Vitamins and Minerals

Transcription

1 ONTARIO AGRI-FOOD EDUCATION INC. P.O. Box 460, Milton, Ontario L9T 4Z1 (905) INTRODUCTION Vitamins and Minerals Number 59, Spring 2008 The benefits of healthy eating last a lifetime and should be developed and encouraged from an early age. Vitamins and minerals are present in both plants and animals. They are required to maintain our bodies in order to keep them in prime condition. If our body experiences an insufficient amount of vitamins and minerals, then it is at risk for disease. Through scientific research, it has been shown that healthy eating may reduce the risk of developing nutrition related problems (e.g. heart disease, cancer, obesity, hypertension, osteoporosis, anemia, dental decay and some bowel disorders.) Eating a variety of food daily from each of the four food groups as recommended in Eating Well with Canada s Food Guide leads to nutritious balanced meals and provides the vitamins and minerals that you require to be healthy. The Vitamins and Minerals Update provides strategies which are designed to incorporate the Ontario Ministry of Education curriculum from Family Studies, Health and Physical Education and Science and Technology. It includes a variety of teaching techniques which support and promote literacy, numeracy and student success. Available in June 2008! A free subscription to OAFE podcasts gives you access to every curriculum linked resource episode! As new ones become available, download them through an application such as itunes on your computer, view and save it to a CD/DVD, ipod or memory device and bring it to your classroom! These episodes will enhance the classroom experience and uses the new technologies that your students are familiar with and use in their spare time! Stay tuned for new upcoming episodes! Visit the podcast section of our website to subscribe and read more about the new high-tech tool you now have full access to. Two episodes will be available from the official launch with two coming in time for your fall semesters! Never miss a new episode simply open your itunes application and see all the available resources. Visit the OAFE website for additional sources of information and curriculum materials related to the agriculture and food industry. Ontario Agri-Food Education Inc. receives support from the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food & Rural Affairs

2 Curriculum Connections Family Studies - Food and Nutrition - Grade 9 or 10, Open Overall Expectations: By the end of this course, students will: analyse the responsibilities involved in maintaining nutritional health and well-being demonstrate appropriate use of social science research methods in the investigation of foodrelated issues effectively communicate the results of their inquiries Food and Nutrition Sciences - Grade 12, University/College Preparation Overall Expectations: By the end of this course, students will: identify the source of nutrients and the role they play in the maintenance of good health determine the relationship among nutrition, lifestyle, health and disease Health and Physical Education - Healthy Active Living Education, Grade 10 Open Overall Expectations: By the end of this course, students will: explain how healthy eating fits into a healthy lifestyle Health and Physical Education - Health for Life, Grade 11, Open Overall Expectations: By the end of this course, students will: analyse the role of individual responsibility in enhancing personal health Health and Physical Education - Recreation and Fitness Leadership, Grade 12, College Preparation Overall Expectations: By the end of this course, students will: demonstrate an ability to help others understand how physical activity, nutrition, and positive selfimage contribute to well-being Science, Grade 11, University/College Preparation Body Input and Body Function Overall Expectations: By the end of this course, students will: demonstrate an understanding of food components and their effects on body functions explain how personal and societal factors affect eating behaviours, and evaluate the social and economic impact of the use of non-nutrient food additive LEARNING MORE ABOUT VITAMINS AND MINERALS Introductory Activities - KWL Chart, Mind-Mapping 1 As an introduction to learning about Vitamins and Minerals, have students complete the first 2 columns of the chart below. What Do I Know About Vitamins and Minerals What Do I Want to Find Out About Vitamins and Minerals What Did I Learn About Vitamins and Minerals Using this information, students work in groups to complete the following activity: Provide each group with a large sheet of paper and a different coloured marker for each student. Have each group complete a mind map starting with the words Vitamins and Minerals in the centre of the page. Vitamins and their Functions Vitamins are substances naturally found in plants and animals. The body requires thirteen vitamins to promote growth and development and to support many functions. Vitamins play key roles in the body and are essential for our bodies to metabolize and use the energy from fat, carbohydrates or protein. While the body can synthesize some vitamins (D and K), most vitamins come from the foods we eat. However, people who follow a strict vegetarian or vegan diet may need a Vitamin B12 supplement. There are two types of vitamins: fat-soluble and water-soluble. Fat-soluble Vitamins Vitamins A, D, E and K are fat-soluble vitamins. These vitamins require some fat and bile acids to be absorbed by the body and are stored in body fat until needed. Some dietary fat is recommended each day (45 ml, 2 to 3 tablespoons) to help your body to absorb these important vitamins. Water-soluble Vitamins Vitamin C and the B vitamins (Thiamin, Riboflavin, Niacin, Pantothenic Acid, Biotin, Vitamin B6, Vitamin B12 and Folate) are water-soluble vitamins. These vitamins are easily absorbed and are not stored in your body in large amounts. They simply go through your bloodstream and are filtered by your kidneys into urine. Since water-soluble vitamins are not stored, they need to be replaced by eating a variety of foods every day. UPDATE 2

