Transcript Six Classes of Nutrients

Six Classes of Nutrients
Nutrition Unit
Lesson 2
What Is Nutrition?
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The study of what people eat and of eating
habits and how these affect health status
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Nutrient = substance in food that helps with
the body processes, growth and repair of
cells, and provides energy.
 Calorie: unit of energy produced by food;
used by the body
Six Classes of Nutrients
 Proteins
 Carbohydrates
 Fats
 Vitamins
 Minerals
 Water
Proteins
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Needed for:
 Growth
 To build, repair, and maintain body tissues
 Regulate body processes
 Supply energy
Help body maintain strength; resist infection
1 gram of protein = 4 calories
Protein deficiency may stunt growth or affect tissue
and mental development
Excess protein is stored as fat or burned as energy
Proteins
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Two kinds:
 Complete protein – contains all essential
amino acids
 Amino acids = building blocks of protein
 Examples: meat, fish, poultry, milk,
yogurt, eggs
 Incomplete protein – from plant sources
that does not contain all of the essential
amino acids
 Examples: grains, legumes, nuts and
seeds
Carbohydrates
Main source of energy for the body
 Includes sugars, starches, and fiber
 Supply 4 grams of energy per gram of
food
 Excess carbs are stored as fat
 Includes:
 Vegetables, beans, potatoes, pasta,
breads, rice, bran, popcorn, and fruit
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Carbohydrates
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Two types:
 Simple carbohydrates – sugars that enter the
bloodstream rapidly; provide quick energy
 Examples: fruits, honey, milk, processed
sugar, cakes, candy, ketchup, spaghetti sauce,
and soda pop
 Provide calories, but few vitamins and minerals
 Complex carbohydrates – starches and fiber
 Most of the calories in diet are complex carbs
 Examples: grains (breads/pasta), vegetables
 Starch: food substance made and stored in
plants – provide long-lasting energy
Carbohydrates
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Fiber
 Part of grains and plant foods that cannot be
digested – also called roughage
 Helps move food through digestive system
 Helps prevent constipation and other intestinal
problems
 Foods with fiber make you feel full
 Reduces blood cholesterol level and risk of
developing heart disease
 Includes wheat, bran, cereals, fruit, and
vegetables
Fats
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Provides energy; helps body store and use
vitamins
One gram of fat = nine calories of energy
Store and transport fat-soluble vitamins
 Fat-soluble vitamin – dissolves in fat; can be
stored in the body (ex.: vitamins A, D, E, and K)
Surround and cushion internal organs
Give taste and texture to food
Need fat to maintain body heat, store and use
vitamins, maintain energy reserve, build brain
cells/nerve tissues
Fats
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Two Types
 Saturated fat – comes from dairy products, solid
vegetable fat, and meat and poultry
 Usually solid in form
 Contribute to person’s cholesterol in blood
 Cholesterol = fat-like substance made by the body
and found in certain foods
 Can be lowered by eating fewer saturated fats
(healthy levels lower the risk of heart disease and
some cancers)
 Unsaturated fat – obtained from plant products and fish
 Usually liquid
 Polyunsaturated fat – sunflower, corn, and soybean
oils
 Monounsaturated fat – olive and canola oils
Vitamins
Helps body use carbs, proteins, and
fats
 Two types:
 Fat-soluble (A, D, E, and K)
 Water-soluble – dissolves in water;
cannot be stored by the body in
significant amounts
 Examples: B complex, C
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Minerals
Regulates chemical reactions in the
body
 Two types:
 Macro: required in amounts greater
than 100 milligrams
 Examples – calcium, sodium
 Trace: needed in very small amounts;
just as important as macro minerals
 Examples – iron, zinc
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Water
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Involved with all body processes, makes up basic part
of blood, regulates body temperature, helps waste
removal, cushions spinal cord and joints
Makes up approx. 70% of body mass
Can survive only a few days without water
 Dehydration: water content of body has dropped to
an extremely low level
 Caused by a lack of water intake, dry environment,
fever, vomiting, diarrhea, hot weather, exercise
Important to drink 6-8 12 oz. or more glasses of water a
day
 Don’t substitute pop and caffeinated drinks – act as
diuretics (product that increases the amount of urine
excreted)
Signs of Dehydration
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Dizziness
Fatigue
Weakness
Dry mouth
Flushed skin
Headache
Blurred vision
Difficulty swallowing
Dry, hot skin
Rapid pulse
Frequent need to urinate