Nutrient Backgrounder

Nutrition Questions

How does Good Measures set the default nutrition goals for vitamins and minerals (micronutrients)?

The Good Measures default nutrition goals are based on Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs), a set of nutrient reference standards established by the Health and Medicine Division of the National Academies. These standards inform United States health policy so that nutrient deficiencies can be prevented and the risk of chronic disease reduced.

The DRIs include 4 nutrient-related reference standards that describe how much is enough or too much of a given nutrient:

• Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA): The daily amount of a particular nutrient that is estimated to meet the needs of nearly all (97- 98%) healthy people in a specific life stage and gender group.

• Estimated Average Requirement (EAR): The daily amount of a particular nutrient that is estimated to meet the needs of 50% of healthy people in a specific life stage and gender group.

• Adequate Intake (AI): Used when there is insufficient evidence to develop an RDA. It is the daily average intake level of a particular nutrient that is assumed to be adequate to meet the needs of healthy people in a specific life stage and gender group.

• Tolerable Upper Intake Level (UL): The maximum daily nutrient intake that is unlikely to cause adverse health effects in most individuals in the general population. As intake increases above the UL, the potential risk of adverse effects may increase.

How does Good Measures set the default ranges for protein, fat, and carbohydrates (macronutrients)?

Good Measures uses guidelines established by the Health and Medicine Division of the National Academies called the Acceptable Macronutrient Distribution Range (AMDR) to set the default range for macronutrients. According to the Health and Medicine Division this range is associated with reduced risk of chronic disease while also providing adequate intakes of essential nutrients. The AMDR is expressed as a percentage of total energy intake (calories).

Acceptable Macronutrient Distribution Ranges for Adults are:

Protein: 10 – 35%

Fat: 20 – 35%

Carbohydrates: 45 – 65%

If you happen to be following a diet with different macronutrient ranges and would like to customize your goal to reflect this, just let us know. We would be happy to work with you to make the adjustments.

How does Good Measures estimate my calorie needs?

The Good Measures platform estimates your daily calorie needs using the Mifflin-St Jeor equation plus an estimate of your daily activity excluding exercise. Additional adjustments are made to the calorie level if you indicate a desire for weight loss or gain (using the estimate that 3500 calories equals a pound of body weight).

Good Measures has a default minimum calorie level of 1200 calories for women and 1500 calories for men. These are calorie levels below which it is difficult to obtain enough essential nutrients from food to meet daily nutrient requirements.

You may also set a custom calorie goal (at or above the minimum calorie level) from the Personal Info page.

Can I customize my nutrient goals?

Yes! If you would like to customize your nutrient or calorie goals, or have any questions about your goals, please contact a member of the Good Measures Nutrition Team by emailing help@goodmeasures.com.

What research supports Good Measures' nutrition recommendations?

Good Measures uses the following scientific publications and guidelines:

• Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Nutrition Care Manual

• Albright AL, Gregg EW. Preventing type 2 diabetes in communities across the U.S.: the National Diabetes Prevention Program. Am J Prev Med. 2013;44(4 Suppl 4):S346-S351. doi:10.1016/j.amepre.2012.12.009

• Arnett DK, Blumenthal RS, Albert MA, et al. 2019 ACC/AHA Guideline on the Primary Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease: A Report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Task Force on Clinical Practice Guidelines. Circulation. 2019;140:e596–e646 doi.org/10.1161/CIR.0000000000000678

• Cook NR, Cutler JA, Obarzanek E, et al. Long term effects of dietary sodium reduction on cardiovascular disease outcomes: observational follow-up of the trials of hypertension prevention (TOHP). BMJ. 2007;334(7599):885-888. doi:10.1136/bmj.39147.604896.55

