Does Gm Diet Fulfill Our Micro-nutrient Requirement? An Eye-opener!
So get started and try to add some colour to your food…In our ( previous blog – click here ) we found out that GM diet does not suffice the macro-nutrient requirement of normal adult and what effects would it have on our body.
Micronutrients such as minerals and vitamins are required in our body in small quantities but the absence of these nutrients can result in a malfunction of the body. Let’s understand our requirement and how much do we meet through GM diet.
| Nutrient | Required Dietary Allowance (RDA) | Requirements met from GM diet | Conclusion |
| Nutrients for Brain | |||
| Vitamin B12 This is a unique vitamin, synthesized by only microorganisms and not by animals and plants. |
1 mcg | 0.08mcg/day (8% of RDA) | Milk and milk products, eggs are main source of vitamin B12. In GM Diet, none of these sources are consumed. Vitamin B12 deficiency can lead to pernicious anaemia. |
| Zinc Important nutrient for proper sense of taste and smell. |
12 mg/day | 1.14 mg/day (9.5% of RDA) | Zinc is responsible for taste buds development. Deficiency of zinc can lead to hair loss, impotence, eye and skin lesions. Main sources of zinc are nuts and oilseeds. |
| Total Folates Helps in multiplication and maturation of red blood cells and white blood cells. |
100 mcg/day | 234.59 mcg/day (134.59% of RDA) | Ample of vegetables and fruits in the diet ensures to keep Vitamin B9 i.e. folates normal. |
| Nutrient for Immunity | |||
| Vitamin A Vitamin A is a fat-soluble vitamin. It was the first vitamin to be discovered. Plays an essential role in vision |
4800mcg/day | 3703.67mcg/day (77.15% of RDA) |
Red and yellow vegetables and fruits are the source of Beta Carotene i.e. Vitamin A. Deficiency of Vitamin A can lead to night blindness. GM Diet focuses more on vegetables and fruits, hence it meets 77.15% of RDA. |
| Iron Iron is required for the formation of haemoglobin. It is especially important for pregnant and lactating mothers along with adolescent girls. |
17 mg/day | 3.02 mg/day (17% of RDA) | Garden cress seeds and dark green leafy vegetables are sources of iron. However, iron is lost due to excessive cooking of dark green vegetables. Hence, though GM Diet has no restriction on vegetable consumption, daily iron requirements are not met. |
| Vitamin C Vitamin C is an antioxidant that helps to fight infections. Vitamin C is destroyed on cooking hence must be careful |
40 mg/day | 185.04 mg/day (462% OF RDA) |
Citrus fruits are rich in Vitamin C. GM Diet suggests more and more fruits, which strengthens the immune system and provides antioxidants. As vitamin C is water-soluble, excess of vitamin c is excreted through urine. |
| Nutrients For Healthy Heart | |||
| Sodium Sodium is an important nutrient for maintaining the electrolyte balance in the body. Beware of all the hidden sources of sodium from packed foods. |
1500 mg/day | 1128.51 mg/day (75.23% of RDA) |
Sodium is essential to maintain electrolyte balance to maintain blood pressure. Processed packed food also has sodium. Fruits and vegetables also contain sodium. |
| Potassium Potassium maintains acid-base balance and electrolyte in the body. |
4700 mg/day | 1941.45 mg/day (41.30% of RDA) | Sodium and potassium work hand in hand to maintain body electrolyte balance. Low potassium levels can result in heart attacks. Cereals, millets, pulses are the main sources. |
| Omega- fatty acids are highly concentrated in the brain and important for cognitive (brain memory and performance) and behavioural function. |
1600 mg/day | 220.85 mg/day (13.80% of RDA) | Walnuts and fish are the best sources of omega 3 fatty acid. GM Diet restricts the consumption of nuts and fish leading to dry skin, fatigue, heart disease etc. |
It is important to note that while for a short term, it may still be ok to do this once in a while but repeated and frequent courses of GM diet can really deprive your body of essential and important vitamins and minerals. It is important to follow a well-balanced diet for healthy weight loss. The above calculations were run on Fitterfly Nutrition software which is the most accurate way of knowing adequacy of one’s nutrition.