3 Minerals Calcium through Zinc The body requires minerals in order to grow, develop and be healthy. They are essential and play many important roles in the body. Minerals are not only necessary for strong bones, teeth and skeletons, but also activate cellular functions, make hormones and regulate your heartbeat. The two types of minerals are macrominerals and trace minerals. Macrominerals The body requires macrominerals in larger amounts. They include calcium, sodium, potassium, magnesium, phosphorus, chloride and sulfur. Trace Minerals Your body needs small amounts of trace minerals. The trace minerals are iron, zinc, selenium, manganese, copper, iodine, cobalt and fluoride. 2 Know why these vitamins and minerals are important to maintain a healthy body! Provide students with the table below. Have students research to complete the two columns - Dietary Reference Intakes and Food Sources for each of the listed vitamins and minerals. NUTRIENT PURPOSE DIETARY REFERENCE INTAKES FOOD SOURCES VITAMINS - releases energy from carbohydrates, fats, and proteins - needed for a healthy nervous system Niacin Vitamin B3 Pantothenic Acid Vitamin B5 Riboflavin Vitamin B2 Thiamin Vitamin B1 Vitamin B6 Folacin - releases energy from carbohydrates, fats, and proteins - needed for a healthy nervous system - releases energy from carbohydrates, fats, and proteins - enzyme essential to all areas of metabolism - turns carbohydrates into energy - required for muscle coordination and a healthy nervous system - helps body make use of carbohydrates and proteins - required for a healthy nervous system - is a factor in tissue formation - helps build red blood cells - protect against neural tube defects during pregnancy NUTRIENT PURPOSE DIETARY REFERENCE INTAKES FOOD SOURCES MINERALS Copper Iron Magnesium Phosphorous Potassium Selenium Zinc - is found in all body cells - is a component of haemoglobin - healthy red blood cells - is important in the transfer of oxygen - helps maintain nerve and muscle cells - helps build and maintain tissue and bones - helps make proteins - works with calcium to build strong bones and teeth - is a component of every cell - helps cell growth and repair - helps to keep your body's fluids balanced in and out of body cells - helps maintain blood pressure - helps the heart work properly - is involved in metabolism - acts as an antioxidant with Vitamin E - helps the body use carbohydrates, proteins, fats, and Vitamin A - helps heal wounds and make blood - helps in growth and maintenance of cells UPDATE 3 While there are two terms, neither macro nor trace minerals are more important than the other. A deficiency in any mineral could be harmful. Additionally, if you have too much of any mineral, they can interfere with vitamin and other mineral absorption. It is important to balance your diet so that you get enough of everything you need from a wide variety of foods.

4 Vitamin and Mineral Fact Sheets Have students pick one of the vitamins or minerals listed on the previous chart. Research the following information on it: Why do our bodies need this vitamin or mineral? (What is the function?) What are some good food sources of the vitamin or mineral chosen? How does the body absorb the vitamin or mineral? How is it metabolized in the body? Are there any other elements necessary for it to be metabolized or used in the body? (Such as another vitamin or mineral.) 3 Antioxidants and Phytochemicals Antioxidants are chemicals that are naturally found in the body. They protect against cell damage, which occurs when oxygen is being burned by the body to produce energy. Vitamin C, Vitamin E and Beta Carotene (converted to Vitamin A) are also able to prevent the harmful effects of oxidation. Antioxidants are dark green, red and orange in colour. They help to lower the risk of heart disease, stroke and certain types of cancer. Phytochemicals are found only in plants - vegetables and fruit. They are natural plant chemicals, which the body does not need to function, but which do have a positive effect on the body s health through protection and prevention. There is evidence that phytochemicals may have an effect on an individual s health and well-being by helping the functioning of the immune system, to reduce inflammation, or with the treatment and/or prevention of cancer and cardiovascular disease. Some phytochemicals (interchangeable with phytonutrients) give plants their colour and aroma so that orange carrots have different phytochemicals than blueberries or green spinach. Eat a variety: Each fruit or vegetable has an individual mix of vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals/phytonutrients. They all work in different ways to help keep a person healthy. How is it stored in the body? What are other interesting facts about the vitamin or mineral, e.g. how it was discovered, is it an enhancement or additive to existing foods, i.e. Vitamin D to milk? Find a recipe that has the chosen vitamin or mineral as one of its main ingredients and / or a food that is a good source of the vitamin or mineral. 4 Have students generate a list of fruits and vegetables that would contain antioxidants (dark green, red and orange in colour). The colour of the fruit or vegetable is determined by whether or not you eat the peel. If you eat the peel, then we go by that colour. Have them then compare their lists with their classmates to make a master list. Using the Internet, have students research a food that is said to contain phytochemicals. As a class, produce a list of foods containing phytochemicals and post in the school. Students prepare Fact Sheets with the information that they have gathered. Display Fact Sheets around the classroom. UPDATE 4

