Nutrients are essential substances that provide energy and essential for good health. Since our bodies cannot produce them themselves, obtaining them through diet is the only means. A balanced diet provides all six classes of nutrients: carbohydrates, proteins, fats lipids vitamins and minerals.
Minerals are inorganic chemical elements such as calcium, magnesium, potassium, sodium and phosphorus that play essential roles in maintaining bone strength, pH regulation, enzyme activity and nerve transmission.
Vitamins
Vitamins perform numerous essential roles for our bodies, from strengthening bones to improving immunity and turning food into energy. Vitamin deficiencies can pose serious health issues; therefore they are best found both in foods and as supplements.
Water-soluble vitamins such as Vitamin C and the B-complex vitamins circulate easily throughout the blood and tissues, with kidneys helping regulate levels and excrete excess through urine production. Regular consumption is necessary to avoid deficiency.
Fat-soluble vitamins like vitamins A, D and E are stored in our livers and fatty tissues and used as reservoirs to release these essential nutrients when needed. Sources include meat, organ meats, dairy products, eggs, vegetables with dark leafy greens such as spinach or dark leafy greens as well as whole grains avocados and nuts as good sources. Folate (Vitamin B9) plays an especially vital role for cell growth by breaking down amino acids for metabolism and making DNA. Unfortunately it’s extremely sensitive to heat so excessive cooking destroys 50-95% of its content!
Minerals
Minerals are inorganic chemical compounds found naturally throughout our planet’s crust that contribute to our wellbeing. Just like vitamins, they’re necessary for health but only needing around 100 milligrams daily (there are 28 grams in an ounce). Minerals can be divided into major and trace minerals; we need more calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, sodium and potassium than trace ones like copper iodide fluoride iron manganese zinc etc.
Most minerals can be found in food sources, particularly animal proteins and certain plants. Furthermore, many are available as dietary supplements or medicine treatments.
Geologically speaking, minerals must meet three criteria in order to qualify as minerals: they must possess a specific chemical composition; have an identifiable crystalline structure and occur independently in nature without living organisms affecting them. Many natural substances – including opal and obsidian – do not fulfill all three geological requirements for mineral status, yet still receive this title due to nutritional relevance – some can even better absorb minerals when eaten alongside animal proteins due to the presence of phytate.
Phytonutrients
Phytonutrients are natural plant compounds that work alongside vitamins and minerals to support health. They are found in various food groups such as vegetables, fruits, whole grains and legumes and may include curcumin, quercetin, resveratrol or polyphenols (including phenolic acids).
Studies indicate that phytonutrients may provide protection from chronic illnesses like cancer, heart disease and Alzheimer’s. Many phytonutrients also possess antimicrobial properties which help fight inflammation within the body.
As with vitamins and minerals, consuming more phytonutrients is always best. Try eating foods from different families of phytonutrients; different ones have unique health benefits – for instance orange foods contain carotenoid phytonutrients while blue/purple ones contain anthocyanins – so diversifying your meals with different colors is best. When filling half your plate with vegetables and fruit at each meal time use various cooking techniques to maximize nutrition intake.
Water
Water, consisting of two positively-charged hydrogen atoms and one negatively charged oxygen atom, has unique properties that support all forms of life. It forms the primary constituent of Earth’s hydrosphere as well as being an essential constituent of living cells’ fluid. Furthermore, its molecular-level structure enables it to perform many chemical reactions that support our existence on this planet.
Water acts as a solvent, dissolving many substances and transporting molecules essential to life systems through cohesion and adhesive properties that create surface tension similar to what air exerts inside balloons.
Water is an essential nutrient whose absence could prove deadly within days, yet determining its requirements and recommendations remains difficult compared to other nutrients whose intakes can be determined using scientific methodologies that account for factors like metabolism, environment conditions, body size and physical activity.