• Eckel RH, Jakicic JM, Ard JD, et al. 2013 AHA/ACC guideline on lifestyle management to reduce cardiovascular risk: a report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Task Force on Practice Guidelines [published correction appears in Circulation. 2014 Jun 24;129(25 Suppl 2):S100-1] [published correction appears in Circulation. 2015 Jan 27;131(4):e326]. Circulation. 2014;129(25 Suppl 2):S76-S99. doi:10.1161/01.cir.0000437740.48606.d1

• Evert AB, Boucher JL, Cypress M, et al. Nutrition therapy recommendations for the management of adults with diabetes. Diabetes Care. 2013;36(11):3821-3842. doi:10.2337/dc13-2042

• Goyal, A., Gupta, Y., Singla, R. et al. American Diabetes Association “Standards of Medical Care—2020 for Gestational Diabetes Mellitus”: A Critical Appraisal. Diabetes Ther. 11, 1639–1644 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13300-020-00865-3

• Hamdy O, Ganda OP, Maryniuk M, Gabbay RA, and the members of the Joslin Clinical Oversight Committee. Clinical Nutrition Guideline for Overweight and Obese Adults With Type 2 Diabetes (T2D) or Prediabetes, or Those at High Risk for Developing T2D.

• Institute of Medicine; Food and Nutrition Board; Committee to Review Dietary Reference Intakes for Vitamin D and Calcium; A. Catharine Ross, Christine L. Taylor, Ann L. Yaktine, and Heather B. Del Valle, Editors. Dietary Reference Intakes for Calcium and Vitamin D (2011).

• Institute of Medicine; Food and Nutrition Board; Panel on Dietary Antioxidants and Related Compounds; Subcommittee on Upper Reference Levels of Nutrients; Subcommittee on Interpretation and Uses of Dietary Reference Intakes; Standing Committee on the Scientific Evaluation of Dietary Reference Intakes. Dietary Reference Intakes for Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Selenium, and Carotenoids (2000).

• Institute of Medicine; Food and Nutrition Board; Panel on Dietary Reference Intakes for Electrolytes and Water; Standing Committee on the Scientific Evaluation of Dietary Reference Intakes. Dietary Reference Intakes for Water, Potassium, Sodium, Chloride, and Sulfate (2005).

• Institute of Medicine; Food and Nutrition Board; Panel on Macronutrients; Panel on the Definition of Dietary Fiber; Subcommittee on Upper Reference Levels of Nutrients; Subcommittee on Interpretation and Uses of Dietary Reference Intakes; Standing Committee on the Scientific Evaluation of Dietary Reference Intakes. Dietary Reference Intakes for Energy, Carbohydrate, Fiber, Fat, Fatty Acids, Cholesterol, Protein, and Amino Acids (2005).

• Institute of Medicine; Food and Nutrition Board; Panel on Micronutrients; Subcommittee on Upper Reference Levels of Nutrients; Subcommittee of Interpretation and Uses of Dietary Reference Intakes; Standing Committee on the Scientific Evaluation of Dietary Reference Intakes. Dietary Reference Intakes for Vitamin A, Vitamin K, Arsenic, Boron, Chromium, Copper, Iodine, Iron, Manganese, Molybdenum, Nickel, Silicon, Vanadium, and Zinc (2001).

• Ikizler TA, Burrowes JD, Byham-Gray LD, et al. KDOQI Clinical Practice Guideline for Nutrition in CKD: 2020 Update. Am J Kidney Diseases, Vol. 76, Issue 3, S1–S107.

• James PA, Oparil S, Carter BL, et al. 2014 Evidence-based Guideline for the Management of High Blood Pressure in Adults: Report from the Panel Members Appointed to the Eighth Joint National Committee (JNC 8). JAMA. 2014 Feb 5;311(5):507-20. doi: 10.1001/jama.2013.284427.

• Mahajan R. Joint National Committee 8 report: How it differs from JNC 7. Int J Appl Basic Med Res. 2014;4(2):61-62. doi:10.4103/2229-516X.136773

• National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine; Health and Medicine Division; Food and Nutrition Board; Committee on the Development of Guiding Principles for the Inclusion of Chronic Disease Endpoints in Future Dietary Reference Intakes; Shiriki Kumanyika and Maria P. Oria, Editors. Guiding Principles for Developing Dietary Reference Intakes Based on Chronic Disease (2017).

