Essential Nutrients
What is Nutrition?
The study of how your body uses the food you eat
What is a Nutrient?
A chemical substance in the body that helps
maintain the body
6 Classes of Nutrients
Your body needs over 50 different nutrients which can
be divided into 6 classes:
Carbohydrates
Fats
Protein
Vitamins
Minerals
Water
CARBOHYDRATES
WHAT ARE THEY?
Essential Nutrients
Make up the foundation of diets
Predominant in plant based foods
How much is recommended?
A minimum of 130 grams of dietary carbohydrates is needed
daily
Recommended 45-65% of your daily calories comes from
carbohydrates
CARBOHYDRATES
WHY DO YOU NEED THEM? (Functions)
Most desirable source of energy for the body
Main role is to supply fuel, primarily in the form of glucose
(predominant sugar in high-carb foods) to your cells
Your brain and red blood cells rely on glucose to function
4 calories of energy per gram
ex: 10g of carbohydrates= 40 calories of energy
CARBOHYDRATES
simple vs. complex
SIMPLE
A category of carbohydrates that contain a single sugar unit
(monosaccharide) or t wo sugar units combined (disaccharide)
Monosaccharides:
Glucose
Fructose
Sweetest of the
Monosaccharides
AKA Fruit Sugar
Galactose
Links with glucose
to create the sugar
found in dairy
foods
Disaccharides:
Created from glucose,
fructose, and galactose
Glucose+Fructose=Sucrose
Table Sugar
2 Glucose= Maltose
Sugar found in grains
Glucose
+galactose=lactose
Milk Sugar (Found in
dairy foods
CARBOHYDRATES
COMPLEX CARBOHYDRATES
Carbohydrates that contain many sugar units
combined (Polysaccharide)
Starch (The storage form of glucose in plants), fiber (a
nondigestible polysaccharide), and glycogen (the
storage form of glucose in humans and animals are
the three groups of polysaccharides
CARBOHYDRATES
Where to get them?
Breads
Cereal
Pasta
Fruits
Vegetables
Whole Grains
FATS
WHY DO YOU NEED THEM? They are...
A protective cushion for your bones, organs and ner ves
Used for insulation and to maintain body temperature
Provide energy
Absorb certain nutrients
Carries fat-soluble vitamins
Provides essential fatty acids
9 Calories of energy per gram
It is recommended that 20-35% of your calories come from
fat
FATS
Fatty Acids
Saturated- Raises LDL
Polyunsaturated- Decreases LDL
Monounsaturated- Decreases LDL and Increases HDL
Cholesterol (Your body MAKES all the cholesterol it needs!)
LDL- Low Density Lipoprotein
Bad Cholesterol
Deposits cholesterol in the walls of the arteries
Can lead to heart disease
HDL-High Density Lipoprotein
Good Cholesterol
Removes cholesterol from the tissues and delivers it to the liver to be
used as a part of bile and/or be excreted from the body
FATS
Where to get them?
Cheese
Butter
Nuts
Meats
Dressings
Chocolate
PROTEIN
WHAT IS IT?
Compounds in your body that consist of numerous amino acids
found in all living cells
Amino Acids- Building blocks of protein
4 calories of energy per gram
How much is recommended?
Healthy adults should consume enough dietary protein to
replace the amount they use each day
Pregnant women, people recovering from injury, and growing
children need more to supply necessities for building new
tissue
PROTEIN
WHY DO YOU NEED IT? (Functions)
Provide structural and mechanical support
Help maintain body tissues
Needed by the body for growth and maintenance
Help body make important substances
Regulate body processes
Supply energy
`
COMPLETE
Contains adequate
amounts of all
essential amino acids
Sources:
Meat
Milk
Eggs
FIsh
INCOMPLETE
Lacks some amino
acids
Sources:
Nuts
Beans
Peas
What can happen if you...
EAT TOO MUCH PROTEIN
Increased risk for:
Heart Disease
Kidney Stones
Osteoporosis- (Brittle
Bones)
Cancer
EAT TOO LITTLE PROTEIN
Increased risk for:
Loss of bone mass
Lack of sufficient
protein and/or
calories in the body.