An Overlooked Essential Nutrient free essay sample

Welcome, I am a registered dietician. I have invited you to lunch and learn about, what you will select for a yearlong beverage contract from these three choices water, Gatorade, and Powerade. The role of water in our body are giving cell life, where water is a carrier, distributing essential nutrients to cells as minerals, vitamins, and glucose. It also has chemical and metabolic reactions as it removes waste products including toxins that the organ cells reject and removes through urine and feces. Water is a transport of nutrients in the biochemical break down of what we eat. H2O regulates body temperature, it has a large heat capacity which helps limit changes in body temperature in a warm or cold environment. The elimination of water is an effective lubricant around joints and acts as a shock absorber for eyes, brain, and spinal cord. The goal of drinking fluids during exercise is to prevent dehydration and maintain performance. We will write a custom essay sample on An Overlooked Essential Nutrient or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Fluids preferably with carbohydrates and electrolytes, should be consumed in small amounts every 15 to 20 minutes during exercise. Water and electrolytes serve very important roles in the functioning of the body and sweating can lead to excessive losses of both critical nutrients if not properly replaced. Dehydration and electrolyte imbalances can adversely impact health and exercise performance. The magnitude of fluid and sweat losses during exercise depends on the intensity of the exercise, environment conditions, and the type of clothing worn during the exercise. To avoid excessive fluid and electrolyte losses, a person should begin exercising in a well-hydrated state. About two hours prior to strenuous exercise, drink approximately 20floz of liquid to ensure proper hydration at the onset of exercise. The daily recommendation for water is actually none. Many of us grew up thinking that we need to drink eight glasses a day plus other beverages throughout the day. As a study found out there was no scientific evidence for the 64-ounce daily recommendations for water. Instead, to use thirst to determine their fluid needs. Sports drinks don’t necessarily have a daily recommendation. If you’re not exercising at least for an hour then you don’t need to drink any sports at all. Sports beverages are for people, that do some type of physical activity for more than an hour. Sports drinks enhance fluid absorption in the small intestine due to the glucose and sodium content. It also helps maintain stamina in events through providing a small amount of carbohydrates to the working muscles. The nutritional facts found in a Aquafina bottled water of 8oz are calories, total fat (g), sodium (mg), total carbs (g), sugars (g), and protein (g) are all 0! (PepsiCo, 2014) The benefits of drinking water are it makes you avoid skin disorders, removes toxins, increases metabolic rate, and much more. The nutritional facts in a Powerade Fruit Punch of a 8oz bottle are calories 50, total fat, saturated fat, polyunsaturated fat, monounsaturated fat, trans fat, and cholesterol all equal out to 0. The sodium is 100(mg), potassium 25(mg), total carbohydrate 14(g), dietary fiber 0(g), sugars 14(g), and protein, vitamin A, vitamin C, calcium, and iron are all 0. Powerade is a sports drink with 50 calories, which is about the average for all sports drinks, 14(g) of carbohydrates, which again is about the average for all sports drinks, and 100(g) of sodium, which is less than the average for all sports drinks. (FindtheBest, 2014) The nutritional facts about a Gatorade Fruit Punch of a 12oz bottle are calories 80, total fat 0(g), sodium 160(mg), potassium 45(mg), total carbs 21(g), sugars 21 (g), and protein 0(g). (PepsiCo, 2014)The sodium found in Gatorade helps your body retain the fluids that are lost through sweating. It’s also high in calories and it can replace the energy that is lost while playing sports. The many different varieties of water include tap water, where in a metropolitan areas contain fluoride that helps protect your teeth against decay. Rain water can be ingested, but must be boiled because of the possibility of bacteria, and contamination. Spring water contains no fluoride and should be boiled to remove impurities. Tap filters take out the large particles from water, but filters cannot protect you from getting an infection. Pure water is water that has undergone additional treatment methods to remove even more impurities than those found in common tap or municipal water. Groundwater, which is water that lies under the surface of the land. It exists almost everywhere in the world, although a person would have to dig quite deep to access it. The different varieties of sports beverages are isotonic, that quickly replaces fluids lost by sweating and supplies a boost of carbohydrates. Some of these beverages include Gatorade Cool Blue, Gatorade Limon, Powerade Cherry ION4, Powerade Orange ION4, and much more. Hypotonic beverages quickly replace s fluid lost and is best for low-respiration. These hypotonic beverages are watered down sports drinks like Gatorade G2 and Powerade Zero. Hypertonic beverages are supplements daily carbohydrate intake after exercise to top current glycogen stores. These beverages usually are high carbs, high energy, high calorie, endurance, or performance. (Chambers, 2012) Drinking water cost varies between each person in prefer ability. Buying bottled water for the year can set you back around $346, but if you were to refill a 16. 