Dietary Reference Values

Dietary reference values are just that - they

are values that can help you plan your diet
and ensure you are receiving everything you
need in the right proportions. Dietary
reference values are calculated for the
following dietary components;
Estimated average requirement (energy
nutrients! - this is an estimate of the
average requirements of a population
Reference nutrient inta"e - enough or
more for nearly all the population
#ow reference nutrient inta"e - sufficient
for those with low needs.
$ses
Dietary reference values are used %y people
coo"ing for large groups of people - school
caterers& hospitals and prisons for e'ample.
(owever& people suffering from disease will
require different diets& so it is important to
remem%er that a dietary reference value is
an average& and so applies to groups and
not individuals.
)ircumstances
)ircumstances affect how much should %e
consumed in accordance with dietary
reference values.
*regnancy and lactation
)ontrary to popular %elief& pregnancy does
not affect an increase in a woman+s inta"e
of energy - she uses her fat stores and
utilises micro nutrients more effectively to
achieve this. (owever& pregnant women or
those trying to conceive are advised to ta"e
folic acid to protect against defects such as
neural tu%es developing in the fetus.
Vitamin D is recommended to %e increased
in %oth pregnancy and lactation.
,ge& gender and activity
,ll these things can affect how much food
you require - for e'ample& men require
more energy than women& the young
require certain things for growth. -hose
with a high activity level such as athletes&
who will need higher levels than the
population average and thus cannot easily
utilise dietary reference values.
.ood #a%els
Dietary reference values are also used on
food la%els to allow customers to ma"e the
choice that they want. /anufacturers may
pu%lish Recommended daily allowance
information& and this must %e accurate %y
law - for a food to %e a source of a nutrient
it must have at least 012 of the
recommended daily allowance for that
nutrient& and if it is +rich in+ a nutrient& it
must contain over 342 of the
recommended daily allowance for that
nutrient.
, %alanced diet
, %alanced diet is one which contains
adequate amounts of all the necessary
energy and nutrients required for healthy
growth and activity. -his includes %oth
macro nutrients (car%ohydrates& fats and
proteins! and micro nutrients (vitamins and
minerals!. 5ometimes cells can convert one
compound to another& %ut this is not the
case with a few things& and these are "nown
as essential since we must inta"e them in
our food to survive. -hey include essential
amino acids& essential fatty acids and most
minerals.
-a%le 06 )omponents of a %alanced diet
(/acronutrients!
/acr
onutr
ient
.unctions in humans
*rotei
n
*rovide essential amino acids for
ma"ing proteins such as collagen&
en7ymes& hormones and
anti%odies. ,lso provides energy.
)ar%o
hydra
tes
*rovide energy.
.ats *rovide energy& and essential fatty
acids for plasma mem%ranes and
some hormones.
-a%le 86 )omponents of a %alanced diet
(/icronutrients and others!
)ompon
ent
.unctions in humans
Vitamin
,
*roper functioning of the
retina.
Vitamin
9 (inc
folic
acid!
Required for respiration&
protein synthesis& nerve
function& red %lood cell
production.
Vitamin
)
-o form collagen& ma"e the s"in
function correctly& antio'idant&
aids wound healing and
stimulates a%sorption of iron
from the gut.
Vitamin
D
5timulates calcium upta"e from
the gut deposition in the %one.
Vitamin
E
,ntio'idant
Vitamin
:
.ormation of su%stances that
promote %lood clotting
)alcium 5trengthen %ones and teeth&
used in muscle contraction and
nerve impulses.
)hloride ;smotic %alance& acidic
environment in the stomach
<odine .ormation of thyroid hormones
<ron (aemoglo%in and myoglo%in
/agnesi
um
9one and teeth development
*hospho
rus
$sed in %ones and teeth as part
of calcium-phosphate. ,-*
D=,R=, synthesis
*otassiu
m =erve impulses& muscle
function.
5odium =erve impulses& muscle
function& osmotic %alance.
>inc ?ound healing& part of some
en7ymes& functioning of insulin
depends on 7inc.
)opper&
co%alt
and
mangane
se
En7yme co-factor
.luoride -ooth enamel aiding.
.i%re (
e'cludin
g starch!
*revents constipation&
protection against gut diseases&
lowers cholesterol and aids
peristalsis.
?ater 5olvent& coolant& removal of
waste and transport medium.
,dditional information
-he ta%les a%ove does not cover all you
need to "now a%out the components of a
%alanced diet.
*roteins
-here are 84 different amino acids& and we
must ta"e some in our diet as we can not
convert others to them - these are "nown as
essential amino acids and there are @ of
them. , %alanced diet will include these @
and a good supply of the non-essential 08.
