Nutrients Basics Nutrients are chemical substances in foods that the body uses for a variety of functions that support growth, tissue maintenance and repair, and going health. There are 6 categories of nutrients they are water, carbohydrates, protein, fat, vitamins and minerals. Water The human body consists of 65 percent of water. The water carries nutrients to the cells, lubricates joints, regulates body temperature, dissolves vitamins, minerals, amino acids and other nutrients. The sources of water are tap and bottled water, fruit juice, milk and vegetable juice. Carbohydrates Carbohydrates provide 4 calories per gram. This nutrient is used by the body mainly as a source of readily available energy. They consist of simple carbohydrates and …show more content…
The carbohydrates should contribute 45-65 percent of total calories intake. Fiber Fiber is a type of carbohydrate that the body can’t digest. High fiber diets reduce the rate of glucose absorption, may reduce the risk of developing some diseases like heart disease, diabetes and obesity, and certain types of cancer. It is recommended that adult female consume between 21 and 25 grams, and males 30- 38 grams daily. Protein Protein provides four calories per grams. Proteins are made up of chemical compounds called amino acids. Amino acids are used to build and maintain protein- based components of the body such as bone, enzyme, muscle and red blood cells. Food source of protein are meat, fish, eggs, poultry, dairy products, legumes and nuts. Fats Fat is the most concentrated form of food energy, providing nine calories per gram. Fats provide substances needed for growth and healthy skin. This nutrient is required to carry “fat-soluble” vitamins throughout the body, and they are needed for cholesterol and sex- hormone synthesis. Fats come in two types: Saturated Fat and unsaturated. The saturated fats are usually solid at room temperature. Animal products such as butter, meats and cheese and tropical oils (coconut and palm) are sources of saturated fats. Unsaturated Fats are liquid at room temperature. Vegetable oils, seeds, and nuts are rich source of …show more content…
It is the precursor for the biosynthesis of steroid hormones and bile acid. High cholesterol is a major risk factor for the heart disease and stroke. Some sources of dietary cholesterol are egg yolks, meat, and butter. The recommended intake of fats should be within the range of 20 to 35 percent of total calories. Vitamins Vitamins are organics components in food that are needed in small amount for growth and for maintaining good health. Vitamins are separated into two types: fat Soluble and water soluble vitamins. The vitamin C and B- complex vitamins are soluble in water, on the other hands vitamins A, D, E and K are fat soluble. Vitamins do not provide energy. Vitamin A Vitamin A (Beta Carotene) promotes growth and repair of body tissue, reduces susceptibility to infections, aids in night vision, and plays a role in developing strong bones and teeth. Vitamin A is found in dark green leafy vegetables, deep yellow and orange fruits and vegetables, liver, milk, cheese, and eggs. Vitamin
Vitamins are organic and non-caloric micro-nutrients that are essential to life. They are broken down into two major classifications: Fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, and K) and Water-soluble vitamins (C, B). Vitamins a...
Nutrition in humans is a product that require to supply the human body to function, nutrients also helps to prevent any disease in human organs.
Education plays a dominant role in the lives of students all over the United States. Since most students spend roughly eight to twelve hours in school, it is important to make sure that they are provided with a healthy and nutritious breakfast, lunch and snack.