• National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine; Health and Medicine Division; Food and Nutrition Board; Committee to Review the Dietary Reference Intakes for Sodium and Potassium; Virginia A. Stallings, Meghan Harrison, and Maria Oria, Editors. Dietary Reference Intakes for Sodium and Potassium (2019).

• National Institutes of Health. Office of Dietary Supplements. Dietary Reference Intakes.

• National Institutes of Health. Vitamin and Mineral Supplement Fact Sheets.

• Sacks FM, Svetkey LP, Vollmer WM, et al. Effects on blood pressure of reduced dietary sodium and the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet. DASH-Sodium

• Collaborative Research Group. N Engl J Med. 2001;344(1):3-10. doi:10.1056/NEJM200101043440101

• U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. National Institutes for Health. Lifestyle Interventions to Reduce Cardiovascular Risk: Systematic Evidence Review From the Lifestyle Work Group, 2013. https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health-topics/lifestyle-interventions-reduce-cardiovascular-risk/

• U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and U.S. Department of Agriculture. 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. 9th Edition. December 2020. https://www.dietaryguidelines.gov/sites/default/files/2020-12/Dietary_Guidelines_for_Americans_2020-2025.pdf

• U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, 2nd edition. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; 2018.

Nutrients Explained

Calories

A calorie is a unit of measurement for the energy supplied by food. The components of food that supply calories are called macronutrients. Each macronutrient provides the following number of calories:

Protein: 4 calories per gram

Fat: 9 calories per gram

Carbohydrate: 4 calories per gram

Alcohol: 7 calories per gram

Calcium

Calcium is a mineral your body needs to maintain strong bones and teeth. It also plays an important role in how your heart, muscles, and nerves work. Too little calcium in your diet can cause osteopenia (low bone mass) and also increases the risk of fractures and osteoporosis (a bone disease that causes bones to be brittle and porous). Food sources of calcium include milk products, dark green vegetables, fish such as sardines, and some soy products.

Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates are found in fruits, vegetables, grains, milk products, and foods containing added sugars. They come in a number of forms, but the most common are starches, sugar, and fiber. Your body changes carbohydrates into the simple sugar glucose, which is the preferred form of energy (4 calories per gram) for your brain and nervous system.

Copper

Copper is a mineral that is needed in very small amounts to help your body make red blood cells, keep your immune system healthy, and form collagen (a key part of bones and connective tissue). Copper-containing foods include seafood, organ meats, beans, and vegetables such as mushrooms, tomatoes, potatoes, sweet potatoes, bananas, grapes, and avocado.

Fat

Fat supplies energy (9 calories per gram) and helps the body absorb and use vitamins A, D, E, and K and carotenoids (the pigment that gives fruit and vegetables their red, orange, and yellow color). Certain types of fat are important building blocks of cell membranes and play key roles in numerous functions in the body.

The type of fat and total amount eaten can make a difference to overall health. High intake of saturated fats and trans fats may increase the risk of heart disease because they raise the level of cholesterol in the blood. However, polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats (unsaturated fats) may help lower your blood cholesterol when you use them in place of saturated and trans fats. Unsaturated fats are found in fish, nuts, plant oils, and seeds.

Fiber

Fiber refers to the parts of plants your body can't digest or absorb. The two types of fiber are soluble fiber and insoluble fiber. Soluble fiber dissolves in water and can help to lower blood glucose and cholesterol. Insoluble fiber helps promote the movement of food through your digestive tract. Sources of insoluble fiber include oatmeal, lentils, apples, oranges, pears, oat bran, strawberries, nuts, flaxseeds, beans, and dried peas. Sources of soluble fiber include wheat bran, corn bran, whole wheat and other whole grains such as barley, couscous, brown rice, and bulgur, seeds, nuts, and vegetables like zucchini, celery, broccoli, cabbage, onions, tomatoes, carrots, cucumbers, and green beans.

