Nutrition
Nutrition comprises the building blocks for life. The importance of knowing the facts on food nutrrition cannot be overestimated. To maintain health our body needs a steady supply of healthy and nutritious food.
The absorption of nutrients starts the moment we begin to digest our foods, as they are transported to the cells in the human body to assist all its metabolic processes.
Good nutrition means getting the right amount of nutrients from healthy foods in the right combinations. Having nutrition knowledge and making smart choices about the foods you eat will help you achieve and maintain optimum health over your lifetime, so you can avoid obesity, illness, and many of today’s most prevalent chronic diseases.
The nutritious elements of the food include protein, fat, carbohydrate, vitamins, minerals, and water. You may be interested in my Personal Nutrition Data Program, which can inform you about the content of any nutrient in any food.
This site will present the facts on the nutrients in a brief but informative way. In particular, the importance of the essential nutrients, which we need in sufficient amounts to maintain our health, will be stressed.
Protein
Protein is the most important nutrient in the human body. Protein is present in all cells making up enzymes, structural components (tendons, ligaments), contractile proteins (muscle, including the heart), antibodies, hormonal, transport, and storage proteins.
Amino Acids
Proteins are composed of amino acids and comprise the second largest component – apart from water – in human muscles, cells, and other tissues.
Nine of the 20 standard amino acids are called “essential” amino acids for humans because they cannot be created from other compounds by the human body. These amino acids, which must be present in the food, are histidine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, threonine, tryptophan, and valine.
Six other amino acids are considered conditionally essential in the human diet, meaning their synthesis can be limited under special pathophysiological conditions, such as prematurity in the infant or individuals in severe catabolic distress. These six are arginine, cysteine, glycine, glutamine, proline, and tyrosine.
Five amino acids are not essential in humans since they can be synthesized in sufficient quantities in the body. These five are alanine, asparagine, aspartic acid, glutamic acid, and serine.
Fat
The body fat stores energy and insulates against cold. It is also an important constituent of the brain and the nerves, but most importantly it is making up the membranes of all cells.
Of the fats, only the omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids are essential nutrients.
Carbohydrate
The body uses carbohydrate as fuel – especially in the muscles, heart, and brain. However, carbohydrate is NOT an essential nutrient.
Vitamins
Vitamins are vital nutrients required in tiny amounts by the body.
They include vitamin A (retinol), vitamin Bp (choline), vitamin B1 (thiamin), vitamin B2 (riboflavin), vitamin B3 (niacin), vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid), vitamin B6 (pyridoxine), vitamin B7 (biotin), vitamin B9 (folic acid), vitamin B12 (cobalamin), vitamin C (ascorbic acid), vitamin D (calciferol), vitamin E (tocopherol), vitamin K (naphthoquinoids). All the vitamins are essential for our health. They have different functions – some work as coenzymes in metabolic processes – and some have antioxidant effects.
Minerals
Of the minerals, some need to be present in the diet in relatively large amounts. They include calcium (Ca), chloride (Cl), magnesium (Mg), phosphorus (P), potassium (K), sodium (Na), and sulfur (S).
Other elements are only required in trace amounts. They include chromium (Cr), cobalt (Co), copper (Cu), iodine (I), iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), molybdenum (Mo), selenium (Se), and zinc (Zn). All the above mineral elements are essential nutrients.
Some minerals are present in extremely small amounts (less than 0.0001% by weight) in biological tissues. Nevertheless they may still have a role to play. They are called ultra-trace elements. These include boron (B), bromine (Br), cadmium (Cd), fluorine (F), lead (Pb), lithium (L), nickel (Ni), and silicon (Si), tin (Sn), and vanadium (V).
Dietary Fiber
The dietary fiber present in vegetarian foods has very important functions for your health as it can prevent or relieve constipation. But foods containing fiber can also help maintain a healthy weight and lower the risk of diabetes, heart disease, and some types of cancer.
Water
Water is lost from the body mainly as urine, sweat, and evaporation. We need at least 6–8 glasses of water daily to maintain proper hydration. Water is an essential nutrient.
Other possible nutrients
These include some antioxidants and phytochemicals. The role of these substances in the health of humans is not yet fully illuminated.
Nutrient-rich foods
Check the nutrients in your food. Here you can find which foods have the highest content of each of the important nutrients.