minerals and other nutrients that it’s easy to get confused when you try to figure out what you need to deal with a particular problem – or even just to be healthy. Our A-Z of nutrition will give you a quick look at each nutrient, what it does and where to find it. Use it as your guide to looking good and feeling great.
A
Vitamin A is needed for healthy eyes and skin. People who are low in vitamin A have very dry skin and poor sight at night time (night blindness). Vitamin A is found in oil-rich fish like salmon, trout and mackerel and in red, orange and yellow vegetables in the form of beta carotene, which your body can turn into vitamin A. Look for red peppers, sweet potatoes and carrots.
B
The B vitamins are a family of vitamins that have a number of jobs in the body. Most B vitamins are needed to help you to metabolise your food but B12 is needed for healthy blood and B6 for healthy nerves. Anyone low in B12 will feel extremely tired and older people may show signs of dementia. B12 is found only in animal foods and the best sources are meat and dairy foods. Chicken has B12 but it is mostly in the leg meat, not in the breast. Other B vitamins are found in wholegrain foods like wholegrain bread and breakfast cereals and in large amounts in pork. You need 1mcg of B12 everyday.
C
Vitamin C is one of the best-known vitamins, famous for apparently being able to fend off colds. Although the studies to back this up are thin on the ground, many people still take high doses of vitamin C once winter sets in. Vitamin C is needed for a healthy immune system but also for healthy skin. Vitamin C is one of the building blocks for collagen, the support structure for your skin. Found in fresh and frozen fruits and vegetables and in potatoes. You need a minimum of 60mg per day.
Calcium is needed for healthy bones but also for helping our blood to clot when we cut ourselves. Lack of calcium can lead to osteoporosis, which affects one in 5 men and one in two women over 50. Not surprising when you hear that 40% of Irish women don’t get enough of this mineral. The best source of calcium is dairy food like milk and yoghurt. Hard cheese is also useful, but can be high in saturated fat. Aim for three servings of dairy everyday.
D
Vitamin D. Known as the sunshine vitamin, we make vitamin D when sun shines on our skin. Unfortunately in Ireland, we don’t get enough sun to make the vitamin D we need. Vitamin D is needed to help us to absorb calcium and for healthy bones. Vitamin D also helps to maintain muscle as you get older and improves balance in older people as well as reducing the risk of falls. You can get vitamin D in some foods such as oil-rich fish and eggs but the amounts are not high enough to make up for the lack of sunshine. This is one vitamin it is worth taking as a supplement. The Irish government already recommends that babies up to 12 months receive a supplement of 5mcg per day. Adults should take 10mcg per day.
E
Vitamin E is one of the antioxidant vitamins, which means it helps your body to clear toxins. It is also needed for a healthy immune system. Vitamin E is found in vegetable oils, especially olive oil and in nuts like brazil nuts and peanuts.
F
Fat. The one we love to hate. Although too much fat is not good for us, too little isn’t healthy either. Fat is essential in helping to keep skin healthy and to make important hormones in your body. Choosing the right type is important. Saturated fat (found in cheese, cream, butter, biscuits, cakes and pastries and sausages, pâté and processed meats) can raise cholesterol and is linked to an increased risk of heart disease. Polyunsaturated fat (found in many vegetable oils especially sunflower oil) is a little better but the best one to go for is monounsaturated fat. This type of fat is found in nuts, olive oil, peanut oil and rapeseed oil and is one of the healthiest types of fat to go for.
G
Glycemic Index. This is a popular diet for many people who have diabetes or who need to lose weight. The idea is to eat foods that are slowly digested, giving you a low, steady blood sugar (Low GI) and avoiding foods that are rapidly digested and lead to a high blood sugar (Hi GI). Basically you cut back on processed foods, bread (all types), white rice, fruit juices and junk food. Go for porridge, muesli, raw fruit and fresh vegetables and include plenty of meat, chicken and fish. Pulses like beans and lentils are useful and very dark chocolate makes a great low GI treat.
I
Iodine. Iodine is one of the many minerals your body needs. It is essential for a healthy thyroid. Your thyroid gland, found in your neck, controls your growth and metabolism. Problems with the thyroid, caused by lack of iodine, can lead to poor growth and brain development in unborn babies and young children. In older people it can lead to goitre. The amount of iodine you eat depends on the amount in the soil in which your food is grown. In Ireland we are classified as being mildly deficient in iodine due to the soil levels. Luckily sea fish are very rich in iodine and are the best place to look for this important nutrient. Try any type of fish, especially shellfish, which are especially rich in iodine.
Iron. This is needed for healthy blood and for brain development in young children. A recent survey showed that 50% of Irish toddlers are low in iron and 75% of teenage girls are also missing out. Iron is found in red meat, the leg meat of chicken, eggs, beans and fortified breakfast cereals. It is found in smaller amounts in green vegetables. You need to eat a good portion of iron-rich foods everyday and teenage girls would benefit from red meat at least three times a week. Adults need 14mg of iron everyday.
K
Vitamin K. This is found in green vegetables like cabbage, but quite a lot of our vitamin K is made by the bacteria in our gut. Vitamin K is needed to help blood to clot properly. Newborn babies, who are often low in vitamin K are given an injection just after birth.
O
Omega-3 fats. This is a special group of polyunsaturated fats needed for brain and eye development in babies and for maintaining memory as you get older. Omega-3 fats are also linked with a reduced risk of heart disease, better survival rates in anyone suffering from cancer and improving symptoms of dyslexia in some children. People eating lots of omega 3 also have lower rates of depression and mental illness. Although you can get omega-3 from nuts and seeds, the type of omega-3 is not as useful as the type found in fish, making fish or fish oil-s the best place to pick it up. Aim to have at least one serving of oil-rich fish every week and don’t be afraid to have more. Alternatively take a supplement of fish oils giving you 500mg of the omega-3 fats EPA + DHA per day.
P
Phosphorus This is one of the minerals needed for healthy bones. Just like calcium, it is an important part of your bone structure. Phosphorus is found in dairy foods especially milk.
Protein. One of the most important nutrients needed by the body, protein is needed for healthy skin and hair, for strong muscles and bones and is essential for growth and for healing. Lack of protein can leave you feeling tired and run down and prone to infections like colds and mouth ulcers. Lack of protein can also lead to thinning hair and nails that break easily. Protein is found in meat, chicken, fish, eggs and cheese as well as lentils, beans and nuts. If you eat meat, you need to have protein foods twice a day eg. lunch and dinner. If you are vegetarian or vegan you need protein three times a day – breakfast, lunch and dinner.
S
Sodium or salt. Sodium is needed to help maintain water balance in our bodies, but too much is linked to an increased risk of high blood pressure, heart disease and cancers of the digestive system. Look out for foods that are high in salt like crisps, salted nuts and processed foods like sausages and ready meals. Also watch out for pickles and look for the lowest levels of salt or sodium in bread and breakfast cereals. You want less than 6g of salt per day, which is less than 2.4g of sodium.
Selenium. Another of the antioxidant minerals, selenium is linked with a reduced risk of cancer. Selenium is found in meat and in very large amounts in fish. Look for cod, haddock, mackerel and any shellfish.
Z
Zinc is one of the minerals needed for a healthy immune system and for healthy skin. It is also a vital part of how your body repairs itself – so it is good to take if you have any surgery coming up or a wound that is slow to heal. Zinc is found in meat and chicken and in all kinds of fish.
