Fortification It’s all about protection! What does “a defensive wall or other reinforcement built to strengthen a place against attack” have to do with breakfast cereals? When cereals are “fortified,” it means that they contain added vitamins and minerals to aid in brain function, bone growth, and immune system maintenance.
- Since the 1920s, when extra nutrients were added to compensate for the lack of vitamins and minerals in people’s diets, foods have been fortified.
- Today, if we eat a balanced diet, it is easier to meet recommended nutrient intakes, and your family’s morning bowl of cereal can help them do so.
- In fact, research indicates that children and adults who consume fortified breakfast cereals are more likely to obtain the daily recommended amount of vitamins and minerals.
Most Nestlé breakfast cereals are fortified with five vitamins and two minerals, including riboflavin, niacin, B6, folic acid, pantothenic acid, iron, calcium, and, occasionally, vitamin D. Examine the table below to learn what they do for your body. Have you heard? On average, one 30-gram serving of a Nestlé cereal provides at least 15% of the recommended Nutrient Reference Value for each micronutrient listed in the Vitamins & Minerals table on the back of the package/on the package.
Contents
What are cereals with added nutrients?
– Fortified foods include vitamins and minerals that are not naturally present. Fortification is a common practice for foods that adults and children typically consume, such as grains, milk, and juice. Fortification is intended to increase the nutrient content of these foods.
Cereals are among the most frequently fortified foods. For instance, 1 cup (40 grams) of fortified Total cereal contains 40 mg of iron, which is the Daily Value (DV) for a single day ( 1 ). As a serving of unfortified wheat cereal of the same size contains only 10% of the DV for iron, much of the iron content of breakfast cereals may be the result of fortification ( 2 ).
Many Americans don’t consume enough iron, calcium, or vitamins A, C, D, and E, so it’s important to monitor your nutrient consumption. Insufficiencies may result in adverse health effects ( 3 ). The following nutrients are commonly added to breakfast cereals (4, 5): Vitamin Athiamine (vitamin B1) riboflavin (vitamin B2) (vitamin B2) niacin (vitamin B3) (vitamin B3) vitamin B6vitamin B12vitamin D folic acid zinc ironcalcium Summary Fortified cereals contain added vitamins and minerals to assist with nutrient absorption.
Endosperm is easier to digest than bran or germ, and it reduces the fat that can cause rancid flour. Additionally, it contains three-quarters of the protein found in a kernel of whole wheat. White flour loses greater than three-quarters of its fiber, fifty percent of its calcium and phosphorus, fifty percent of its thiamine, greater than three-quarters of its niacin, and thirty percent of its vitamin E.
According to Sandra D. Simons, a food and nutrition specialist at Purdue University, the nutrients added back to white flour to make enriched bread are thiamine, riboflavin, and niacin. These nutrients are B complex vitamin components. Thiamine or vitamin B1 helps maintain a healthy nervous system. Riboflavin, also known as vitamin B-2, supports healthy vision, provides energy, and promotes healthy skin.
Niacin aids in digestion and supports a healthy appetite and nervous system. After milling, nutrients are reintroduced to the flour to produce fortified bread. Folic acid and iron are the two nutrients to look for in breads that have been fortified. According to the Linus Pauling Institute, folic acid helps prevent some birth defects and lowers the risk of heart disease and certain cancers.
Iron in fortified, enriched bread aids in oxygen transport and storage, energy production, cell protection, and healing. Find other sources of fiber, such as fruits, vegetables, or whole-grain bread, to complement your consumption of enriched bread. According to the Mayo Clinic, whole-grain breads, which are made with the entire wheat kernel, contain fiber that can reduce the risk of heart disease, certain types of cancer, and diabetes.
References Writer Bio Karen Curley has over 18 years of experience in health and nutrition, specializing in family-friendly healthy food options. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in English from the University of Massachusetts and is USDA-certified in food components, nutrient sources, food groups, and infant/child nutrition.
Which fruit is vitamin B12-rich?
FAQ –
- Which fruits are vitamin B12-rich?
- Apples, bananas, blueberries, and oranges are some examples of vitamin B12-rich fruits.
- Which vegetable is higher in B12?
- Spinach, beetroot, butternut squash, mushrooms, and potatoes are excellent sources of vitamin B12.
- Does B12 promote energy?
- Your body may experience significant health benefits, such as an increase in energy, a boost in memory, and protection against heart disease.
- How much vitamin B12 is needed on a daily basis?
Adults and children are advised to consume 2.4 to 2.8 micrograms of vitamin B12. Can B12 be derived from fruits and vegetables? Vitamin B12-rich vegetables and fruits
Breakfast Cereal with Added Nutrients – Pixabay Vegans and vegetarians frequently rely on vitamin B12 supplements, but fortified breakfast cereals are also a viable option. Depending on the cereal, you may meet or even exceed your vitamin B12 requirements by the time you leave for work in the morning.
Combining cereal with fortified milk or soy milk will increase your intake even more. The vitamin B12 content of cereals varies depending on the type of cereal. Kellogg’s All-Bran Complete Wheat Flakes, Kellogg’s Special K Low Fat Granola, Kellogg’s Special K, General Mills Whole Grain Total, General Mills Multi-Grain Cheerios, and Kashi Heart to Heart Oat Flakes are among the cereals with the most vitamin B12.
Many of these cereals contain 100% of the daily value per serving of vitamin B12.
Do bananas contain vitamin D?
