Most Americans don't need to worry about meeting their minimum daily values, as many of our foods are supplement with these nutrients. People who have deficiencies or greater nutrient needs should consider vitamin supplementation. Detailed information on each vitamin can be found in MedQuests Encyclopedia . Minimum Daily Values for each of the nutrients varies depending upon age and gender. Click here for detailed information on Daily Values .
Carbohydrates are critical for energy.
More than 80 percent of our caloric intake should come from carbohydrates. There are several types of carbohydrates the consumer should be aware of. Simple carbohydrates are small sugar molecules that are absorbed into the blood stream and metabolized very rapidly. Mono- and Disaccharides should be consumed in limited quantities. Complex carbohydrates consist of long chain sugar molecules that break down much more slowly than simple carbohydrates.