Transcript Six Classes of Nutrients

Six Classes of Nutrients
Nutrition Unit
Lesson 2
What Is Nutrition?

The study of what people eat and of eating habits and
how these affect health status

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

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

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
Carbohydrates

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 longlasting energy
Carbohydrates

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



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

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
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
Water



Involved with all body processes, makes up basic part
of blood, regulates body temperature, helps waste
removal, cushions spinal cord and joints
Makes up 60% 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 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











Dizziness
Fatigue
Weakness
Dry mouth
Flushed skin
Headache
Blurred vision
Difficulty swallowing
Dry, hot skin
Rapid pulse
Frequent need to urinate