 |
| FOODS RICH IN SELENIUM |
To me this is not news nutritionists and dietitians have known this for donkey ages, it stands to reason. It's a message us in the industry have been trying to get across for so long and it's pretty basic. The problem lies in peoples' diet these days and the cause of many a problem, too many people have come to rely on fast foods and processed convience foods. I say processed convience foods because nature has its own convience foods, salads and fruit and many vegetables don't take long to prepare and these are rich in these vitamins and minerals. Does the problem lie with peoples' parents these days? or does it stem from the education system that food and nutrition doesn't focus so much in schools? but then why should it? Personally I feel parents' have a duty to educate their children to why it's important to eat a well balanced diet.
If you tell a child or anyone for that matter, to do something or not do something, especially when it comes to eating 'greens' they are going to rebel, especially small children as they are born with a sweet palate, so education should start at an early age. Tell them as they grow up what nutrients do for our bodies, children are like little sponges they absorb facts and it will stay with them. If you say they must eat them without saying why, they will stubbornly refuse and that goes for educating adults as well.
Over cooking can also destroy vitamins, especially the water soluble ones such as the B complex and Vit C, so steaming and microwaving, which don't use much water are idea. Frozen vegetables often contain more vitamins as they deteriorate rapidly after harvesting, whereby vegetables harvested for the frozen market must be picked and frozen straight away so the vitamin content is preserved.
Minerals are elements that originate in the soil and cannot be
created by living things, such as plants and animals. Yet plants,
animals and humans need minerals in order to be healthy. Plants absorb
minerals from the soil, and animals get their minerals from the plants
or other animals they eat. Most of the minerals in the human diet come
directly from plants, such as fruits and vegetables, or indirectly from
animal sources. Minerals may also be present in your drinking water, but
this depends on where you live, and what kind of water you drink
(bottled, tap). Minerals from plant sources may also vary from place to
place, because the mineral content of the soil varies according to the
location in which the plant was grown.
Selenium
Men need 70 mcgs/day.
Women need 55 mcgs/day.
- Selenium is a part of several enzymes necessary for the body to properly function. Generally, selenium functions as an antioxidant that works in conjunction with vitamin E.
- Selenium deficiency is rare in humans.
- Most fruits contain a small amount of selenium, but dates have a significant amount. Bananas Breadfruit Guava Lychee Mango Passionfruit Pomegranate Watermelon
- Vegetables: Asparagus Brussels Sprouts French Beans Lima Beans Mushrooms Parsnip Peas Spirulina
- Most nuts contain selenium, but the following nuts have a significant amount: Amaranth Barley Brazil Nuts Buckwheat Cashews Coconut Rye Wheat - Durum Wheat - Hard Red
- Meat and Proteins: Beef Cheddar Cheese Chicken Breast Chicken (dark meat) Eggs Anchovies Caviar Cod Herring Perch Pollock Salmon Sardines Tuna Lamb Pork Soy Beans Turkey Breast Turkey Bacon Veal Turkey Leg Roast Duck Hamburger Bacon Ground Turkey
- Most legumes are a good source of Selenium but these are the highest. Black Eye Peas Fava Beans Garbanzo Beans Lima Beans Mung Beans Navy Beans Pigeon Beans Pinto Beans Soy Beans Winged Beans
ZINC
Men need 15 mgs/day.
Women should get 12 mg/day.
Children need 10 to 15 mg/day.
- Vegetarians need about 50 percent more zinc in their diet than meat eaters.
- This metal is important in a number of key activities, ranging from protein and carbohydrate metabolism to the immune system, wound healing, growth and vision.
