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by: mathewanderson
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Date: Sat, 5 Sep 2009 Time: 1:36 AM
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There are a variety of different "superfoods" which provide essential vitamins, antioxidants, energy enhancers, macro minerals, lipotropic factors, and other key nutrients which have been known to help minimize free radical formation that speeds up the aging process and supports optimal heart, brain and immune functioning.

Bluberries, for instance, are rated as a superfood because they are very dense in the antioxidants called anthocyannins, which are also present in blackberries.

Some micronutrients are not called vitamins, simply because they do not fully meet certain chemical or biological definitions. Even so, some of the micronutrients are considered as important as vitamins or they are required for the vitamins to function in the body. Folate is a great example and is now recommended as a supplement for pregnant women because of its proven effects in reducing neurological birth defects.

If we are to benefit from the vital protective and therapeutic effects that these plant compounds provide, most of us need to consume considerably more of these than we do at present. We can achieve this by eating more bread, cereals and other products made from unrefined grains and legumes and by increasing our consumption of phytonutrient-rich fruits, vegetables and spices.

What Micronutrients Do

Vitamins and minerals do not in themselves provide energy, but macronutrients depend on them to regulate the release of energy from food.

•Vitamins are organic substances.

•They activate enzymes, which are proteins that act as catalysts to speed up biological reactions that take place in your body.

•Your body produces a certain amount of vitamins D and K, but all other vitamins come from your diet or supplementation.

Proteins and fats are basic, bare bones essential nutrients for our health. We need 70-100 grams of protein a day (about 300 calories), and 6-10 grams of linoleic acids (about 75 calories). (Linoleic acid is a fat found in vegetable oils.) From those two food classes, our bodies can make everything we need for healthy living.

The micronutrients are needed in relatively small amounts in comparison to the macronutrients. While they are very important for the healthy functioning and growth of the body, micronutrients do not contain any energy but macronutrients do contribute a significant amount of energy to the body when digested.

RDA (now as the Recommended Dietary Allowance) - This is figured to be the daily average intake level of a micronutrient required to meet the need of 97-98% of the healthy people of any given life stage & gender group. It is not a goal for planning or assessing a diet, but a goal for intake.

Carbohydrates are the main energy source of our bodies. A simplistic explanation of carbohydrates is that they convert to sugar in our bodies, which in turn provides the energy that we need. Carbohydrates can be further broken down into simple carbohydrates, which include sugar, candy, white flour and more and complex carbohydrates, which include whole grains and vegetables.

Phytonutrients are the components of foods that are neither vitamin nor mineral. They have tremendous health benefits and are in thousands of our foods. Phytonutrients have anti-inflammatory benefits, help our cells communicate with one another, and can help prevent facilitating cancer cells.

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