Nutritionals are essential components that the human body requires in order to produce energy and build tissue. Food sources provide these essential materials that must be consumed regularly in order to sustain life.
Food that supports life includes carbohydrates, fats and proteins as well as water and minerals. Your body uses nutrients to respond to its environment by sensing threats or threats from outside sources; moving through space; excreting waste products out; breathing; sensing environmental conditions or changes; responding quickly when needed and more.
Carbohydrates
Carbs, proteins and fats form the main sources of fuel for our bodies. Digested carbohydrates are broken down into glucose (blood sugar) for energy distribution throughout our cells, tissues and organs. A person should ideally consume complex carbs such as starches that occur naturally in food rather than processed or added sugars that have been linked with obesity, Type 2 Diabetes, heart disease and other health concerns.
Complex carbohydrates can be found in foods such as whole grains, beans and fruits. According to the Dietary Guidelines, adults should consume 45-65% of their caloric intake from carbohydrates; foods containing natural sugar sources tend to provide higher fiber levels than foods that contain added sugars.
Proteins
Proteins are essential building blocks of our bodies, providing four kilocalories of energy per gram of protein. Made up of chains of amino acids composed of carbon, hydrogen, oxygen and nitrogen subunits.
Protein is found in all cells and plays an integral part in numerous biological functions, from building and repairing tissues to transporting nutrients and regulating metabolism reactions, maintaining pH balance and fluid balance and strengthening immune systems.
Protein has quickly become the darling of the fitness community in recent years. Meat and fish provide complete proteins with all nine essential amino acids; vegetarians and vegans may still receive sufficient amounts from plant-based sources although some essential amino acids may be missing.
Fats
Fats provide energy to our bodies in many forms; one gram of fat provides 9 calories of energy compared to 4 for carbohydrates and proteins combined. Fats also build cell membranes, absorb vitamins from food sources and protect against heat loss – though too much bad fat (saturated or trans fats) in your diet may increase your risk for heart disease and other health issues; replacing unhealthy saturated fats with healthier unsaturated ones found in nuts, seeds, fish or vegetable oils may lower cholesterol and triglyceride levels.
Good sources of fats include avocados, peanut butter, nut and seed oils as well as olive, canola and safflower oil. Because fats cannot be produced naturally by our bodies they must come from food sources – essential dietary components which provide more than twice as much energy than either carbohydrates or proteins!
Minerals
Mineral is used in nutrition to refer to inorganic substances required by humans and other animals for growth, tissue repair, metabolism, and carrying out other bodily processes. Such mineral nutrients include iron, calcium, copper, phosphorus and sulfur among many others.
Minerals are naturally-occurring inorganic solids with definable chemical compositions and characteristic crystal structures, which have occurred within their environment for an indefinite period of time. As inorganic substances they cannot be manufactured by living things (for instance wood or pearls) so must always appear as part of nature.
Minerals can be divided into either macrominerals (including calcium, sodium, magnesium and potassium) and trace minerals (chromium, molybdenum, fluoride zinc iron). Trace minerals require only small quantities while macrominerals must be consumed more abundantly.
Vitamins
Vitamins play an essential role in maintaining skin health and blood cell formation. There are 13 recognized vitamins: A, C, D, E and K plus those from the B complex (thiamin, riboflavin, pantothenic acid, niacin and folate).
Some nutrients have additional functions in the body, including helping it resist infections or processing carbohydrates and fats efficiently. A balanced diet rich in fruits and vegetables is the best way to get enough vitamins and minerals, but many also supplement their intake with supplements from different companies. Before adding supplements to your diet, consult with a healthcare provider; some supplements can interact with prescription drugs; when selecting supplements from USP suppliers check their quality and purity with this certification mark.