5 Vitamins in Your Body 5 The following is a simple demonstration to help students understand what happens in our bodies to the extra vitamins that we consume. Ask students to consider how their bodies are like sponges. Then using a sponge, continue filling it with water until it can no longer hold any more water. Explain that a sponge can only hold so much water. Explain that likewise, our bodies can only hold so many vitamins. Pose the following questions to the students: What happens when the body takes in too many water-soluble vitamins? (They are excreted in the urine.) What happens when the body takes in too many fat-soluble vitamins? (They are stored in the liver as fatty tissue.) What is toxicity? (Toxicity is when a substance can harm living organisms. Excess vitamins stored in the fatty tissues of the liver can reach toxic levels.) Have students investigate the harmful effects of overdosing on fat-soluble vitamins. 6 Word Search Vitamin C The Name Game This is a good way to review the information learned about vitamins and minerals. Prepare cards (8x10 inches) by writing the name of a vitamin or mineral on each card. Divide the class in half and have them sit on opposite sides of the classroom facing each other. Hold one of the cards over the heads of the first team so that the students can t see what it says. The students on the second team give clues for the first team to try to guess the nutrient. Clues are in this order - functions, sources, deficiency diseases. Three points are awarded if the name is guessed with just the functions being named; two points if they guess after hearing the food sources; and one point for the deficiency disease/symptoms. One minute is allowed to guess the name of the nutrient. Then the teams switch roles. The winner is the team that accumulates the most points. Students may prepare cheat sheets prior to playing this game. UPDATE 5

6 7 2 X 2 Thinking What Have we Learned Step 1: Step 2: Step 3: As students complete their unit on Vitamin and Minerals, have them identify the three most important things that they have learned in the unit. Enter them into the first box. Have them find a partner and share each of their three most important points. They must come to an agreement on the three that they feel are the most important. Enter them into Box 2. The first pair meets with another pair and share both sets of points. All four must come to an agreement and enter them into Box 3. Step 4: The group of four should record the reasons for their choices in Box 4. They should be ready to defend their choices to the rest of the class. Step 1. My three most important pieces of learning: 1. Step 2. Our pair s most important three: Step 3. Our group s most important three: Step 4. The reasons for our choices: UPDATE 6

7 VITAMIN SUPPLEMENTS 8 Vitamin Pill Anticipation Guide This activity is designed to introduce the topic of food supplements/vitamin pills. Have students choose to agree or disagree with the following statements: If you miss a meal or eat poorly for a day or two, you need to take water-soluble vitamins since they are not stored in the body and must be replaced quickly. If you are under a lot of stress, you should take a special stress vitamin. Women need supplements more than men because women eat less food and have a harder time getting enough of the necessary nutrients. Vitamin C has been demonstrated to prevent or cure the common cold. Teacher s Notes: Statement #1 - replacing water-soluble vitamins cannot be done after the fact. Statement #2 - advertising propaganda Statement #3 - advertising propaganda Statement #4 - controversial among authorities (Adapted from: Exposing Dietary Myths 9 On Safari Through the Vitamin Jungle Millions of Canadians take a daily vitamin pill, some of them for the wrong reasons. Listed below are several reasons why both adults and children take vitamin-mineral supplements. 1. "Because I don't eat a well balanced diet, they are my Nutritional Insurance." A well-balanced diet, not a vitamin pill, will give you and your family the best insurance that you are getting the nutrients you need. 2. "They protect my health while I'm dieting." You cannot replace all the goodness of food with a pill. Careful menu planning is necessary. 3. "They give me pep and energy." There are two proven energy boosters; they are a nutritious diet and regular physical activity. Vitamins help to convert food into energy, but they do not supply energy by themselves. 4. "They help with my stress." Eating well-balanced meals and healthy snacks can help give you the power you need to cope with the stresses of daily living. 5. "They cure or prevent colds and other diseases." The latest studies show that vitamin C does not prevent or cure the common cold. However, vitamin C may reduce the severity of cold symptoms in some people. Who Really Needs Vitamin/Mineral Supplementation? Women who have very heavy periods may need extra iron to prevent anemia. Breast-fed infants may need vitamin D while they are being exclusively breast fed. If strict vegetarians eat no animal foods such as egg or milk products, iron, zinc and vitamin Bl2 supplements may be needed. People with food allergies, food intolerances or poor appetites may need vitamin/mineral supplementation. Seniors who are not consuming milk products, are housebound, or are in the hospital may need vitamin D supplements. People who can't digest dairy products may need calcium as well vitamin D. People on certain medicines such as laxatives, some antibiotics and aspirin can interact with some vitamins and minerals. People recovering from surgery or who have long term illnesses may need a supplement Remember - Your best source of nutrients is food, and the big bonus is the pleasure you get from a delicious meal! This information has been adapted from: On Safari Through the Jungle - Dietitians of Canada, UPDATE 7

