Dietary Survival
With the research I have been doing into general wellbeing, it got me thinking as to what are the absolute 'things' as a human I need to survive. 'Things' is not a scientific term, but rather refers to the macro and micronutrients, vitamins and minerals that as humans we must have in our diet to survive and thrive - at this point I was not looking for recommended amounts. I figured I knew quite a few of them from just general knowledge and reading the back of multi-vitamin containers, but still, I was eager to get a complete list.
It wasn't quite the simple exercise I thought it would be. My research is science based and naturally enough the scientific community isn't in total agreement! That's reassuring!
So, let's start. Well at a macro level we all know we need water, carbohydrates, fats and proteins - that's easy. In a later post I'll look at the different types and how much, but for now, let's leave the macronutrients at that.
The vitamins my body needs are - A, C, D, E, K, B6, B12, Thiamin, Riboflavin, Niacin, Folate, Pantothenic Acid, Biotin and Choline.
Then we have the minerals - there is a long list of these, some of which I have written about previously. Here we go: Potassium, Chloride, Sodium, Calcium, Phosphorous, Magnesium, Iron, Zinc, Flouride, Manganese, Copper, Iodine, Selenium, Molybdenum and Chromium. Phew!
We need to consume the macros, vitamins and minerals we need to ensure we remain healthy and these can be typically achieved by eating a healthy, balanced diet that includes lean proteins, vegetables, fruits, nuts, complex carbohydrates and water.
Whilst our nutritional needs should be attained from the foods we consume, certain nutrients are considered of public health concern as they tend to be under consumed in modern diets. These include potassium, fluoride, dietary fiber, choline, magnesium, calcium and vitamins A, D, E and C and iron for adolescent females. Education, campaigns and food fortification are approaches used to increase the intake of these nutrients closer to recommendations.
In a subsequent blog I’ll look to cover off the best food resources for the minerals and vitamins our bodies need.