Iron

Iron helps your body to carry oxygen, make enzymes, and maintain healthy cells, skin, hair, and nails. Iron-containing foods include lean red meats, poultry, fish, dark leafy greens, dried fruit, and beans.

Magnesium

Magnesium keeps your heart rhythm steady, maintains normal muscle and nerve function, and is important for bone health. It also plays a key role in helping to regulate blood sugar and maintain normal blood pressure. Magnesium is found in fruits and vegetables (bananas, dried apricots, and avocados), nuts and seeds (almonds, cashews, and pumpkin seeds), soy products (tofu, roasted soy beans), and whole grains (brown rice, millet).

Manganese

Manganese is needed for normal brain and nerve function. It plays a role in helping your body form connective tissue, bones, blood clotting factors, and sex hormones. Manganese is also necessary for carbohydrate metabolism, calcium absorption, and blood sugar regulation. Food sources of manganese include whole grains, legumes, pineapple, and tomatoes.

Minerals

Minerals are chemical elements your body needs in large amounts (major mineral = greater than 100 mg/day) or small amounts (trace mineral = less than 100 mg/day) for the normal functioning and health of your body.

Omega-3

Omega-3 is a type of fatty acid that is considered to be essential because we can’t make it in our own bodies and must get it from our diet. Omega-3s are thought to have a number of health benefits, including reducing inflammation, and boosting heart health. There are a number of different types of omega-3, but the two important forms are EPA and DHA. Food sources of omega-3s include fatty fish (such as salmon) flax seeds, walnuts, Brussels sprouts and kale.

Pantothenic acid

Pantothenic acid is a water-soluble vitamin also known as Vitamin B5. It is important for a variety of chemical reactions in your body that sustain life, and is needed for your body to break down carbohydrates, fats, and proteins. Food sources of pantothenic acid include meat, poultry, fish, whole grains, legumes, broccoli and dairy.

Phosphorus

Phosphorus is a mineral that helps your body make and maintain strong bones and teeth. It plays an important role in the growth, maintenance and repair of cells and tissues, and is important for energy storage in your body, and proper function of the your kidneys, muscles, heart, and nerves. Phosphorus is mainly found in meat and dairy products.

Potassium

Potassium is a mineral that your muscles and nerves need to communicate. It also plays an important role in helping your cells move nutrients in and waste products out. Dietary sources of potassium include potatoes, dark leafy greens, grapes, berries, yogurt, tomatoes, fish, meat, beans, and bananas.

Protein

Protein can be thought of as the main building block of the body and is used to maintain, repair, and make new cells. Protein supplies your body with energy (4 calories per gram) and is found in meats, poultry, fish, dairy products (milk, cheese, and yogurt), but also in legumes (beans, peas, peanuts, lentils), tofu, grains, as well as some vegetables and fruits.

Saturated Fat

Saturated fat is a type of fat that is solid at room temperature. It can be found in butter, palm and coconut oils, high-fat cuts of meat, and high-fat milks and cheeses. Diets high in saturated fat have been linked to chronic diseases such as heart disease.

Selenium

Selenium is a mineral that is used by your body to make selenoproteins, which help protect your body from damaging molecules called free radicals. Selenium is found in foods such as nuts, seafood, poultry, and meats, seeds and fortified cereal foods.

Sodium

Sodium is an element that your body needs to control blood pressure and blood volume, and for your muscles and nerves to work properly. The most common form of sodium is sodium chloride, which is also called table salt. Sodium occurs naturally in some foods, such as milk, beets, and celery, and is added to processed foods to help with preservation and flavor. Too much sodium in the diet may lead to high blood pressure in some people, and problems with fluid-build up in those people who have liver, kidney, or certain types of heart disease.