8 10 Review Activity: Vitamin Supplements Half Full or Half Empty Negatives: Have students draw a picture of a stemmed glass on their page. Divide the glass in half by drawing a line horizontally. Label the top half - Negatives. Label the bottom half - Positives. Positives: Around the foot of the glass write the following: To Supplement or Not to Supplement? Instruct students to fill in the two areas of their glass according to the labels - positive and negative aspects of using vitamin supplements. This is a good visual way to see how much the student has learned about this topic in class. Issue or Statement: 11 Write - Pair - Share Vitamin Supplements? Have students think about how they would answer the question below, and write their thoughts in the first box. Next, instruct them to share their thinking with a partner and take notes in the second box from their discussion. Each pair of students then shares their ideas with the rest of the class. Students record the various ideas presented in the third box. Question: Why do people need vitamin supplements? My Thoughts: Notes from Group Discussion: Shared Thoughts with My Partner: UPDATE 8

9 CANADA S FOOD GUIDE AND YOUR NUTRITION Following a healthy eating pattern as recommended by Eating Well with Canada s Food Guide can help to ensure that we are getting enough of the nutrients, vitamins and minerals that our bodies need. However, some people may think more is better when it comes to vitamins which can lead to consuming toxic amounts. High levels of vitamins, beyond our body requirements, can be just as serious as deficiencies. It is important to check with your doctor before you start taking any form of vitamin supplementation. 12 Canada s Food Guide and Your Nutrition Have students describe their favourite dinner and evaluate it according to Canada s Food Guide. Place the foods from their meals in to the appropriate food groups. Students record this information in their notebook. Have students look up the key nutrients found in the foods they have eaten. Students then relate the key nutrients from their foods to the appropriate food groups. Have students compare their findings with those in the Key Vitamins and Minerals in the Food Groups Chart. What did they discover? Were they missing any nutrients? Why is it important to eat a variety of foods? Why is it important to eat a balanced diet with foods from every group at most meals? Key Vitamins and Minerals In The Food Groups Vitamin/Mineral Vegetables and Fruit Grain Products Milk and Alternatives Meat and Alternatives Thiamin Riboflavin Niacin Folate Vitamin B6 Vitamin B12 Vitamin C Vitamin A Vitamin D Calcium Iron Zinc Magnesium Potassium UPDATE 9

