Nutrients are essential chemical substances found in food that the body requires for functioning, including macronutrients such as fats, proteins, carbohydrates and water as well as micronutrients such as vitamins and minerals.
Registered dietitians can help you assess your specific nutrient needs based on diet and life stage. Acquiring general knowledge about nutrients will enable you to create a nutritious eating plan.
Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates are one of the three macronutrients essential to human survival; along with protein and fat. When eaten, carbohydrates are digested by your digestive tract into sugars that provide energy for cells, tissues and muscles in your body.
Our body relies on glucose, a type of carbohydrate, to produce adenosine triphosphate (ATP), the energy source that drives all cell functions and keeps us going throughout our daily activities. Most cells primarily depend on glucose as their source of energy for cell functioning; however, other nutrients, including proteins and fats may also provide vitality.
Carbs can be found in many foods, including grains, legumes and starchy vegetables like potatoes, corn and cassava as well as fruits and milk products. Sugars may also be added as table or refined sugars and can be easily identified on Nutrition Facts labels of packaged food products. It is wise to eat less foods high in sugar while increasing fiber consumption for overall better health.
Proteins
Protein is one of three macronutrients the body requires every day – along with carbohydrates and fats – as building blocks for cells and tissues. Protein helps build muscles, form enzymes that assist with digestion, regulate hormones and provide energy. Oxygenating the blood supply oxygenates nutrients directly to our bodies while providing energy source for our daily activity.
Proteins can be found in foods like meat, fish, dairy products and beans and vegetables; individual requirements vary. A high-protein diet may help promote muscle growth for individuals engaging in intensive physical activity; one such example could be athletes on training programs.
Complete proteins are classified as such when they contain all nine essential amino acids that the human body cannot produce itself. Animal foods like milk, eggs and chicken provide rich sources of complete proteins while plant-based sources like soy and quinoa also offer complete proteins with additional healthful benefits such as providing essential minerals like iron, calcium and zinc.
Lipids
Lipids are nonpolar molecules that are insoluble in water but soluble in other solvents, including ether and chloroform. Lipids can be divided into four main categories: fats and oils (triglycerides or triacylglycerols); fatty acids; phospholipids; and cholesterol. Lipids play many vital functions within our bodies – providing energy sources, storage for hormones and fat-soluble vitamins, cell membrane structural components as well as cell protection/signaling functions.
Lipids can be found in food sources such as vegetable oils, meats, dairy products and animal-derived food products. Consuming excessive quantities of saturated fats may increase risk for cardiovascular disease.
Lipids play an essential role in forming nerve cell membranes and transmitting nerve impulses, as well as in maintaining myelin sheaths that allow brain cells to communicate via nerve impulse. Therefore, getting enough lipids, particularly polyunsaturated fatty acids and phospholipids from food sources, is vital to optimal brain function and optimal satiety levels.
Water
Water is an indispensable, natural, calorie-free beverage and essential to our bodies in many ways. It helps our cells absorb vitamins and minerals, supports proper brain functioning (focus, reasoning and short-term memory) as well as maintaining balanced hormone levels for emotional equilibrium. Furthermore, water provides a cushion to cushion spinal cord injuries and reduce inflammation.
Water, an odorless and tasteless liquid at room temperature, can be found both on Earth and elsewhere in outer space. Essential to life on our planet and elsewhere, water serves as both the world’s oceans, atmosphere, bodies of water as well as blood, digestive juices, lymph and urine production – essential elements that allow organisms to live.
Research to support water intake requirements is far less robust than for other nutrients. Since water requirements depend on factors that include metabolism, environmental conditions and activities as well as age groups; an Adequate Intake (AI) has instead been created as an approach.
