Micronutrients (HL)

Micronutrients: things our body needs in smaller amounts to maintain health. These include vitamins and minerals

	Type	Source	Function	RDA	Forms of:
Micro	Vitamins	Fruits Vegetables Fatty fish (such as salmon, mackerel) Fish oil Liver Meat	Energy release macronutrients, metabolism, bone health, blood health, immune function, eyesight		C, B, E, D, A, K
	Minerals/trace elements	Meat Fish Milk Dairy products Salt Cereals Fruit Vegetables Water	Mineralisation of bones and teeth, blood oxygen transport, defence against free radicals, co-factors for energy metabolism, muscle function, maintenance of acid-base balance and cellular fluid balance		Calcium, Magnesium, Chloride, Sodium, Potassium, Phosphorus

Vitamins

Organic compounds vital for health (found in fruits, vegetables, some meat)

Regulators in processes of energy release from food

Two groups of vitamins:

Water-soluble

Fat-soluble

Minerals

Iron

Function: helps with the transport of oxygen for aerobic respiration

Found in haemoglobin (red blood cells)

Binds with oxygen to form oxyglobin

Also part of myoglobin (in sarcoplasm of muscle fibres)

Combines with oxygen storing it until needed

Calcium

Function: building and maintaining healthy bones, and plays a major role in muscle contraction

Stored in the sarcoplasmic reticulum of muscles

--> released when muscle fibres are stimulated

Most abundant mineral in the human body

--> essential for forming cross bridges in muscle contractions

Involved in nerve impulses and message transmission as well as regulating cell membrane permeability

Sodium

Function: important electrolyte involved in nerve transmission, muscle contractions and regulating blood pressure

Supports the absorption of nutrients

Found in extracellular fluids

--> blood plasma and fluid surrounding cells

Potassium

Function: maintain electrical potential across cell membranes

Found inside the cells

Helps nerve and muscle function and aids in muscle contraction

Regulates fluid balance