Amazing Facts About Nutrients That Human Body Needs

There are seven main classes of nutrients that the body needs. These are carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins, minerals, fiber and water. It is important to consume these seven nutrients on a daily basis to build and maintain health. Deficiencies, excesses and imbalances in diet can produce negative impacts on health.

Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates are the body’s most important source of energy. they are the polyhydroxy organic compounds made up of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen in which the ratio of hydrogen and oxygen hydrogen is 2:1.
The main sources of carbohydrates are plants, e.g., starch (storage forms carbohydrate of chlorophyll containing plants), sugars, cereals, potatoes, legumes, millets, roots and other vegetables. Sugars are found in fruits, juice, cane, honey, palm, milk, etc.

Functions of Carbohydrates

• Glucose act as energy yielding compounds, the major fuel of the tissue, constitutes the structural material of the organism, converted to other carbohydrates having highly specific functions.
• Glycogen acts as important storage of food material of the organism.
• Play a key role in the metabolism of amino-acids and fatty acids.
• Act as protective function-mucosubstance.
• Act as intermediates in respiration and carbohydrates metabolism e.g., (trioses).
• Participate in lipid synthesis (Creation of fatty acid)
• Pentoses - Synthesis of nucleic acid; Some co-enzymes (e.g., NAD, FAD, FMN, etc.); ATP, ADP, AMP, and also synthesis of polysaccharides.

Fats

Fat (lipids) provides insulation for the body and padding around internal organs. Some dietary fat is needed as a source of essential fatty acids for fat soluble vitamins. Several nutrients are found in fat, including vitamins A, D, E, K and essential fatty acids. Fats are important in our diet, particularly triglycerides and cholesterol. Triglycerides are the main form in which fats stored in the body.

Fats are either saturated or unsaturated. Saturated fats have been linked to heart disease and raise the level of cholesterol in blood. This is the kind of fat you don’t want to eat. Some vegetable foods contain saturated fat like nuts, margarine, coconut oil, or palm oil and chocolate. Saturated fats and cholesterol are found in animal foods like butter, cheese, red meat and animal fat. The combination of too much saturated fat and cholesterol is bad for you. Cholesterol is made in the liver of animals and is found only in animal foods.

Unsaturated fats in small amounts are better for you than saturated fats. Unsaturated fats are found mostly in oils like canola, corn, cottonseed, olive, peanut, safflower, sesame, soybean and sunflower.


Proteins

Proteins help muscle tissue develop and function. Protein is needed to make hair, skin, nails, muscles, organs, blood cells, nerve, bone and brain tissues, enzymes, hormones, and antibodies.
Protein and amino acids are found in both plant and animal foods. Amino acids are the building blocks for proteins.

The constituent elements of proteins are carbon (54%), hydrogen (7%), nitrogen (16%), oxygen (22%) and some may contain sulpher (1%) or phosphorus (0.6%). They are macromolecules of high MW and consisting of chains of amino acids e.g., hemoglobin, albumin, globulin, enzymes, etc.
They are found in Peas, beans, poultry, cereals, lentils, milk, cheese, eggs, meat, wet and dry fishes, and nuts etc.

Function of Proteins

• Proteins as enzymes - accelerate the rate of metabolic reactions. 
• As structural cables - provide mechanical support both within cells and outside. 
• As hormones, growth factors - perform regulatory functions and gene activators. 
• As hormone receptors and transporters-determine what a cell reacts to and what types of substance enter or leave the cell. 
• As contract element -form the machinery for biological movements. 
• Others - act as the defense against infections by protein antibodies, service as toxins, form blood clots through thrombin, fibrinogen and other protein factors, absorb or refract light and transport substances from one part of the body to another. 
• Constitute about half of the dry weight of most organisms and maintain growth.
• Maintain colloidal osmotic pressure of blood. 
• Act as acid base balance. 
• They perform hereditary transmission by nucleoproteins of the cell nucleus. 
• Most fibrous protein plays structural roles in skin, connective tissue of fibers such as hair, silk or wool.

Vitamins 

Vitamins are complex organic compounds found in small amounts in most foods. Vitamins do not contain calories and therefore do not provide energy. However, vitamins are important for metabolism and for our organs to work properly. Vitamins C, folic acid, and all of the B vitamins are water soluble. Water soluble vitamins are passed out of the body in urine. They do not build up and harm the body. Vitamins A, D, E, K, are fat soluble. They are stored in fat cells. Too much of these vitamins in our system can lead to toxic build-up.


Minerals 

Minerals do not contain calories, but are important to many body functions. Major minerals include calcium, phosphorous, magnesium, potassium, sulphur, and sodium. These minerals are found in a variety of foods including milk, meat, poultry, fish, and green, leafy vegetables. Other minerals are needed in small amounts: they include iron, zinc, manganese, copper, iodine, cobalt etc. Trace minerals are found in shellfish, seafood, whole grains and legumes. Minerals often work together. Too much of one mineral may upset the balance of other minerals.


Calories 

All food provides calories. All calories provide energy. However, calories that do not come with vitamins, minerals, fatty acids, amino acids, and fiber are called “empty calories”. Empty calories give you energy without nutrients. Table sugar and alcohol are examples of empty calories. Eating too many foods with empty calories can cause health problems.

That’s why it is important to learn how to choose foods that provide nutrients and calories. All calories, no matter where they come from, give you energy. If you take in more energy (calories) than you spend (burn off through exercise) you gain weight. If you take in less energy than you spend, you lose weight.


one gram of protein has 4 calories
one gram of carbohydrate has 4 calories
one gram of alcohol has 7 calories
one gram of fat has 9 calories 

Carbohydrates and proteins are better sources of nutrients and have less than half the calories of fat. That’s why foods high in fat are also high in calories.

Fibre

Dietary fiber, also known as roughage or bulk, includes the parts of plant foods your body can't digest or absorb. Unlike other food components, such as fats, proteins or carbohydrates — which your body breaks down and absorbs — fiber isn't digested by your body. Instead, it passes relatively intact through your stomach, small intestine and colon and out of your body.

Fiber is commonly classified as soluble, which dissolves in water, or insoluble, which doesn't dissolve.