Food Nutrients

1. Food Nutrients

2. Carbohydrates

3. Carbohydrates • Main source of chemical energy in food • Come in different sizes and complexity • Monosaccharides, disaccharides, polysaccharides • Glucose is the most common monosaccharide

4. Types of Carbs • Glucose is used in cellular respiration to break down into energy molecules (adenosine triphosphate or ATP) • Lactose and Sucrose are common disaccharides (are digested into glucose molecules) • Cellulose and glycogen are common polysaccharides stored in plants and animals respectively

6. Carbs in diet and living tissues • Most are used for energy by catabolic reactions to form glucose subunits • Some are stored in muscles and in the liver as glycogen • If not utilized then converted into fats (lipids)

7. Proteins

8. Proteins • Most diverse and complex macromolecule • Used for variety of functions and structural components • Made of long chains of amino acids • 20 a.a. all together, 8 of them are essential; meaning that the have to be obtained through diet

9. Functions • Enzymes – control/catalyze chemical reactions • Myosin – protein responsible for muscle contraction • Haemoglobin – transport O2 in blood • Collagen – connective tissue in skin • HGH – human growth hormone • Antibodies – immune signalers

10. Lipids

11. Components of lipids • Main subunit is a triglyceride • Saturated – solid fats at room temperature • Unsaturated – liquids at room temperature

12. Lipids • Concentrated chemical energy • Used for absorbing vitamins, making sex hormones (estrogen and testosterone) and main component of cell membrane (phospholipid bilayer)

13. Common lipids • Some (like amino acids) are essential • ie; Omega – 3 fatty acid . . . Good for heart health and arthritis • Steroids are made of fats (sex hormones) • Cholesterol (both good and bad types); used for cell membrane structure

14. Vitamins

15. Vitamins • Vitamins are used for regulating cell functions, growth and development • Either fat soluble or water soluble • Vit. A,D,E and K are fat soluble and are stored in fat tissue (not easily eliminated and can be toxic if levels are high) • Vit. B and C are water soluble, passed in urine and need to be replenished daily

16. Minerals • Elements that the body uses to carry out cellular functions • Sodium – used for muscle contraction and nerve impulses • Iron – O2 binds to it in haemoglobin • Many others as well . . .