9 ounce bottle with city tap every day for a year, you’d pay 48 cents. Yet, if you would like to invest in bottled water, a 24 pack at average costs $4. 99 $9. 99 and a 35 pack costs at average $5. 99 $12. 99. If you’re an athlete and need to gain some of those electrons back then a Powerade or Gatorade is just for you. An average cost of a Gatorade bottle is $1. 00 $5. 00. An average cost of a 24 pack is between $12. 99 $17. 99 and a 35 pack at an average cost $20. 99 -$30. 99. Powerade at an average of a 12-32oz bottle cost $1. 00 $5. 00 and a 24 pack at an average $18. 99 $40. 00. So, if you don’t exercise on a daily basis then stepping away from sports beverages will financially help you in the long run. Drinking water has many advantages compared to sports drinks. Water is the most healthful option because it provides no calories. Sports drinks contain sugar and contribute to weight gain if not physically active. Water is cheaper than sports beverages if you get your water from tap. If you’re performing sports bursts of exercise, you don’t need to restore your electrolytes with sports drinks because our sweat is 99% water and less than 1% electrolytes. The British Medical Journal (BMJ) has said, â€Å"The truth is this: drink when you are thirsty and don’t waste your money or calories on sports drinks-choose water instead. † (Skerrett, 2012) Sports drinks are better than water because there designed to rapidly replace fluids and to increase the sugar circulating in your blood. If your activity lasts an hour or more, either fruit juice diluted with water or sports drinks will provide carbohydrates for energy plus minerals to replace lost electrolytes in your sweat. Sports drinks provide around 14 (g) of carbohydrates, 28(mg) of potassium, and 100(mg) of sodium per 8-ounce serving. â€Å"Sports drinks really do triple duty whenever you exercise for longer periods of time,† says Girard Eberle, sports dietician and author of â€Å"Endurance Sports Nutrition. † (Boston, 2012) So, what sports drink is better Powerade or Gatorade. The sodium content of Gatorade is about 450(mg/L) and Powerade is 225(mg/L). Gatorade does a better job of replacing the sodium lost in sweat. Gatorade is 0% sugar. Since both all fall within the generally recommended 4 – 8% range, either drink is acceptable. Gatorade asserts a 6% carbohydrate solution is ideal for absorption and energy production and that sports drinks with lower or higher concentrations. Yet. Powerade contains vitamins B6 and B12, both of which are active in the production of energy. â€Å"The differences between Gatorade and Powerade are small will neither beverage appearing clearly superior to the other,† says the formerly British Medical Journal. (Crowther, 2012) The safety levels of drinking water within our body start with a disease called hyponatremia. A condition that occurs when the level of sodium in your blood is abnormally low. In humans, the kidneys control the amount of water, salts and other solutes leaving the body by salving blood through their millions of twisted tubules. When someone drinks too much water at a time, the kidneys cannot flush it out fast enough and the blood becomes waterlogged. Where the concentration of salt and other dissolved substance is higher, excess water leaves the blood and ultimately enters the cells. Thus, brain edema or swelling can be disastrous, which can manifest to seizures, coma, respiratory arrest, brain stem herniation and ultimately death. The safety level of Gatorade can have serious health consequences as weight gain if someone is burning fewer calories, the excess will be stored as fat. Vitamin toxicity like fat-soluble vitamin and vitamin A. Fat-soluble vitamins cannot be excreted from the body when consumed in large amounts. Vitamin A can lead to hypervitaminosis A, a toxic effects from ingesting too much of vitamin A. Symptoms include visual changes, bone pain, and skin changes. You could also develop high blood pressure and high blood sugar. High blood pressure because one bottle of Gatorade can contain 800(mg) of sodium, which is 33% of your normal daily recommended intake. High blood sugar because a bottle of Gatorade contains 56(g) of sugar, where symptoms include being very thirsty, having blurry vision, dry skin, feeling weak, and needing to urinate frequently. The safety levels of Powerade are hypernatremia, a condition caused by too much sodium in the body. Excessive