We hear the word nutrition bandied about, but besides knowing it has something to do with food, how does nutrition affect us? Nutrition Information Resources gives us some answers.
Nutrition is the science of food, the nutrients in foods and how the body uses them. This includes ingeson, digestion, absorpon, metabolism, transport, storage and excretion of those nutrients. The six classes of nutrients include: carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins, minerals and water.
Carbohydrates are an ideal source of energy for the body. This is because they can be converted more readily into glucose, the form of sugar that’s transported and used by the body. There are two types of carbohydrate: complex and simple. Complex carbohydrates provide a slower and more sustained release of energy than simple carbohydrates.
Fats are oen considered unhealthy, but they are essential to our bodies. Fay acids are important to brain development and also help with blood clong and controlling inflammation. Fats keep our skin and hair healthy and also help the body absorb certain vitamins and move them through the blood.
Protein is essential for the growth of cells and tissue repair. All proteins are made up of different combinations of 20 compounds called amino acids. There are two types of amino acids: nonessential and essential. Essential amino acids cannot be made by the body and must be got from food. Oily fish (salmon, sardines, trout, tuna) is a good source of protein. It has the added advantage of being high in types of fay acid that provide protection against heart attack and, to some extent, stroke.
Vitamins are micronutrients so your body only requires small amounts of each vitamin. However, daily vitamins from food are necessary for life, and often nutritional vitamin supplements are required. Vitamins are organic substances containing carbon, hydrogen and oxygen, which fall into two categories— fat soluble vitamins and water soluble vitamins.
Minerals are necessary for three main reasons:
• building strong bones and teeth;
• controlling body fluids inside and outside cell;
• turning the food you eat into energy.
Some minerals are even used to make hormones or maintain a normal heartbeat. Essential minerals include calcium and iron.
