Nutrients are essential substances we ingest for energy, building materials and controlling bodily processes. There are six classes of nutrients: carbohydrates, proteins, fats (lipids), water, vitamins and minerals.
Minerals include sodium, which plays an integral role in helping nerves and muscles work as intended while also controlling fluid levels to prevent swelling. Calcium plays an essential role in bone development.
Carbohydrates
Carbs provide our bodies with energy, while also helping to regulate blood sugar levels. Found in various forms of food, carbs play an essential role in good health – specifically low GI carbohydrates which release energy gradually over time.
Carbohydrates can be found in grains, vegetables and fruits and are converted to glucose (blood sugar) by our bodies as energy for use later. Any excess glucose is stored as glycogen or fat for later use. You can find out the carb content of food on its nutritional label; carbohydrates can be further classified by how many sugar units make up its molecules – single unit sugars such as glucose fructose galactose are single sugar units while double unit sugars (disaccharides) or complex carbs with three or more sugar molecules strung together forming long chemical chains found in foods like peas beans and whole grain food products.
Proteins
Protein is one of three macronutrients the body requires in large amounts daily for energy production. Protein also plays an essential role in tissue repair and rebuilding as well as transporting essential nutrients throughout the body. Protein is composed of basic units known as amino acids strung together into complex formations – while some amino acids can be synthesized within our own bodies, 9 essential ones must come from food sources.
Amino acids can be found in animal products like meat, poultry, fish and eggs as well as in plant foods like soy beans, legumes, nuts quinoa and some grains. Since essential amino acids cannot be produced by our bodies naturally, they must be consumed daily – or at elevated levels during gestation to protect the unborn fetus from neural tube defects.
Lipids
Fat is often blamed for weight gain; however, lipids play an integral role in biology as building blocks for cell membranes, transporting fat-soluble vitamins, and creating hormones.
Lipids are fats or waxy substances produced by your body that do not dissolve in water, including triglycerides, phospholipids and cholesterol.
Triacylglycerols (TGs), found in fats and oils, consist of a glycerol backbone esterified with three fatty acids of differing chain length and desaturation (the number of double bonds). Other dietary lipids include monounsaturated fatty acids and polyunsaturated fatty acids found in avocado, olive, peanut and vegetable oils as well as safflower, sunflower and soybean oils; nuts and seeds as well as Phospholipids found naturally within egg yolk, liver peanuts as lecithin or phytosterols.
Water
Water is one of the body’s primary nutrients, accounting for 60% of its weight. It brings oxygen into cells, helps convert food to energy and eliminate waste products from our system, while transmitting sound waves through ears and eyeballs as well as carrying flavors of foods and odors directly to our brains.
Water may appear simple as a clear, nontoxic liquid; however, its universal solubility enables it to dissolve nearly every solid or gas that it comes into contact with due to its polarity. Although numerous studies exist that allow for relatively precise determinations of caloric requirements, less research has been conducted regarding fluid intake requirements; consequently it is often recommended that an individual express his or her fluid consumption in relation to caloric consumption.
Vitamins
Vitamins are organic substances needed by the body in small quantities to perform various vital functions. Vitamin supplements fall into either water- or fat-soluble categories; some examples are thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid pyridoxine biotin folate (also referred to as folic acid). Fat-soluble vitamins include vitamins A D E.
These micronutrients play crucial roles in energy production and metabolism, DNA synthesis, oxygen transport, cell signaling, cognitive functions like mental and physical fatigue management and fatigue prevention. Their deficiency may cause specific types of anemia. Most commonly found in food or dietary supplement products containing them; however high doses or chronic consumption could be toxic; additionally they are available as individual supplements.
