Understanding Nutrition: Essential Nutrients and their Functions

Nutrition notes Nutrition The study of food, including its use through digestion, absorption, transport, storage, metabolism, and elimination. Nutrients Chemicals in food are important for growth, development and protection of health. Essential Nutrients are substances that the body cannot produce and therefore must be included in food to provide nutrients. Non-Essential Nutrients Substances produced by the body and therefore should not be included in the diet. Balanced Nutrition The value of all food products in the right proportions to meet the needs of the body's brain. Function of food i) Sustaining life - depends on food ii) Helps the growth and development of body cells and tissues (brain and body development) iii) Helps support the functioning of body organs iv) Builds strength v) Helps the body fight disease helps to improve the immune system vi) Protein calorie deficiency, iron deficiency anemia, night blindness, etc. It helps to prevent such shortcomings. i) Carbohydrates ii) Proteins iii) Minerals iv) Vitamins v) Fats and lipids vi) Water and roughage Functions of carbohydrates 1. Energy source 2. Building blocks of other nutrients (sticky molecules) 3. Eating too much food stores fat

Lack of carbohydrates Weight loss in children (about 130 g/day, ie 50-60% of the total) daily calories). Too many carbohydrates can cause obesity. 2. Protein contains nutrients carbon, hydrogen, oxygen and nitrogen. The daily requirement for adults is 50 g/day. 45-60 g/day for young men, 44-46 g/day for women. The end products of proteins are amino acids. Nitrogen is removed as urea. Protein Class i) Essential Amino Acids are amino acids that cannot be produced by the body and must be obtained from the diet. It is 8 out of. Therefore; Isoleucine, Lysine, Methionine, Phenylalanine, Threonine, Tryptophan, Valine and Histidine ii) Non-Essential Amino Acids are amino acids produced by the body and therefore not found in food. Examples: Alanine, Arginine, Aspartic Acid, Cysteine, Glutamic Acid, Glycine, Praline, Serine, Asparagine, Selenocysteine. Protein products: animal protein such as meat, fish, eggs, vegetable protein such as beans, peas and other grains.