Vitamins

Vitamins are carbon-containing (organic) substances needed in small amounts in the diet for the normal growth, maintenance, and function of the body.

Vitamin A

Vitamin A is a fat-soluble vitamin that is essential for good vision, growth and development of many types of tissues in your body, and for immunity. Dietary sources of Vitamin A include liver, fish, fortified milk and milk products, carrots, spinach, sweet potatoes, and other yellow-orange fruits and vegetables.

Vitamin B1 (Thiamin)

Thiamin is found in many foods including pork, organ meats, whole or enriched grains, and legumes. It is a water-soluble vitamin that is important to protecting your natural immunity, and helping your body to make energy, and for proper nerve and brain function.

Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin)

Riboflavin is a water-soluble vitamin that your body needs to produce energy, and change vitamin B6 and folate into forms it can use. It is an antioxidant, which helps your body to protect itself from damaging particles known as free radicles. Vitamin B2 is found in foods such as brewers yeast, whole grains, wild rice, mushrooms, organ meats, and cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli.

Vitamin B3 (Niacin)

Niacin is found in many foods including fish, brewers yeast, organ meats, milk, beets, and peanuts. Vitamin B3 is water-soluble, and helps your body to produce energy, make fatty acids, and is needed for healthy skin, hair, and eyes.

Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine)

Pyridoxine is a water-soluble vitamin that is found in foods such as fish, liver, potatoes, chickpeas, and bananas. It is needed for normal brain development and function, helps your body make the hormones important for the healthy functioning of your brain. Vitamin B6 is also needed for healthy skin, hair, and eyes.

Vitamin B9 (Folate/Folic Acid)

Folate helps your body produce red blood cells, prevent anemia, and is important for helping rapid cell division and growth during pregnancy, and development during childhood. It is a water-soluble vitamin found in a wide variety of foods including dark green leafy vegetables, nuts, beans, peas, dairy products, poultry, meat, seafood and eggs. Folate is also added to grain products, such as enriched cereals, pasta, and flour.

Vitamin B12 (Cobalamin)

Cobalamin is a water-soluble vitamin found in meat, poultry, seafood, eggs, and dairy products. It is used by your body to maintain healthy nerve function, and helps in the production of DNA and RNA. Vitamin B12 is important for the maintenance of healthy skin, hair and eyes.

Vitamin C

Vitamin C is a water-soluble vitamin that your body needs in order to form the collagen in your bones, cartilage, and muscle. It also helps your body to absorb iron. Vitamin C sources include citrus fruits, mango, broccoli, peppers, and tomatoes.

Vitamin D

Vitamin D helps your body maintain normal levels of the minerals calcium and phosphorus, and helps to maintain strong and healthy bones. Research also suggests that it may provide protection from high blood pressure, osteoporosis, cancer and certain autoimmune diseases. Vitamin D is found in fish, eggs, fortified milk products, and cod liver oil.

Vitamin E

Vitamin E containing foods include eggs, dark leafy vegetables, nuts and nut oils, vegetable oils (corn, sunflower), olive oil, and whole grains. Vitamin E is a fat-soluble vitamin and acts as an antioxidant (a substance that helps prevent damage to cells in the body). It also plays important roles in red blood cell production, and helping your body to use vitamin K.

Vitamin K

Vitamin K plays an important role in helping your blood to clot, and in the health of your bones. Dietary sources of vitamin K include dark leafy greens, liver, and asparagus.

Water

Water helps the body maintain balance (homeostasis). It does this by regulating body temperature, moistening tissues, protecting body organs and tissues, lubricating joints, helping to dissolve minerals and other nutrients so that the body can more easily absorb them, and many other functions. Water also allows for transport of nutrients to cells and removal of waste products of the body’s many processes.

Zinc

Zinc is found in lean meats, poultry, seafood, beans, nuts, whole grains, fortified breakfast cereals, and dairy products. It is a mineral needed for normal growth and development, and plays a role in your body’s immune function, wound healing, and protein synthesis.