Nutrition is the process of obtaining and consuming the right nutrients you need in order to grow and survive. These nutrients consist of water, protein, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals, and fats. What you choose to eat has a significant impact on your well being, growth and overall health. Bad nutrition can lead to lifelong consequences such as Diabetes, High blood pressure, Obesity, Cardiovascular disease and even some Cancers. A healthy diet helps people manage a desirable body weight and composition that allows them to do their daily mental and physical activities (Youdim 1). If you eat the correct meals it provides energy and even helps boost your immune system. There are many examinations available to you to check if you’re on the
...ds (McMurry, Castellion, & Ballantine, 2007, pg 748). At room temperature, saturated fats (i.e. lard, butter, bacon grease) solidify because their hydrocarbon chains are stable and can pack together (McMurry, Castellion, & Ballantine, 2007, pg 770). Plant-derived polyunsaturated fats (sunflower, safflower, soybean, and corn oils) are unstable and remain in liquid form at room temperature, because of the rigid kinks of the cis double bonds (McMurry, Castellion, & Ballantine, 2007, pg 752). The more double bonds that a polyunsaturated fat contains, the less it is able to bind together as a solid (McMurry, Castellion, & Ballantine, 2007, pg 752). Other than identifying foods having the “bad” saturated or trans-fats with safe food containing the beneficial “good fats,” the difference between the two ultimately is found within the molecular structures of fatty acids.
When one hears the three words: vitamins, nutrients, and minerals, they think of one thing-being healthy and noticing what your intake is daily. Nutrition is all about vitamins and nutrients. Firstly, vitamins are an organic compound required by the body in small amounts of metabolism, to protect health, and for proper growth of children. Vitamins also assist in the formation of hormones, blood cells, nervous systems chemicals, and genetic material. There are 13 well-identified vitamins. Some examples of the 13 well-identified vitamins are: A, D, E, and K-fat contained foods, B, C-consumed immediately. A well known and commonly used in commercials for orange juice vitamin is vitamin C. Vitamin C or ascorbic acid is important in the synthesis and maintenance of connective tissues. The lack of vitamin C will result in a sickness called scurvy. Scurvy harms the gums, mucous membranes, and the skin. Another well-known vitamin and is also used to commercial to give more information about this beverage is the vitamin in milk. The vitamin in milk is vitamin D. If you do not drink milk and obtain this vitamin, your bones and teeth will become soft and weak. Lacking one or more of the 13 well-identified vitamins will cause sickness and weakness to your body. Secondly, nutrients are how the body assimilates certain compounds. Nutrients are classified in 5 major groups: proteins, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins, and minerals. One of the five nutrients is carbohydrate. The carbohydrate group principally consists of sugar, starch, dextrin, cellulose, and glycogen. In more basic terms, carbohydrates are sugars needed by human and other living organisms. Some types of foods that contain carbohydrates would be candies, ice cream, fruit juice, soda, chocolate bars etc. Lastly, vitamins are connected to minerals. Minerals are also a very important part of a healthy person. There are 11 major groups of minerals. They are: calcium, chromium, copper, iodine, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorous, potassium, selenium, and zinc. All these terms look very familiar if one has taken chemistry. These are the elements of our world. One of the more common minerals that most people have heard of is calcium. Calcium also helps with the structure and strength of teeth and bones. Vitamins and minerals work together to help humans maintain a healthy body. For example, vitamin D works with calcium to help for and maintain the strength of teeth and bones.
Fatty acids are another type of lipid. The common feature of fatty acids is that they are all esters of moderate to long chain fatty acids. Two polyunsaturated fatty acids, linoleic and linoleic, are designated "essential" because their absence in the human diet has been associated with health problems, such as scaly skin, stunted growth and increased dehydration. These acids are also precursors to the prostaglandins, a family of physiologically potent lipids present in minute amounts in most body tissues.
