Nutrition for Health

What are nutrients?

• Chemical substances in food that helps

maintain the body

• Some supply energy while others repair

and build tissue

• You need over 50 for good health

• No food provides all the nutrients needed

for the body

6 Nutrients

• Protein

• Carbohydrates

• Vitamins

• Minerals

• Fats

• Water

Carbohydrates

• Comes from:– Sugars - simple

– Starches - complex

– Fiber

• Sources – Vegetables

– Legumes (peas, beans)

– Pasta

– Seeds

– Nuts

– Fruit

Carbohydrates and

What they do for us

Primary source for the body’s energy

• Helps digest fat

• Used for growth and maintenance

• Rich in fiber; helps prevent cancer and

intestinal problems

How much is needed daily

• 55-65% of your calories should come from

carbohydrates (mainly complex)

• Too many carbs makes one fat

Protein

• Animal (complete protein) = meat, fish, poultry, milk and milk products, eggs

• Plant (incomplete protein) = dried beans, peas, legumes (nuts)

• Incomplete proteins need to be combined to make a complete protein (beans and rice) (peanuts and bread)

• Proteins are made from amino acids which are found completely in animal sources or in combination with incomplete sources

Protein and

What it does for us

• Protein is found in EVERY cell

• Provides amino acids which are essential

for growth, maintenance and repair of

tissue

• Regulates body processes (fluid balance)

• Can be used for energy if carbohydrates

and fat are not available

Amount of Protein needed

• 10-15% of caloric intake per day

• Not enough Protein = Kwashiorkor

Fat (Lipids)

• Visible sources (40%)

– Butter/margarine

– Salad dressings

– Oils and shortening

• Invisible sources

– Eggs

– Cream

– Baked products

– Avocados

Fats and

What they do for us

• Provide energy

• Carry fat soluble vitamins

• Needed for healthy skin

• Provides protection to organs

• Helps to regulate body temperature

Amount of Fat needed

• No more than 30% of daily calories

Vitamins

• Fat-soluble sources

– Liver, eggs, dark green leafy and bright veg.,

squash, cantaloupe, sun, milk

• Water-soluble sources

– Fruits, breads, meat,

Fat-soluble vitamins

• A, D, E, & K stored in fat in the body

• A -- for vision

• D -- comes from sun needed for bones

• E -- found in fatty food is an antioxidant

• K -- needed for clotting blood

Water-soluble vitamins

• B -- found in bread and pasta vegetables

– Lots of B vitamins (riboflavin, niacin, thiamin,

B6, B 12) -- needed for digestion and absorption

of all nutrients

• C -- found in citrus foods, strawberries,

peppers, etc.; helps clot blood; antioxidant!

– Excess is carried out of the body

• Too little looks like this

Vitamins can only come from

a well rounded diet

Beriberi lack

of vitamin BPellagra lack of B Rickets lack of D

Vitamins can only come from a

well rounded diet (cont.)

Scurvy lack of vitamin C

Night blindness lack

of vitamin A

Minerals

4% of our body weight

Our body can not manufacture these

• Calcium

• Iodine

• Sodium

• Chlorine

• Potassium

Calcium found in milk

and milk products• Needed for bones and teeth

• Clots blood

• Too little calcium:

Normal bone----------osteoporosis

Iodine and sodium

found in table salt• Needed for thyroid regulation and of

electrolytes

• Too little iodine or too much causes goiter

Water

• Must have water to function

• Most essential nutrient

• 75% body weight is water

We can live 1 month without food

but we can only live a few days without

water

Water (cont.)

• Sources = all the food groups

–Fruit, vegetables, milk = 75%

–Meat and poultry = 50%

–Grains 5-35%

–Water = 100%

Water and

What it does for our body

• Aids in digestion

• Chemical reactions within our

body rely on water

• Lubricates joints and cells

• Regulates body temperature

How much we need a day

• We use about 10 cups of water a day

• Require 8 glasses of fluid per day to

supply enough for most people. Some

need more.