Supplements, nutrients, and stored energy to the proper function of the human body - Essay Example

Supplements, nutrients, and stored energy Introduction Proper nutrition is a crucial aspect for maintenance of optimum body function. “A nutritional intake that provides all the key components of nutritional products being carbohydrates, vitamins, proteins and fluids is significant for supply of energy and provision of necessary immunity in the body” (Striegel et al. P 236). The importance of proper nutrition is manifested during episodes of extreme nutritional needs that are characterized by malnutrition and obesity.

The resultant effects of malnutrition contributes to prevention of normal body functionality due to inappropriateness with which the food is converted to essential products for the provision of energy and protection to the body.Supplements, nutrients and stored energy. Nutritional supplements are products from foods used for the support of good health and treatment of illnesses. According to the dietary supplement health and education act (DSHEA), supplements are not foods put contain the elements in the food that increase their supply to the body.

“The supplements contain one or more ingredients of the diet including minerals, vitamins and amino acid” (Liddle and Connor, P. 487). The use of supplements and energy stores is high due to an increase in demand of energy that cannot be provided through food intake during any particular incidence of a meal. The demand for this energy is to promote weight gain, enhance weight loss or improve the performance of athletes. Vitamins and minerals as supplements contain micronutrients that are responsible for enhancing the normal hormonal and chemical functions of the body.

These supplements are important for enhancing the reproductive functionality of hormones, as well as other endocrine functions of the body. Botanical (herbal) supplements are ingested for their medical functions in the body. “The botanical supplements are taken to support specific areas of functionality of the body” (Calbet et al., P. 1005). These areas could be for the improvement of the liver, skin, bone or kidney function, thus are important for the improvement of the efficiency in the functionality of the targeted part.

Eight key nutrients “Supplements and energy stores are composed of combinations of two or more of the eight key nutrients that are important for the proper functionality of the body” (Frary, Johnson, and Wang, P. 56). Calcium is one of the eight key nutrients that is important for bone formation, muscle contraction and helps in the transmission of nerve cell messages. Calcium is chiefly derived from the dairy foods but can also be acquired from vegetables like kale. Iodine as a key nutrient in the body is important for metabolizing of food for the provision of energy.

Iodine is equally essential for the normal functionality of the thyroid. The nutrient is chiefly found in seafood; thus iodized table salt is a good supply of iodine. Essential fats being omega 3, and 6 are also key nutrient sources in the body. These nutrients cannot be manufactured in the body, hence must be acquired from external sources. “Nuts like chia seeds, walnuts, and hemp seeds are key sources of essential fats. Omega 3 and 6 are significant to support immunity, cardiovascular and nervous system” (Rasmussen and Johnson, P. 741). Iron as a key nutrient is needed in the body for the manufacture of hemoglobin used for transportation of gasses in the blood.

Red meat is the chief of the sources of iron, but the element can also be acquired from a variety of vegetable products. Protein as a key nutrient needed in the body forms the structure of every cell in the body. Protein is needed for the repair of cells and tissues and growth. Protein is found in plant sources like beans as well as in meat and eggs. Vitamin B12 is another of the key nutrient used for red blood cell production and DNA manufacture for proper neurological function. Vitamin B12 is mainly derived from soya milk as well as from food supplements.

“The body demands vitamin D as a key nutrient for absorption of calcium” (Shiue et al., P. 464). Vitamin D is synthesized in the upper layer of the skin. Nevertheless, it can also be derived from foods such as cow’s milk mushrooms and soya milk. Zinc is equally essential for immunity. Zinc is significant for cell growth and cell division and is derived from products like pork, beef, legumes, peanuts and soy products. Nutritious foods are not available to everyone both nationally and internationally, thus resulting to nutritional vices like obesity in the developed nations and malnutrition in the third world countries.

Poor nutrients in the diet have social impacts like stigmatization in the community that will result to poor performance both in sectors of education and economic involvement.Work cited.Calbet, J A et al. “A-Z of Nutritional Supplements: Dietary Supplements, Sports Nutrition Foods and Ergogenic Aids for Health and Performance: Part 24.” British journal of sports medicine 45 (2011): 1005–1007. Frary, Carol D., Rachel K. Johnson, and Min Q. Wang. “Children and Adolescents’ Choices of Foods and Beverages High in Added Sugars Are Associated with Intakes of Key Nutrients and Food Groups.

” Journal of Adolescent Health 34 (2004): 56–63. Liddle, David G., and Douglas J. Connor. “Nutritional Supplements and Ergogenic Aids.” Primary Care - Clinics in Office Practice 2013: 487–505. Rasmussen, Helen M., and Elizabeth J. Johnson. “Nutrients for the Aging Eye.” Clinical Interventions in Aging 8 (2013): 741–748. Shiue, Ivy et al. “Dietary Intake of Key Nutrients and Subarachnoid Hemorrhage: A Population-Based Case-Control Study in Australasia.” Cerebrovascular Diseases 31 (2011): 464–470.

Striegel, H. et al. “The Use of Nutritional Supplements among Master Athletes.” International Journal of Sports Medicine 27 (2006): 236–241.