How much of nutrients needed for healthly life?

I gave the glimpse of calorie and nutrition in the earlier posts. Here I would like to give inputs on other basic nutrition informations,DRI, RDA and AI which is being recommended by nutrition boards all over the world.

DRI, RDA, AI :

Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs) comprise a set of reference values for specific nutrients, each category of which has special uses. The reference values, collectively called the Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs), include the Estimated Average Requirement (EAR), Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA), Adequate Intake (AI), and Tolerable Upper Intake Level (UL)

RDA ( Recommended Daily allowance) :

It is the average daily dietary nutrient intake level sufficient to meet the nutrient requirement of nearly all (97 to 98 percent) healthy individuals in a particular life stage and gender group.

The RDA are based on scientific knowledge and have been presented by a committee of the Food and Nutrition Board (FNB) of the National Academy of Sciences (NAS). RDA is generally accepted throughout the world as a valid source of information.

Adequate Intake (AI):

The recommended average daily intake level based on observed or experimentally determined approximations or estimates of nutrient intake by a group (or groups) of apparently healthy people that are assumed to be adequate—used when an RDA cannot be determined.

The following Chart gives details for Recommended intakes for Major nutrients.

The general guideline is that approximately 57%, 30%, 13% of energy should come from Carbohydrates, Fats and Protein respectively.

What are nutrients?

Let see here about Major nutrients and Minor nutrients of nutrition and diet .

Major Nutrients :

Major nutrients are the one required in more amounts by body. Micronutrients are also of equal importance but are required in small amounts.
The three major nutrients available in food are

1. Carbohydrates
2. Proteins

3. Fat

Carbohydrates:

Carbohydrates break down into sugars (glucose) by liver and this sugar is used for energy for cells ,tissues and organs. Or it can also be stored in liver and muscles for future use.

carbohydrates are called simple and complex depending on how fast it is broken down to sugar. 

Complex carbohydrates (good Carbs) are starch and dietary fibers (whole grain breads and brown rice). They provide minerals fiber and vitamins. But processed rice and polished grains lack these essential nutrients. 

Simple carbohydrates are from fruits, table sugar and milk products .The products with refined sugar and added sugar (added while processing and refining ) are not natural and provide less nutrition.

Proteins:

Our body’s cells and tissues and organs have proteins in them. These proteins are constantly being broken down into and replaced. To replace these, our body needs proteins from diet. The dietary proteins are broken down into amino acids and then these amino acids are manufactured into the proteins desired for the organs and cells.

All proteins are made up of amino acids. There are 20 different amino acids which from human body. Our body cannot make all these 20 amino acids. So they need to be provided to the body through diet. Among the 20 amino acids 9 amino acids are called essential amino acids. Though all amino acids are important these 9 amino acids are called essential in the sense that the are not available from non vegetarian food. Fortunately these are available in soy protein.
The dietary proteins is obtained from egg, fish, meats, nuts, seeds, legumes, beans and milk products. Vegetarians need more planning to meet the dietary intake of proteins. Foodstuffs that lack of essential amino acids are poor sources of protein equivalents, as the body tends to converting proteins into fats and carbohydrates. Therefore, a balance of essential amino acids is necessary for a high degree of net protein utilisation by body.

Fats:

Fats have two sides.Good side and bad side.

Good side of fats is that they play improtant role in skin and hair.Fat is needed to carry and to absorb some vitamins into our body.Fat stores serves as engery reserves of our body. Fat breaks down into glycerol which again is broken down into glucose and gives energy.

But the bad side of fats is that toomuch intake of fats results in increase in blood cholesterol, heart attack, weight gain and obesity.
Thus the fats are listed as good and bad fats.

The good fats are unsaturated fatty acids.( poly and mono) Vegetable oils – such as corn, soybean and sunflower oils – as well as fish oils, are rich in polyunsaturated fat. Olive, peanut and canola oils are rich in monounsaturated fat. These are liquid at room temperature. The bad fats are saturated fats, such as butter, ghee, shortening, lard and animal fat(beef,pork,whole milk,cheese,sour cream ,yogurt) ,coconut oil and palm oil which are solid at room temperature.

Micronutrients:

Micronutrients are vitamins and minerals needed by body in minute amounts. Only these substances play leading roles in the production of enzymes, hormones and other substances.They help to maintain strength, immunity, and mental sharpness and to bear healthy children. They have major role in life saving role in major developing countries. One third of total population worldwide is affected by micronutrient deficiencies. The most common deficiencies are due to lack of iron (anemia), vitamin A (exophthalmia) and iodine (goiter and cretinism).

Vitamins :
Vitamins are needed to keep our body healthy. Most vitamins are made by plants. We get vitamins by eating plants and animal products.

Minerals:
Minerals are used for building bones and teeth. They give energy to work, learn and play. Minerals are found in eggs, milk products, seafood, leaves and seeds of planets and in organ meat such as liver, kidneys and hearts of animals.

Due to manufacturing process and refining and polishing process in grains, the minerals and vitamins in foods are mostly lost. And after cooking or baking again the micronutrients gets depleted. That is the reason these days the micronutrient deficiency is increasing. In olden days our grandparents were able to live in a cleaner healthier and greener environment. They had easy access to fresh vegetables and fruits and medicinal herbs. But in this mordern world we use mostly canned ,tinned, packed, foods which are all dead foods. So having fortified (equipped with vitamins) foods and nutrient supplements are important to get the balance in the body.