Current Nutritional Issue - Self Prescribed Supplements

Current Nutritional Issue- self prescribed supplements:

Dietary supplements include ingredients such as vitamins, minerals, amino acids, and enzymes. They are sold in tablets, capsules, soft gels, gel caps, powders and liquids.

Some supplements can guarantee that you get enough of the important substances into the body so the body has its required needs to be able to function properly. Other supplements can help reduce the chance of disease.

Risks that come with health supplements can occur when mixing supplements, taking supplements whilst on medication prescribed from the doctors, using supplements instead of your required medication given by the doctors or taking too many supplements.

Dietary supplement examples:

• Fish oil
• Vitamin d
• Green tea
• Calcium

(nhs supplements, no date)

Characteristic of nutrients:

Carbohydrates:

Carbohydrates are a good source of energy for the body. While we are sleeping, our body needs energy to function so that the chemical reactions can take place inside the body. For example, the body needs energy so that your heart can beat. When you are awake energy is needed so that we can move around. There are two groups of carbohydrates, sugars, starches and fibre.

Sugars

• Simple sugar is a characteristic of carbohydrates. Simple sugars contain fructose, glucose and galactose. Fructose is often found in fruit. Galactose is found in milk. Both Fructose and Galactose are converted to glucose by the liver. Glucose is the body's main energy source.

Fibre

• Fibre is a characteristic of carbohydrates. Fibre can’t be digested within the human body. Fibre can be soluble or insoluble. Soluble fibres dissolve in water. insoluble fibres do not dissolve.

Proteins:

This is a nutrient that is used in the body for growth and repair. Amino acids make up proteins. Amino acids have a structure which consists of a carbon atom and they have four groups of atoms attached. One carbon, one hydrogen and two oxygen atoms make up the acid group. The third atom is a single hydrogen atom.

Proteins are organic substances, they are made up of nitrogen, oxygen, carbon and hydrogen. 

Proteins are the most important biomolecules, they are components of the cytoplasm of the cell. 

Proteins are the physical elements of body tissues. 

Proteins are made up of amino acids. 

Proteins gives the body heat and energy to help build and repair muscles. 

Small amounts of proteins are stored in the body.

Proteins are like enzymes they are functional elements that take part in metabolic reactions. 

Antibodies are made of proteins.