Nutrients: Fueling Your Body for Optimal Health
Essential Nutrients for a Healthy Body
The energy stored in food molecules is released during cellular respiration and used to produce ATP molecules that power cellular activities.
Raw Materials for Body Building and Repair
Food also supplies the raw materials used to build and repair body tissue. A healthy diet ensures that your body receives all the required substances.
Key Nutrients Your Body Needs
The nutrients that your body needs are water, carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins, and minerals. Nutrients are substances in food that supply the energy and raw materials your body uses for growth, repair, and maintenance.
The Importance of Water
The most important nutrient is water. Many of the body’s processes, including chemical reactions, take place in water.
Carbohydrates: Simple vs. Complex
There are simple and complex carbohydrates.
The sugars found in fruit, honey, and sugar cane are simple carbohydrates. Complex carbohydrates are found in grains, potatoes, and vegetables. The human digestive system cannot break down cellulose, so you need fiber in your diet. Fiber may also have other benefits, such as reducing the risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes.
Fats: Essential for Absorption and Cell Structure
Fats help the body absorb fat-soluble vitamins and are part of cell membranes, nerve cells, and certain hormones. The raw materials used to build fats include fatty acids and glycerol. Fats are classified as saturated and unsaturated. Saturated fats, like butter, are solid at room temperature, while unsaturated fats are liquids at room temperature. Unsaturated fats have one or more double bonds between carbon atoms, which reduces the number of hydrogen atoms in their fatty acids.
Proteins: Building Blocks for Growth and Repair
Proteins supply raw materials for growth and repair of structures such as skin and muscle. Proteins also have regulatory and transport functions and are polymers of amino acids. Meat, fish, eggs, and milk contain all eight essential amino acids.
Vitamins: Organic Molecules for Vital Functions
Vitamins are organic molecules that the body needs in very small amounts. The fat-soluble vitamins are A, D, E, and K, and the water-soluble vitamins are B and C.
Key Vitamins and Their Functions
- Vitamin A (Retinol): Important for night vision and growth of skin cells.
- Vitamin D (Calciferol): Promotes bone growth and increases calcium absorption.
- Vitamin E (Tocopherol): Antioxidant and prevents cellular damage.
- Vitamin K: Needed for normal blood clotting.
- Vitamin B1 (Thiamine): Metabolism of carbohydrates.
- Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin): Energy metabolism and growth.
- Niacin: Important for energy metabolism.
- Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine): Important for amino acid metabolism.
- Pantothenic Acid: Needed for energy metabolism.
- Folic Acid: Prevents neural tube defects.
- Vitamin B12 (Cobalamin): Maturation of red blood cells and nucleic acid metabolism.
- Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid): Maintains cartilage and bones, antioxidant.
- Biotin: Glycogen formation and amino acid metabolism.
- Choline: Part of phospholipids and neurotransmitters.
Minerals: Inorganic Nutrients for Body Functions
Minerals are the inorganic nutrients that the body needs, usually in small amounts.
Essential Minerals and Their Roles
- Calcium: Bone and tooth formation, nerve and muscle function.
- Phosphorus: Acid-base balance.
- Iron: Electron carrier used in energy metabolism.
- Chlorine: Acid-base balance and formation of gastric juices.
- Sodium and Potassium: Acid-base balance, water balance, nerve and muscle function.
- Magnesium: Activation of enzymes in protein synthesis.
- Fluorine: Bone and tooth structure.
- Zinc: Important for certain digestive enzymes.
Achieving a Balanced Diet
A balanced diet provides nutrients in adequate amounts and enough energy for a person to maintain a healthful weight. Food labels can be used to plan a healthful diet and determine how much minerals and vitamins you are consuming.