10 Advice for Different Ages and Stages Case Studies 13 Eating Well with Canada s Food Guide is designed to help make sure that most people get enough vitamins, minerals and nutrients from a healthy eating pattern. Some groups of people, however, need more of certain nutrients. For each of the following groups (adults over 50, teenage girls, toddlers, and women of child-bearing age) identify: Specific vitamin and mineral considerations (state reasons for their recommendations) and generate a list of foods that these groups should include in their diets (excellent sources of these vitamins/minerals). Choose one of the groups (teacher may assign) and plan a week s worth of meals that would help their target group to achieve their dietary goals. Identify other considerations that would influence food choices e.g. appetite appeal, food preferences such as finger foods for toddlers. Identify which of the above meals contain an excellent source of the required vitamins/minerals (star or highlight the specific foods that are excellent sources). Teacher s Notes: Other groups that have specific nutrient needs include: people who smoke, people who don t drink milk, vegetarians. Students may want to expand this assignment by including some of these groups. COOKING VEGETABLES Cooking Vegetables Vegetables and fruit contain vitamins and minerals that are an important part of a healthy diet. It is important to take care when preparing vegetables and fruit; therefore use methods which will preserve their nutritional components. Here are some guidelines: How vitamin and mineral losses occur during food preparation and cooking: Through the dissolving actions of water. By exposure to acidic or alkaline solutions in the cooking water. Through evaporation and exposure to air. Due to cutting, peeling, rapid boiling and overcooking. Cooking methods to preserve nutrients: Baking Steaming Stir-frying Cook with the skins on Cook whole or in large pieces. Guidelines for cooking vegetables in water on the stove: Start vegetables cooking in boiling water. Bring water back to a boil as quickly as possible and then cook on a gentle boil. Cook in a small amount of water; just enough to cover. Use a lid. Cook vegetables just until fork tender. Do not overcook. Retain the cooking water to use for gravies, soups, etc. Serve immediately. Cook only the amount that you are going to need (avoid leftovers, reheating). Do not use baking soda or other alkalines when cooking. Prepare vegetables for cooking immediately before cooking. Avoid soaking in water before cooking. Check your understanding: Why does each of the suggested cooking methods help to preserve vitamins and minerals? Explain how each of the guidelines for cooking vegetables on the stove reduces mineral and vitamin loss. UPDATE 10

11 14 What s the Difference? Ask students to compare the vitamins/minerals in dark green vegetables such as spinach or broccoli with those in light green vegetables such as celery. Have them name more examples of dark green vegetables. Compare the nutritive values of orange vegetables with white. What do they find? Ask students to compare the vitamins/minerals in raw and cooked vegetables (e.g. cooked and raw green peppers). Ask them to speculate why there might be a difference and to make some recommendations as to the best way to eat/prepare/serve vegetables. What are some ways to eat raw vegetables? (e.g. salads, veggies and a dip, garnishes) 15 Potatoes - Potatoes - Potatoes For this activity, students collect packaging from potato products and bring into class. Have students read labels to compare the vitamin and mineral content in each product and complete the chart below. Type of Potato Frozen Fries Serving Size Cooking Method Vitamin A % Daily Value Vitamin C % Daily Value Iron % Daily Value Canned Refrigerated Mashed (from deli dept.) Instant mashed potatoes Scalloped potatoes (mix) Hash Browns Potato Nuggets Have students research the same nutritional content for freshly baked potatoes and compare their findings to the information in the table above. Ask students to suggest what correlation there might be between cooking methods and nutritional losses. (Refer to information provided in this Update concerning the best way to retain vitamins when cooking vegetables.) Have students check the package labels to see if any of the products have been fortified. If facilities are available, have students prepare their own baked potatoes to eat. Students may decide on the toppings they would like and research the vitamins and minerals in the toppings selected. UPDATE 11

12 16 Salad Bar Activity Working in groups, have students make a list of all the different kinds of food they like to put into salads. Have each student in the group choose one food from the list and research the vitamins and minerals in that food. As a class, combine the information. Students represent their findings on a bar graph. Have groups choose what ingredients they want for their salads. Discuss the preparation and storage of salad ingredients, highlighting techniques which will preserve the vitamins and minerals in vegetables and fruit. (ie., do not peel unless you have to and use thin peelings, do not expose cut fruits and vegetables to air for extended periods of time, etc.) Students prepare and eat their salads. Have students analyze their salads by answering the following questions: Which food item contributed the highest amount of vitamins? Which food item contributed the highest amount of minerals? Which food item contained little or no nutrients? Teacher s Note: Teachers need to teach or review with students how to use preparation tools (i.e., knives, measuring equipment), safe handling and storage of the food, and how to prepare, cook and store vegetables and fruit. Also review with students the importance of cleanliness when preparing food (wash hands with warm soapy water, use a clean cutting board for chopping or slicing your vegetables, keep work area clean and tidy and equipment clean). What could be added to your salad to make it more nutritious? INTERNET RESOURCES Eating Well with Canada s Food Guide - Canadian Health Network - Dietitians of Canada - Discover Healthy Eating - Health Canada - National Institute of Nutrition - Ontario Agri-Food Education Inc. - OAFE RESOURCES The following OAFE resources will further enhance the activities and information in this newsletter and can be ordered from our website All About Food: Agri-Food Facts Eat Right Food! To Your Good Health Greenhouse Vegetables Labelling Literacy Nutritious and Delicious! Ontario Potatoes The Extraordinary Egg Statistics Canada - This issue of the Update newsletter was researched and written by Brenda Stobo, Educational Consultant, Ontario Agri-Food Education Inc. UPDATE 12