Do bananas have vitamin D? – Nope, no vitamin D here. However, bananas are rich in magnesium. Moreover, guess what? Once vitamin D has been absorbed into the bloodstream, magnesium activates it, making magnesium an essential nutrient for obtaining vitamin D’s numerous health benefits.
Can too much fortified cereal be consumed?
Is Your Cereal Giving You an Overdose of Vitamins? oksana2010/Shutterstock Combat misinformation by subscribing to the free Mother Jones Daily newsletter and keeping up with the relevant news. Those bran flakes containing “authentic antioxidants” or “extra vitamin A”? You may benefit less from the added nutrients.
The Environmental Working Group (EWG) discovered on Tuesday that cereals and snack bars that have been fortified with extra vitamins and minerals to make them appear healthy may actually be harmful, especially for children. The report, How Much Is Too Much?, explains that calcium, vitamin D, and vitamin E are among the nutrients that the majority of Americans do not consume enough of.
However, it turns out that children consume an excessive amount of other nutrients, and long-term overconsumption of certain vitamins and minerals can have negative health effects. EWG focused on three frequently overconsumed nutrients: vitamin A, zinc, and niacin.
- Only six percent of two- to eight-year-olds are vitamin A deficient, and less than one percent are zinc and niacin deficient.
- According to the report, however, an estimated 28 million children between these ages are overexposed to these nutrients through their diet and dietary supplements.
- A variety of illnesses have been linked to an excessive intake of these nutrients, according to research.
Here are the effects of overconsumption, according to the Environmental Working Group: Vitamin A: Liver deterioration, brittle nails, hair loss, skeletal abnormalities, osteoporosis and hip fracture (in older adults), and developmental abnormalities.
- Zinc: Copper absorption impairment, anemia, changes in red and white blood cells, and impaired immune function.
- Niacin: Skin reactions (flushing, rash), nausea, and toxicity to the liver Renée Sharp, director of toxics research at the Environmental Working Group, explained that the associated health risks are “more chronic than acute” If a child consumes an excessive amount of a particular nutrient over an extended period of time, he or she may develop the associated diseases in the future.
The tricky part is that it is nearly impossible to link a specific case of a disease to overconsumption of fortified food, so there is no definitive list of foods to consume and those to avoid. Several studies, however, indicate that cumulative exposures from fortified foods and supplements could put children at risk for potential adverse effects.
Sharp put more simply: “If your child consumes highly fortified cereal, snack bars, and other fortified foods, in addition to taking a vitamin supplement, this adds up. And there is no reason to put your child in such danger.” Even on products marketed to children, nutrition labels almost always list the recommended daily values for adults.
Marketing contributes to the excessive consumption of certain nutrients by children: When products are marketed as healthy, consumers become. Professor of nutrition at New York University Marion Nestle, “Numerous studies indicate that nutrients sell food products.
Any health or health-like claim—vitamins added, no trans fats, organic—on a food product leads consumers to believe that the item has fewer calories and is a health food. The purpose of added vitamins is marketing, not health.” Nutrition labels contribute to the confusion of shoppers. Young children have significantly lower recommended daily intakes of nutrients than adults, but nutrition labels, including those on products marketed to children, almost always list the adult values.
In addition, the EWG asserts that the FDA’s 1968 intake recommendations are themselves obsolete: Sharp explained that these values were established at a time when people were concerned about nutrient deficiencies. “Simply, scientists had not conducted as much research on the potential dangers of consuming too many nutrients.
- Changes have occurred.” Zinc exemplifies this double whammy to perfection.
- The FDA currently recommends 15 milligrams of zinc per day for adults and 8 milligrams per day for children younger than five.
- However, food packaging still recommends that adults consume 20 milligrams per day, according to 1960s-era calculations.
Valerie Tarasuk, a nutritional scientist at the University of Toronto, states, “If you think about it, every single food in the supermarket has a nutrition facts panel that is largely irrelevant for young children.” The Institute of Medicine (IOM), a branch of the National Academy of Sciences, has developed “Tolerable Upper Intake Levels” for these three nutrients since the FDA calculated its recommended Daily Values (referenced in the graph above).
Frequently, they are significantly below the FDA’s recommended daily allowances. A proposal from the FDA to revise nutrition labels is currently open for public feedback. Even though the FDA proposed similar changes in 2003, the Daily Values for nutrients have not changed since the 1960s. A spokesperson for the FDA declined comment for this article.
Cereal was the leading source of excessive intake of the three studied nutrients, according to EWG’s review of fortified foods. Cereals accounted for 43% of all preformed vitamin A sources, 52% of added niacin, and 97% of added zinc. However, not all cereals are equally fortified.114 cereals were fortified with 30 percent or more of the FDA’s daily intake values (for adults) for vitamin A, zinc, or niacin, according to an EWG analysis of the nutrition labels of 1,556 cereal brands.
The complete list of these cereals is available here, but here are some brands you may recognize: The Cap’n Crunch Chocolatey Crunch Snack Lion 100% Whole Grain Cereal General Mills Fiber One, Honey Clusters General Mills Rice Krispies General Mills Total Raisin Bran Black currants and walnuts are included in Kashi U 7 Whole Grain Flakes & Granola with Black Currants.
Cereal Kellogg’s Crispix Original Kellogg’s Smart Start Antioxidants Kellogg’s Special K Kroger Frosted Corn Flakes Malt-O-Meal Corn Blasts Stop & Shop/Giant Source 100 Crispy Whole Grain Wheat & Brown Rice Flakes Safeway Kitchens Bran Flakes Trader Joe’s Bran Flakes Is Your Cereal Giving You an Overdose of Vitamins?
