Micronutrients in Health and Disease

Micronutrients are vitamins and minerals. Although they are required in small quantities in your diet, they play a major role in health and the prevention of disease. U.S. government agencies have established recommendations and tools to assist you with ensuring that you consume an adequate supply of micronutrients. Due to the ongoing research into micronutrients being conducted at various organizations and institutions, the recommendations and available tools are periodically reviewed and updated to reflect any new research outcomes. 

In this assignment, you will work together in groups; taking on the role of researchers. As a group, you will collect all of the necessary information and data you will need to make recommendations to update the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Then, as individuals, you will each act as your team’s representative and create your own memo with those recommendations. The following resources may assist you with completion of this assignment:

National Institutes of Health: Office of Dietary Supplements. (n.d.). Nutrient recommendations: dietary reference intakes. Retrieved from https://ods.od.nih.gov/Health_Information/Dietary_Reference_Intakes.aspx 

Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion. (2018, May 8). 2015-2020 dietary guidelines for Americans. Retrieved from https://health.gov/dietaryguidelines/2015/ 

Assignment Instructions:

Your team of scientific experts have been asked to determine what updates should be made to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Once your team group has compiled all of the necessary information and appropriate data, a memo must be generated to present this information to the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee. 

You will be assigned to one of the following scientific groups based on your LAST name for this assignment:

Last Name Begins With

Micronutrient

A – G

Vitamin D

H – M

Calcium

N – S

Potassium

T – Z

Iron

TEAM PORTION:

As a group, you will begin by gathering background information to present to the Committee. You must include the following information on your respective nutrient:

• Identification of the nutrient and type of nutrient (e.g., vitamin, mineral),
• Explanation of the functions of the nutrient in the human body,
• Role of nutrient in the promotion of health and prevention of disease,
• Identification of food sources which may provide high amounts of the selected nutrient in the U.S. diet,
• Average intake of the selected nutrient in the U.S., and
• Recommended intake for a 30-year old male and a 30-year old female.

Please note that as a group, you must have this information researched and documented in the respective group discussion board no later than SATURDAY of Unit 6 at 11:59 pm EST.

INDIVIDUAL PORTION:

Using this information, each group member will create a memo of at least 500 words that addresses:

• Differences between the recommended intake and the average U.S. intake.
• Based on the group’s research, you will develop “key recommendations” to “increase/decrease intake” as appropriate regarding the assigned nutrient in the U.S. population to promote health and prevent disease.
• Make sure to include the nutrient research information in the memo.
• Remember, you are a representative of your scientific team group.
• Provide at least two academic sources to support your recommendations.

NOTE: You will be assessed on your participation within the group discussion including an evaluation of your interactions with peers, use of conflict resolution, and group decision-making skills. A portion of your unit 6 assignment grade will be based on your interaction within the group discussion while the remainder of your grade will be based upon the quality and completeness of your individual memo.

Be sure to take a moment to review how to create a memo.

Basic Assignment Requirements:

• Active and productive participation within the group setting.
• Professional and respectful interactions with group members.
• Include at least two academic sources (following APA).
• Organize the information into a logical sequence.
• Memo should be at least 500 words and be free of grammar and spelling errors.
• Use font Times New Roman (or similar), in a 10-12 pt. font.