Vegetarians and vegans may have to ta"e
protein supplements to ensure they receive
their essential amino acids.
Vitamins
;nly vitamin D and : can %e made %y the
%ody& so the rest are essential components.
.ats
-here are only two essential fatty acids&
linoleic acid and linolenic acid - again these
are fatty acids we cannot synthesise from
other molecules. ?e do not require many of
these& especially since well-nourished
people will have nearly a year+s supply in
their fat stores. .ats usually provide energy.
.i%re
*lants often provide this in the form of
cellulose& large comple' compounds that we
cannot digest so they simply pass through&
providing %ul" to the food. -his %ul" aids in
peristalsis and retains water& the latter of
which aids in passing faeces.
?ater
?ater is lost in the %reath& sweat and
faeces. <t must %e replaced& as death can
occur from dehydration after a few days - it
is an essential solvent.
/alnutrition
/alnutrition is the general term for a
medical condition caused %y an improper or
insufficient diet. <t is usually caused %y
inadequate consumption& %ut as with
o%esity can %e caused %y over-consumption.
,nore'ia
,nore'ia nervosa& a psychological disease
with physical consequences& and in e'treme
cases it can %e fatal. ,nore'ia develops
from e'treme dieting& causing a weight well
%elow normal& %ut the anore'ic will
continue to diet& sometimes until death.
5ymptoms include muscle wasting& thin
sparse hair& low %lood pressure& little to
none se'ual development (periods may stop!
and a significant loss of %ody fat. ,nore'ics
are also particularly suscepti%le to
infection.
;%esity
<n star" contrast to anore'ia& o%esity lies at
the other end of the spectrum and is caused
%y eating more energy than used. -he
energy is stored as fat& and as weight
increases& ris" of other diseases such as
)(D (see 5mo"ing and Disease! and
dia%etes. -he o%ese usually have high
cholesterol and %lood pressure& and are also
are ris" of several cancers& arthritis (from
the increased strain on the s"eleton!&
hernias and gallstones.
5tarvation
-his is %oth a lac" of energy and nutrients&
and the %ody can last a rather large amount
of time without food (as opposed to without
water!& since it will drop it+s meta%olic rate
and utilise its reserves of car%ohydrates&
fats and proteins. -he %ody uses glycogen
stores in the liver (for less than a day!& then
fat stores (for A-B wee"s& depending on the
person! and finally protein in muscles and
other tissues. (owever& as long as people
are well fed %efore the starvation& they are
usually o" for a while - %ut this is not true
of those with previous deficiency& especially
vitamin , deficiency.
*rotein energy deficiencies
<n "washior"or& deficiency disease "nown to
cause low weight& oedema& muscle waste&
%rittle hair& %loated appearance and loss of
appetite& the %ody cannot ma"e the
proteins it needs during a period of low
food %ecause of the lac" of energy and
those already in the %ody are %ro"en down
for energy. -his includes protein in the
muscle and %lood plasma& reducing solute
concentration in %lood plasma& increasing
water potential. -his causes water to not %e
a%sor%ed into the %lood from tissue fluid&
causing tissue to swell ("nown as oedema!.
-hose who suffer from "washio"or are often
stunted as a result& and permanently cannot
grow to their full potential.
Vitamin , deficiency
Vitamin , deficiencies in children cause
'erophthalmia& which is a drying or scarring
of the cornea& causing night %lindness&
since vitamin , is converted into the
pigment rhodopsin& which is used %y rod
cells at night. ,lso& epithelial cells use
retionol from vitamin , to ma"e retinoic
acid& a chemical that aids cell growth& and
without it the epithelia are not maintained
properly and the %ody %ecomes suscepti%le
to infections in the gut or gaseous e'change
system& where epithelia cells protects it.
Vitamin , is found in some animal foods
such as mil"& eggs and fish-liver oils& and
some fruits.
Vitamin D deficiency
Vitamin D is usually synthesised in the s"in
using the suns energy in com%ination with
cholesterol& and thus people usually receive
enough from this source& %ut dar"-s"inned
people and those whose religion requires
them to cover their s"in are advised to ta"e
vitamin D supplements. , vitamin d
deficiency can cause ric"ets in children&
since it regulates the deposition of calcium.
<n adults& it causes osteomalacia& which is a
condition where the %ones soften& causing
them to %e suscepti%le to fracture.
9lood tests have to %e done and d-forte
ta%s 83444 iu has to %e used once wee"ly
for 0 month then every 8 wee"s for one
month and continue with 0 cap every month
<n individuals where the reading is less than
044& the capsule needs to %e ta"en twice
wee"ly for a month. 83444 < $ C 0.83 /D