All of these vitamins are essential to things such as bone strength, eyesight health, and other various health concerns. For example, a common myth is that carrots are chock full of vitamin A. The reality is that carrots contain carotene, which a precursor to vitamin A. If one was to rely solely on carotene for their vitamin A, that person would never get the true nutrients they needed. True vitamin A can only be found in foods such as egg yolk and various
The human body requires small amounts of nutrients in microgram or milligram quantities in our diet because it cannot synthesize the necessary amounts on its own. These nutrients are considered micronutrients. Micronutrients are a combination of water, vitamins, and minerals. Vitamins are organic compounds that do not provide energy, but are essential to the body in helping “aid in metabolism, as well as the growth, development and maintenance of body tissues” (Byrd-Bredbenner, Moe and Beshgetoor 402). Vitamins are broken down into two groups, water-soluble and fat-soluble. The water-soluble vitamins are the B-vitamins, and vitamin C. The fat-soluble vitamins are A, D, E, and K. Minerals are needed in even smaller amounts, however these inorganic substances are necessary for “cell metabolism, nerve impulse transmission and growth and development” (Byrd-Bredbenner, Moe and Beshgetoor 485). Minerals can be categorized into major or trace minerals. The major minerals include Sodium, Potassium, Chloride, Calcium, Phosphorus, Magnesium, and Sulfur. Trace minerals are Iron, Zinc, Copper, Manganese, Iodine, Selenium, Chromium, Fluoride, Molybdenum and Ultratrace minerals.
Saturated fats come from animal sources like steak, hamburger and pork. Unsaturated fats are derived from plants. There are also trans fats that are considered poison for the body. They raise the bad cholesterol in your body, and should never be included in a healthy diet. There are also fatty acids like omega-3 and omega-6 that are good for a healthy body.
Vitamins, a group of organic substances required in our diets in small amounts for growth and nutrition, are usually found in foodstuffs or taken as supplements. Yet vitamins probably present a wider gap between myth and reality in the layman's understanding than almost any other area of our diet. Surveys have found that while a majority of Americans do take vitamin supplements on a regular or occasional basis for reason of health concerns, there exists enormous confusion about the actual purpose and benefits of this practice ("Use of Vitamin and Mineral Supplements in the United States," 1990:161). Most people have a recognition that Vitamin C prevents scurvy, that Vitamin A is found in fish-liver oils, or that Vitamin D is found in dairy products; many people believe that Vitamin E preserves youth and prevents sterility, or that Vitamin C can present colds and cancer. Beyond this, however, there is still considerable ignorance and widespread myth.
Proteins (macronutrient), which are found in animal products, nuts and beans, they help to build new cells, maintain tissue and synthesis new proteins essential for performing basic bodily functions. Proteins are in abundance in the human body and are present in the outer and inner membranes of all living cells (Dummies, 2018). Proteins are essential for building new cells, maintaining tissue and helping new proteins needed for basic bodily function (
Proper nutrition is one of the most essential elements to being healthy and living a long life. People deal with food every day, and food has been a part of life since the beginning of civilization. What we eat becomes our diet, and our diet plays a major role in deciding how healthy we are and how well our body functions. Without proper diet, our body cannot carry out the functions it needs to perform. Most people have some common knowledge on what is good and what is bad for the human body to consume. Fruits, vegetables, nuts, and grains are some common items people think of when they think of healthy foods. However, it is not enough just to know what foods are good for your body, it is also important to understand why certain foods are good for you and what they do to help the body function.
“If we could give every individual the right amount of nourishment and exercise not too little not too much, we would have food the safest way of health” (Barasi.E.M, 2003). This essay is going to discuss on the important of six essential nutrients in human body. According to PosnerB.M (1998), he define essential nutrients as a nutrients that the body cannot synthesize on its own-or not to an adequate amount and must be provided by the died. Oxford dictionary (2009), also define essential nutrients as are those nutrients that are required by the body and cannot be synthesise in the adequate amount to meet requirement, so must be provided by the diet. Essential nutrients are those found to be essential to human life and optimal function, Williams.M. H (2006).There are six main type of nutrients used to maintain body health. They are carbohydrates, protein, fat, vitamins, minerals and water. They must be in balance for the body to function properly.
Good nutrition plays a vital role in maintaining healthy body. In medical term, nutrition is the science or practice of devouring and utilizing food sustenance. It is where you will chose to eat a healthy diet with the nutrition basics needed to attain a healthy lifestyle. Consuming a healthy food of your decision with physical activity you will undoubtedly keep up a typical and a healthy weight that can diminish the shot of having constant ailment and advance a more drawn out healthy lives.