- Severe deficiency can contribute to stunted growth. Deficiency can sometimes be seen in white spots on the fingernails. (Though not always as damage to the matrix, the growing area under the cuticle area, can also cause these white spots)
- Most fruits contain a small amount of zinc, but the following have a significant amount: Avocado Blackberries Dates Loganberries Pomegranate Raspberries
- Vegetables: Amaranth leaves Asparagus Bamboo Shoots Brussels Sprouts Corn French Beans Lima Beans Okra Peas Potatoes Pumpkin Spirulina Swiss Chard
- Most nuts have some zinc, but these have a significant amount: Buckwheat Cashews Oats Pine Nuts/Pignolias Pumpkin Seeds Rye Sunflower Seeds Wheat - Durum Wheat - Hard Red Wheat - Hard White
- Meat and Proteins: Beef Cheddar Cheese Chicken Breast Chicken (dark meat) Eggs Catfish Herring Sardines Lamb Pork Soy Beans Turkey Breast Turkey Bacon Veal Yogurt Turkey Leg Lowfat Yogurt Roast Duck Hamburger Bacon Beef Sausage Beef Jerky Hot Dog (Beef) Ground Turkey Ground Chicken
- Most legumes are a good source of Magnesium but these are the highest Adzuki Beans Black Beans Black Eye Peas Fava Beans Edamame Garbanzo Beans Kidney Beans Navy Beans Soy Beans Split Peas White Beans Winged Beans
Vitamins are organic food substances found only in living things, i.e. plants and animals. They are essential for our bodies to function properly, for growth, energy and for our general well-being. With very few exceptions the human body cannot manufacture or synthesize vitamins. They must be supplied in our diet or in man-made dietary supplements. Some people believe that vitamins can replace food, but that is incorrect. In fact, vitamins cannot be assimilated without also ingesting food. That is why it is best to take them with a meal. Synthetic vitamin supplements can be of varying quality, so it is a good idea to get your supplements from a reliable source.
Vitamin A
10,000 IU/day (plant-derived) for adult males. 8,000 for adult females - 12,000 if lactating. 4,000 for children ages 1-3 5,000 for children ages 4-6 7,000 for children ages 7-10
- Vitamin A helps cell reproduction. It also stimulates immunity and is needed for formation of some hormones. Vitamin A helps vision and promotes bone growth, tooth development, and helps maintain healthy skin, hair, and mucous membranes. It has been shown to be an effective preventive against measles.
- Deficiency can cause night blindness, dry skin, poor bone growth, and weak tooth enamel.
- Alpha-carotene, beta-carotene and retinol are all versions of Vitamin A.
- Most fruits contain vitamin A, but the following fruits have a significant amount: Cantaloupes Grapefruit Guava Mango Papaya Passionfruit Tomatoes Watermelon
- Amaranth Leaves Bok Choy Broccoli Brussels Sprouts Butternut Squash Carrots Chinese Broccoli Chinese Cabbage Kale Leeks Peas Pumpkin Rapini Spinach Squash - summer Squash - winter Sweet Potato Swiss Chard
- Chestnuts Pecans Pistachios
- Cheddar Cheese Cream Cheese Cows Milk Whipping Cream Eggs Tuna Goat Milk Goat Cheese Sour Cream
- Most legumes do not contain a significant amount of Vitamin A
Vitamin C
60 mg for adults - 70 mg for women who are pregnant and 95 for those lactating.
Children need between 45 and 50 mg
- Vitamin C is one of the most important of all vitamins. It plays a significant role as an antioxidant, thereby protecting body tissue from the damage of oxidation. Antioxidants act to protect your cells against the effects of free radicals, which are potentially damaging by-products of the body’s metabolism. Free radicals can cause cell damage that may contribute to the development of cardiovascular disease and cancer. Vitamin C has also been found by scientists to be an effective antiviral agent.
- Black Currants Breadfruit Grapefruit Guava Kiwi Lychee Mango Mulberries Orange Papaya Passionfruit Pineapple Strawberries
- Amaranth Leaves Bok Choy Broccoli Brussels Sprouts Butternut Squash Green Pepper Kale Swiss Chard
- Other than Chestnuts, most nuts do not contain a significant amount of vitamin C.
- Cod Perch Goat Milk Soy Beans Lowfat Yogurt
- Other than Edamame, most legumes do not contain a significant amount of vitamin C.