salt intake can lead to dehydration, lethargy, weakness, and affect nerve impulses. Also, hyperkalemia a condition of in taking too much potassium where neuromuscular and cardiac functions are involved symptoms include fatigue, lethargy, weakness, and abdominal cramps and in severe cases cardiac arrest. Excessive levels of magnesium in the body called hypermagnesmia. Too much magnesium results in decreased respiration, muscle weakness, lethargy and in severe cases can cause cardiac arrest. Hypercalcemia is too much calcium in the human body, which can cause lethargy, fatigue, nausea, constipation, hypertension, and bone pain. There’s also hypophosphatemia, which is high levels of phosphorus in the body. Symptoms are lethargy, fatigue, seizures, and can reduce the amount of calcium. That can lead to tremors, cramps, muscle spasms, convulsions and bone/joint pain. One of the last causes of drinking too much Powerade is acidosis, which are decreased levels of ph. It’s caused by high levels of chloride and can result in cellular damage and can lead to death. All of these beverages water, Gatorade, and Powerade can only be taken in moderation because it can lead to severe diseases and climatically lead to death. (Aufiero, 2011) The advantages of drinking water over sports drinks is water can help control calories. It works with weight loss if you choose water over a caloric beverage or eat a diet higher in water-rich foods that are healthier, more filling, and help you trim calorie intake. Also, another advantage to drinking water is it helps energize muscles, when cells don’t have enough fluids they don’t maintain their balance of fluids and electrolytes shrivel, that can result in muscle fatigue. Water also helps your kidneys by transporting waste products in and out of cells. A water-soluble waste that is able to pass through the kidneys to be excreted in the urine. â€Å"Giving children sports drinks is as bad as making them smoke,† says Dr. Donal O’Shea of the University of California at Berkeley. (TCD, 2011) The advantages of drinking a sports beverage over water are they maintain fluid balance in physically active people. A sports beverage can enhance voluntary fluid consumption by replenishing fluid loss and proper hydration. Sodium is an important nutrient because it helps maintain electrolyte balance and provides the urge to drink. The extra sodium formulates for people who are prone to muscle cramps. Also, potassium is another advantage to drinking sports beverages over water because it’s a faster recovery and a better workout for tomorrow. Using sports drink means it takes less time for your body to rehydrate, replace muscle glycogen stores, repair muscle damage and bring the immune system up to full strength. Professor John Brewer, head of sports science at the University of Bedfordshire, said that while those who exercised to keep fit may find water is enough to quench their thirst, â€Å"those who compete intensively for long durations have been shown by numerous studies to improve their performance through the sensible consumption of sports drinks. † (Campbell, 2012) The advantages of sports beverages like Gatorade over Powerade are that Gatorade provides more sodium for less calories and sugar so it may be the better choice to replenish your body and prevent muscle cramping. Powerade has added vitamin supplements that Gatorade does not, but for most serious athletes consuming a healthy diet. The U. S. market Gatorade still dominates with over 80% of the market share, while Powerade has captured almost 15%. â€Å"Research shows that your body digests and uses carbohydrates from high fructose corn syrup the same way it digests other sweeteners like table sugar,† says the American Medical Association. (Reagan, 2009) From all the information that I have researched and given, my recommendation would be water. The one reason, why I chose water over Powerade and Gatorade is because water is an essential component required for the effective working of our body since body parts including our brain and the various tissues are mostly composed of water. Another couple of reasons of why water is an overall better choice is it makes you look younger. It moisturizes your skin and keeps it fresh and glistening thereby enhancing its overall appeal. Water removes toxins and most of the waste products from our body contributing to a healthy quality of life. Also, drinking substantial amounts of water is likely to reduce the risks of bladder and colon cancer. Water has the ability to dilute the concentration of cancer-causing agents in the urine and reduce the time they take to come in contact with the bladder lining. So, you see from the information that I have provided you about the benefits of drinking water, the diseases it can prevent, and the improvements it could do for a person’s physical activity. With just naming a few of these health saving benefits of just drinking a glass of water, it would be a perfect fit for your contract and increase your revenues.