Increasing urbanisation, even in developing countries, has raised the level of processed foods consumed on daily basis. Though there may be no significant loss of the nutritive value of food processed and preserved through modern techniques such that canned, bottled and frozen foods can be taken with confidence, it is strongly believed that fresh foods are much better, nutritionally, than processed ones. So, what are minerals?
Minerals are also micro-nutrients and useful to the body’s general health. They are available in natural sources such as plants and animals. But you need to take coconut oil which improves the body’s ability to absorb such minerals as calcium and magnesium, good for strong bones.
CALCIUM
Functions: Formation and development of strong bones and teeth; assists in clotting of blood. Calcium helps in the proper functioning of heart and nervous system. Sources include bones, fish, vegetable and milk.
PHOSPHOROUS:
Formation and development of strong bones and teeth.Quickens the release of energy to the body cells.Sources: Vegetables, fish, crabs, eggs, cheese milk.
MAGNESIUM
Helps in bone formation.Supports muscle and nerve functions. Helps in steady heartbeat.Boosts immunity.Good against hypertension and diabetes.Sources: Vegetables and milk.
IRON:
Formation of haemoglobin in red blood cells (rbc). Prevents anaemia.Sources: Liver organ, meats.Green leafy vegetables, milk, sea foods, nuts.
IODINE:
Helps in the development and proper function of brain cells.Sources: Sea foods, crayfish, crab, prawns.
POTASSIUM:
Lowers blood pressure.Evens out irregular heartbeat, counters effect of too much sodium. Too much potassium is harmful to old people and those with kidney disease.Sources: Bananas, green, leafy vegetables, milk and mushrooms.
SELENIUM:
A powerful anti-body selenium is needed in small quantities. Effective against prostate, lung and colon cancers.Sources: Meat, sea foods, such as crayfish, crabs. Also found in eggs and bread.
ZINC:
Necessary for over 300 enzyme functions. Treats acne, burns, wounds, colds, diabetes, muscular degeneration, osteoporosis (thinning of bones at old age), ulcers and male sexual problems. Vegetarians lack it. Sources: Garlic, honey, sea foods such as crabs, crayfish and prawns.
FOLIC ACID:
Prevents nervous diseases especially spinabifiola in babies. Effective in combating cancer, heart disease and mental illness.
It is still being researched.
Sources: Breakfast cereals, such Quaker oats, cornflakes, dark green vegetables, legumes, juice of orange, grape, lime, bread and pasta.
COPPER:
It is involved in the formation of red blood cells; of haemoglobin. Involved in oxidation reduction reactions as a component of metalloenzume. For absorption of iron through ferroxidase-that oxidizes ferrous ion to ferric ion.In the proper functioning of collagen for the skin, bone and connective tissues.Collagen is the most abundant protein in the body.Sources: Mushrooms, garlic, honey, walnut.
Advantages of food fortification with vitamins and minerals
Post-harvest handling of farm products up to the stage of cooking may be responsible for loss of essential minerals and vitamins. For instance, some heat-sensitive vitamins such as B and C vitamins are lost in the canning process, and also in blanching prior to freezing. Dehydration results in only slight losses of the B-vitamins. Cured and fermented products have nutritive values similar to foods preserved by other methods. Refined cereals like wheat, sorghum and maize flour lose nutrients in the milling process.
Read also: Advantages of food fortification with vitamins and minerals
Similarly, methods of preparing and cooking food could lead to losses. Vegetables when washed vigorously lose valuable nutrients especially if much water is added to the leaves and thrown away. If vegetables are subjected to intense heat for too long a time, Vitamin C is lost in the process. Cooking with potash (Kaun, Akanwu) has been found to lead to the destruction of vitamins B and C. The vitamin content of red palm oil is destroyed when bleached, at high temperatures.
Though these losses may be insignificant when the total nutritional value of the diet is considered, some human habits do contribute to vitamin losses too. Smokers use up much vitamin C at higher rate than non-smokers and so need to increase their intake through the eating of more fruits and vegetables. In the same vein, regular consumption of alcohol impairs the absorption of vitamins B, B6, folic acid and vitamin C in food. Tea limits the absorption of iron.
Also, when meat, fish and poultry are soaked in water for too long, the solution being discarded contains a lot of nutrients.
In order to make up for all such losses, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has made it mandatory for food processing companies to fortify their products with vitamins and minerals, because of their nutritionals benefits. According to WHO, vitamin A intake is grossly inadequate especially in developing countries since its deficiency leads to night blindness, weak formation of the cell membranes of organs like the skin eye, mouth and gut. Vitamin A also prevents the development of cancerous tumours in the organs of the body.
Naturally, Vitamin A is present in yellow fruits and green vegetables. These include tomatoes, pawpaw, carrots, mangoes, sweet potato, red palm oil, cod liver oil, egg yolk, milk and tuna some of which contain appreciable amount of pro-vitamin A chemical called Beta-carotene. We need six times more vegetable carotene than animal sources because the former are not easily absorbed by the intestine.
The story however, is that Nigeria is ranked amongst the countries where the amount of Vitamin A intake is far from adequate. The Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) of vitamin A is 400 to 700 RE for children, 1,000 RE for male adults, 800 RE for female adults, 800 RE for pregnant women and 1,300 RE for lactating mothers. Conscious of the need for vitamin A by all age groups, the National Agency for Food, Drugs Administration and Control, (NAFDAC) has since February 26, 2003 directed all flour, sugar, and vegetable oil companies to comply with the country’s food fortification policy. But by October 15, 2003 another survey revealed that many companies were yet to obey this life-saving directive.
Basically, there are two types of fortifications which are Voluntary and Mandatory. Food giants like Nestle, Friesland WAMCO Campina, Unilever, Nigerian Breweries, Coca Cola and Promasidor companies belong to the first type. They give both analytical and technical support. For instance, WAMCO’s 1-2-3 growing up milk, is enriched with adequate vitamins and minerals needed for children in that growing-up category.
Though sea foods like fish, crabs, crayfish, lobsters, periwinkles, prawns are rich in iodine which promotes both physical and mental development, we hardly take enough of them.
Essential minerals like calcium, magnesium, phosphorous and potassium are needed by the body to stimulate health and physiological functions. Though they are present in bananas and plantains and some other fruits and vegetables, our diets are deficient in them. It is for this reason that both the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) and NAFDAC have been emphasising on the need for fortification of processed foods.
Thus, their clarion call can be classified as Mandatory Fortification. This involves government and relevant agencies being fully involved and practically enforcing food industries like flour millers, vegetable oil producers and sugar millers to comply with the stipulated standards on nutrient contents.
For all these standards to be met, the government agencies must enforce them, since they are empowered with preventable policies that curtail ill health.
One’s candid admonition therefore, is that both the NAFDAC and SON should beam their bright searchlights on such importers, with the aim of ensuring standard fortification with vitamins and prevent consumers of bread, sugar, salt and vegetable oil from sub-standard products.
