Micronutrients and Macronutrients - Home Economics

Micronutrients and Macronutrients 

Macronutrients 

• Nutrients we need in large quantities
• Includes Carbohydrates, Proteins, Fats

Micronutrients

• Nutrients needed in very small quantities
• Includes Vitamins and Minerals

Essential nutrients must be obtained through the diet

The body can’t make in big enough quantities or at all

Minerals 

• Inorganic elements that come from the soil and water
• They are absorbed by plants or eaten by animals
• Some minerals eg. Calcium is needed in larger amounts to grow and stay healthy, bone growth
• Fluid balance

Vitamins

• Organic substances made by plants or animals
• The body needs very small amounts of these
• Needed for energy production, immune functions, blood clotting

Vitamin D

Food Source - Fish and Dairy products such as...

• Salmon 
• Trout
• Swordfish
• Fish oil 
• Fish liver
• Whitefish
• Mackerel
• Mushroom
• Tuna
• Rosh Fish
• Whole milk
• Yoghurt
• Soy milk 
• Egg 

Function 

We need Vitamin D for our bones and hormones to be able to function properly, it’s also important because it strengthens our muscles and overall health. It is responsible for increasing intestinal absorption of calcium, magnesium and phosphate. 

Lack of Vitamin D effects 

A lack of Vitamin D will lead to a loss of bone density, it can cause fractures on the bone. It can also lead to other diseases; it can cause rickets (a disease in which the bones become soft and bend) for children. gastrointestinal disorders, renal diseases, and liver diseases might also be obtained if there’s a lack of vitamin D consumption. 

Vitamins	Food Source	Function	Effects of not getting enough
Vitamin A	Dairy Products Fish Carrots Broccoli Cantaloupe Squash	Vitamin A helps to maintain healthy and clean teeth. It also keeps our skeletal and soft tissue, mucus membrane and skin healthy.   Vitamin A promotes wgood eyesight, especially in low light.	It can cause blindness on the person. It can also increase the risk of having infections. It can also cause dry skin.
Vitamin B	Whole grains Meat Dairy products Legumes Seeds  Nuts Fruits	Vitamin B improves, gives, and helps your energy levels, brain function and cell metabolism. It helps prevent and fight infection, provides support and growth to the blood cells.	Lack of vitamin b may lead to a reduction in the healthy red blood cells, called anaemia. The symptoms include fatigue, poor balance, numbness, troubles with memory, and difficulty in breathing.
Vitamin C	Citrus fruits Tomatoes  Tomato juice Potatoes Red peppers Green peppers Kiwi fruit Broccoli Strawberries Brussel sprouts	Vitamin cis needed for growth, it also repares the tissues in all parts of your body. It heals wounds and forms scar tissue on the skin. It helps protect cells and keeps them healthy. It provides protection against immune system deficiencies.	Bruises will start to appear on the person who lacks intake of vitamin C. Bleeding gums, weakness/loss of balance, fatigues and rashes.
Vitamin D	Salmon  Trout Swordfish Fish oil  Fish liver White fish Mackerel Mushroom Tuna Rosh Fish Whole milk Yoghurt Soy milk  Egg	We need Vitamin D for our bones and hormones to be able to function properly, it’s also important because it strengthens our muscles and overall health. It is responsible for increasing intestinal absorption of calcium, magnesium and phosphate.	A lack of will lead to a loss of bone density, it can cause fractures on the bone. It can also lead to other diseases; it can cause rickets (a disease in which the bones become soft and bend) for children. gastrointestinal disorders, renal diseases, and liver diseases might also be obtained if there’s a lack of vitamin D consumption.
Vitamin E	Wheat germ oil Sunflower Almonds Peanuts Beet greens Red bell pepper Pumpkin Asparagus Mango Avocado	Vitamin E helps the brain healthy by reducing stress. It helps protect cells from getting damaged.	Loss of body control and movement, muscle weakness and vision problems.
Vitamin K	Green leafy vegetables (kale, spinach, collards, etc)  Fish Liver  Meat Eggs Cereals	It provides protection when the body needs clothing and helps wounds to be healthy. It also keeps the bone healthy and strong.	Excessive bleeding and bruises will start to appear on the skin.

Minerals	Food Sources	Function	Effects of not getting enough
Calcium	Dairy food  Green leafy vegetables Soya and almond drinks  Bread (or anything made with fortified flour) Fish  Tofu Orange juice	Consumption of calcium in foods helps maintain strong bones and teeth. The body needs calcium for the muscles to be able to move and for nerves to carry messages between the brain and every parts of the body.	You will lose bone mass if you don’t get enough calcium. This puts you at risk of developing bone disease osteoporosis.
Chloride	Seaweed Lettuce Rye Tomatoes  Celery Olives  Meat  Milk Eggs	It helps keep the amount of fluid inside and outside of the cells in your body. It helps maintain proper blood volume and pressure.	It will cause heart failure  and lung disease. You will be at risk of having addison disease which is a condition where your adrenal glands don’t produce enough certain types of hormones. And also hypochloremia.
Magnesium	Green leafy vegetables  Nuts  Seeds  Bananas  Fish	The body needs magnesium to maintain a healthy and balanced diet. It is important because it helps the muscles and nerves to regulate in order to function. It also helps the blood sugar levels and blood pressure.	Weakness and fatigues can occur when you are low in magnesium. Muscles cramps, digestive problems, heart palpitations, muscles aches and stiffness, tingling and numbness, breathing difficulties , seizures, and abnormal heart rhythm.
Phosphorus	Milk products Meat Beans Lentils Nuts Whole grains Vegetables fruits	Phosphorus is important because it helps with the formation of the teeth and bones. The body needs phosphorus because it builds protein for the growth of our bodies. It repairs cells and tissues.	Bones disease such as rickets (for children) and osteomalacie (for adults). Muscle weakness, stupor, coma and death.
Sodium	Smoked fish and meat Beets  Celery Carrots  Meat Spinach Chard Canned entrees	Sodium is important because it helps control the blood pressure and blood volume of our bodies. The body needs it so that our muscles and nerves are able to function and work properly.	Hyponatremia could occur when sodium levels in the blood are too low.
Potassium	Bananas Orange Cantaloupe Honeydew Cooked spinach Cooked broccoli Potatoes Sweet potatoes Mushroom Peas cucumbers	It helps our muscles to contract and it helps our heartbeat to beat at a regular speed. It regulates water balance.
Sulfur	Meat and poultry Organ meats Fish  Prawns  Scallops Mussels Soybeans Blacbeans  Kidney beans Split peas White beans	It helps make protein, it keeps the gene expression to regulate, it builds and repairs DNA. it also helps our bodies to metabolize food.	Increase blood pressure, deplete calcium in the bones, and increase kidney stones. Prolonged diarrhea or vomiting.