A Look at the Components of Food

Nutrition is the study of food and how the body use food as energy for growth and activities. There are two kinds of nutrients; the macronutrients and the micronutrients. Macronutrients or also called the «big» nutrients, consist of proteins, carbohydrates and fats. Micronutrients are also known as «little» nutrients, comprise of vitamins and minerals that our body needs in order to function well (or to be healthy). In order for you to analyze these, here’s a little breakdown of information of the ones states above.

Proteins

Proteins are one of the major structural components of the body. Organs and muscles are made up of proteins. The blood, cell membrane and immune system are also included. Individual elements are called «amino acids», which is found primarily in meats, dairy products, eggs, soy, fish and poultry.
Carbohydrates

Carbohydrate is the main source of energy for the each cell in the body and fuel for the body.  Carbohydrates consist of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen. Sugar, starches and fibers are types of carbohydrates. Fruits, vegetables, grains, milk, syrups, honey and table sugar are good sources of carbohydrates.

Fats

Fats, our body needs them, too much of it should be avoided. Fat supply linoleic acid on our body. Linoleic acid is an essential fatty acid for growth, metabolism and healthy skin. It helps absorb fat soluble vitamins. There are different kinds of fats, this includes; saturated fats, trans fats or hydrogenated fats, unsaturated fats and omega-3 fatty acids. Saturated fats are fats that came from animal products like meat, dairy and egg. Some are found in some plant based sources like coconut oil. Trans fats are fats that increases the LDL cholesterol level and decreases the HDL cholesterol level. Trans fats are chemical process that changes liquid oil into solid fats. Omega-3 fatty acids are what you will call essential fatty acids. Omega-3 fatty acids are important for our health but can not be produced by our body. This kind of fatty acids reduces the risk of heart diseases and boosts the immune system.

Vitamins

Vitamins are organic molecule that is needed in every living organism. Vitamins are classified as water soluble and fat soluble. Water soluble vitamins are vitamins that are easily dissolved in water while fat soluble vitamins are vitamins that are absorbed through the intestinal tract with the aid of lipids. Vitamins are important for normal growth and development and in various chemical reactions in the body. There are different kinds of vitamins. Each has its own function in our body that’s why vitamins are essential in the body’s nutrition.

Minerals

Minerals are inorganic elements or «non living» elements that is important in nutrition of human, animals and plant or all living organism. There are a lot of minerals that is inside the human body. They are the main structural component of the body. Like vitamins, minerals also have some essential function in the human body.

When our body doesn’t receive enough nutrition, it easily becomes weak and is more prone to diseases. That is why it is also essential to take nutrition supplements. Nutrition supplements help support the health of the human body to fight and prevent diseases.