Vitamin E
30 IU for most adults. Children need between 6-11 mg/day. (1 IU is equal to approximately .75 mg)
Note: some researchers and medical experts believe that with all of the positive studies using higher doses of vitamin E, this daily recommended intake is not high enough.
- Like vitamin C, vitamin E plays a significant role as an antioxidant, thereby protecting body tissue from the damage of oxidation. It is important in the formation of red blood cells and the use of vitamin K. Many women also use it to help minimize the appearance of wrinkles, and mothers use it to help heal minor wounds without scarring, as it is valued for its ability to soothe and heal broken or stressed skin tissue.
- Avocado Blackberries Black Currants Blueberries Boysenberries Breadfruit Cranberries Guava Kiwi Loganberries Mango Mulberries Nectarine Papaya Peach Pomegranate Raspberries
- Butternut Squash Parsnip Potatoes Pumpkin Spirulina Swiss Chard Taro
- Almonds Filberts/Hazelnuts Pine Nuts/Pignolias Sunflower Seeds
- Eggs Herring Sardines Turkey Bacon
- Edamame Pinto Beans
Could a simple pill costing 30p a day be the answer to getting pregnant?
Pregnant: The new pill helped 60 per cent of women conceive
A 30p multi-vitamin pill could more than double a woman’s chance of having a baby, according to a study.
It found that 60 per cent of those taking the supplements while undergoing IVF became pregnant compared to just a quarter who did not take them.
Researchers say the pills contain nutrients that may boost fertility such as vitamins A, C and E, zinc and selenium, that are often absent from our diets.
The study carried out at University College London involved 56 women aged 18 to 40, who had all tried unsuccessfully to fall pregnant using IVF for at least a year.
Half were given a multi-nutrient pill to take every day and the other half given folic acid pills to take daily.
The micronutrient pill also contained folic acid which prevents birth defects and has also been shown to help boost fertility.
The team found that 60 per cent of women taking the multi-nutrients fell pregnant, and did not miscarry in the first three months when it is most common.
This compared to 25 per cent of women in the group taking folic acid who were still pregnant after three months.
The study published in the journal Reproductive Biomedicine also found that women taking the micronutrients needed far fewer attempts to become pregnant.
Of those who fell pregnant, 75 per cent conceived in the first course of IVF.
By comparison just 18 per cent of those on folic acid who became pregnant did so after the first IVF course.
The study carried out at University College London, pictured, involved 56 women aged 18 to 40, who had all tried unsuccessfully to fall pregnant using IVF
The particular pill, Vitabiotics Pregnacare-Conception,contains folic acid, vitamin B, vitamin E, vitamin A, vitamin C, zinc, selenium and some antioxidants.
It costs just over £10 over the counter for a month’s supply.
Lead researcher Dr Rina Agrawal said: 'The implications of this study are far reaching as they suggest that prenatal micronutrient supplementation in women undergoing ovulation induction improve pregnancy rates.
Vitabiotics Pregnacare-Conception,contains folic acid, vitamin B, vitamin E, vitamin A, vitamin C, zinc, selenium and some antioxidants
'There is a large body of evidence establishing the relationship between placental development, foetal growth, pregnancy outcomes and adequate nutrition, particularly vitamin intake.'
But other scientists pointed out that the study was very small so the results should not be taken too seriously.
Dr Allan Pacey who specialises in fertility at the University of Sheffield said: 'The influence of nutrition on our fertility is of general interest to the public and professionals, but there are relatively few studies which have examined this systematically and few which have shown direct benefits of taking supplements to enhance things.'
'Therefore, on the face of it, this study is interesting but we should acknowledge that this is a relatively small number of patients and the study would need to be repeated in a larger trial before we could be certain of the results.'
A woman’s fertility is known to be affected by a number of factors including her age, weight, alcohol consumption, whether she smokes.
High levels of stress and even drinking too much coffee have also been shown to reduce the chances of falling pregnant.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Feed back and comments are always welcome and I look forward to your views and opinions, But please make them in English.
Sorry but Spam is automatically deleted as will unappropriated back links