1 / 12

Understanding Essential Nutrients: Their Role and Importance for Your Health

Nutrients are substances that perform specific functions in the body. With over 40 nutrients classified into six main groups—carbohydrates, fats, proteins, water, vitamins, and minerals—each plays a vital role. Carbohydrates provide energy, while fats contribute to flavor, texture, and vitamin transport. Proteins build and repair cells, and water regulates temperature and eliminates waste. Vitamins and minerals support internal processes. Knowing these nutrients helps us maintain a balanced diet and ensures our bodies function optimally.

lane-lowery
Télécharger la présentation

Understanding Essential Nutrients: Their Role and Importance for Your Health

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Nutrients From Food to You February 10, 2011

  2. Nutrient • A substance that performs a specific job in your body. • More than 40 nutrients belong in six main groups! • What Nutrients do for you: • Give you energy • Build and repair body cells • Regulate body processes

  3. The Six Nutrients • Carbohydrate • Fats • Protein • Water • Vitamins • Minerals

  4. Carbohydrates • Main energy source • Simple: • Sugar • Complex: • Starch • Fiber • Foods with Carbohydrates • Sugars occurring naturally in foods • Fruit and milk • Whole grains, legumes, and many vegetables

  5. Fats • Fats provide: • Energy • Flavor and texture • Healthy skin and normal growth • Transports some vitamins and slows digestion • Insulates you from heat and cold • Types • Saturated: Solid at room temperature • Raises cholesterol • Unsaturated: Liquid at room temperature • Lowers cholesterol • Trans: Oils hydrogenated/processed to be firm • Raises cholesterol

  6. Proteins • Substances body uses to build new cells and repair injured ones • Needed for growth and fighting disease • Made of 22 amino acids – Nine are essential • Extra protein doesn’t build extra muscles – Physical activity DOES! • Types: • Complete – all 9 essential amino acids • Soybeans and animal sources • Incomplete – lack one or more essential amino acids • Plant sources, beans, peas, grains, nuts • Eat a variety of these foods!

  7. Water • Every body cell contains water • Water carries nutrients • Helps regulate body temperature • Helps eliminate waste • Drink water every day!

  8. Vitamins • Needed in small amounts • Does not provide energy or build body tissue • Regulate body processes and helps other nutrients do their work • Two types: • Water-soluble – Dissolve in water • Thiamin, Riboflavin, Niacin, Folate, Vitamin B & C • Fat-soluble – Dissolve in fat • Vitamin A, D, E, and K

  9. Minerals • Regulate body processes • Some become a part of your body in the form of cells, fluids, muscles, teeth, and bones • Minerals work together • Examples: • Calcium, Phosphorus, Magnesium, Sodium, Chloride, Potassium, Iron, Zinc, Fluoride, etc.

  10. Energy in Food • Calorie – Unit that measures energy from food and energy used by the body • Three nutrients provide energy: • Carbohydrates (1 gram = 4 calories) • 45-65% of daily calories • Proteins (1 gram = 4 calories) • 10-35% of daily calories • Fats (1 gram = 9 calories) • 25-35% of daily calories • No more than 10% coming from saturated fats

  11. Energy Your Body Uses • For Body Processes: • Breathing, circulating blood, building cells, etc. • This makes up your metabolism • BMR – Basic Metabolic Rate • Speed at which the body uses energy for body processes • Differs from person to person • For Physical Activity: • Every movement you make • The amount you use depends on how active you are

  12. Energy Balance • Consuming the same amount of energy (calories) as your body uses • Maintains your weight • How does this affect your body weight?

More Related