Nutrition

What is Nutrition?

Nutrition is defined as the process by which living organisms obtain and utilize food substances to maintain life, growth and health. It involves the intake, digestion, absorption, and metabolism of nutrients from the diet. Nutrients are chemical compounds found in foods that provides energy and physical components to the body. The body absorbs nutrients through cells and uses them in metabolic reaction.

Key components of Nutrition

Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates provides energy for the body, Particularly

1. Simple Carbohydrates ( Sugar)

  • Glucose ( Blood sugar)
  • Fructose ( Fruit sugar)
  • Lactose ( Milk sugar)
  • Sucrose ( Table sugar)

2. Complex Carbohydrates ( Starches and Fibers)

  • Starches ( Found in legumes, grains and tubers)
  • Fibers ( Found in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes)

Functions of Carbohydrates

  1. Energy source: Carbohydrates are broken in to glucose, which is used by cells for energy.
  2. Fiber: Helps with digestion, satiety, and blood sugar control.
  3. Glycogen storage: Excess carbohydrates are stored in the liver and muscles as glycogen.

Carbohydrates intake

It is extremely essential to track your daily carbohydrates intake everyday, especially when you are trying to stay healthy or lose body weight. To lose weight you should aim to consume fewer calories than you burn, and you should try limiting your carbohydrates to a scale of 100-150 grams per day. The number of carbohydrates you consume depends on your calories you take. It is important to be on a scale and not consume less or more carbohydrates, A less or no-carb diet can lead to low energy, fatigue, and insufficient nutrients, it can also cause your body to break down fat into ketones for energy, which can lead to side effects such as headache, fatigue, bad breath and weakness.

Tips for eating carbohydrates while trying to lose weight:

  • Reduce refined carbs: A high intake of refined carbohydrates can lead to excess body fat.
  • Choose healthy carbs: Good sources of carbohydrates include whole grains, fruits with the skin on, high fiber vegetables, and legumes.
  • Eat consistently: It is better to eat healthy carbohydrates consistently throughout the day.

Protein

Proteins are essential nutrients for the human body, they play a vital role in building and repairing tissues in the body, therefor they can also serve as a fuel source. Protein is found in a wide range food and it is important that you get enough protein in your diet every day, The amount of protein you need on your diet can vary depending on your age, weight, gender, and health.

Types of proteins

  1. Animal-based protein: Found in meat, poultry, fish, eggs, dairy products, and whey protein.
  2. Plant-based protein: Found in legumes (beans, peas, lentils), nuts, whole grains, seeds, and soy products.

Functions of Protein

  • Maintains fluid balance: Protein helps with regulating fluid balance in the body.
  • Builds and repairs tissues: Protein is essential for building and repairing muscles, bones, skin and hair.
  • Supports immune functions: Protein is necessary for the production of antibodies, which helps fight infections.
  • Produce enzymes and hormones: Protein is necessary for producing enzymes, hormones and other biomolecules.

Can protein make you lose weight?

Protein can help you lose weight by increasing the feeling of fullness and reducing overall calories intake, It can support weight loss by increasing satiety which helps with taking longer to digest than carbohydrates, and helps you fuller for longer. Protein requires more energy to digest, which can increase your resting metabolic rate (RMR) and help you burn more calories. When your on a weight loss diet, protein helps maintain muscle mass which is important for overall health and metabolism, and it can also burn your body fat for energy instead of storing it.

Excessive Protein intake

As the phrase says too much of anything is never okay, excessive intake of protein can cause negative effects, some potential risks includes:

  1. Dehydration and Kidney Strain– High protein intake can lead to dehydration if not balanced with sufficient water intake. Excessive protein can put additional pressure on the kidneys, which may be problematic for individuals with pre-existing kidney issues.
  2. Nutrient Imbalance and deficiencies– Consuming too much protein can lead to an imbalanced macronutrient ratio, potentially causing deficiencies in carbohydrates and healthy fats. High protein diets often lack sufficient fiber, which can lead to constipation, diverticulitis, and other digestive issues.

No Protein intake

  1. Poor wound healing: Deficiency of protein can impede the healing process because protein is necessary for wound heal.
  2. Muscle wasting: Your body will start breaking down muscles for tissue energy without protein intake.
  3. Immune system suppression: Protein is necessary for immune function, so a deficiency can wealen the immune system.
  4. Increased risk of infection: It can increase the risk of infection as the body immune system is compromised.

Fats

Fats are a type of nutrient that you get from your diet. It is essential to eat some fats, though it is also harmful to eat too much. The fats you eat give your body energy that it needs to work properly. During exercise, your body uses calories from carbohydrates you have eaten. You also need fat to keep your skin and hair healthy and help you absorb vitamins A, D, E, and K, which are called fat-soluble vitamins. Fat also fills your fat cells and insulates your body to help keep you warm. The fats your body gets from your food give your body essential fatty acids called linoleic and linolenic acid. They are called “essential” because your body cannot make them itself, or work without them. Your body needs them for brain development, controlling inflammation, and blood clotting. Fat has 9 calories per gram, more than 2 times the number of calories in carbohydrates and protein, which each have 4 calories per gram. All fats are made up of saturated and unsaturated fatty acids. Fats are called saturated or unsaturated depending on how much of each type of fatty acid they contain.

Saturated fats

  • Beef
  • Lamb
  • Pork
  • Poultry, especially with skin
  • Beef fat (tallow)
  • Lard and cream
  • Butter
  • Cheese
  • Ice cream
  • Coconut
  • Palm oil
  • Palm kernel oil
  • Some baked and fried foods

Saturated fats occur naturally in many foods. Most come from animal sources, including meat and dairy products, as well as tropical fats such as coconut, palm and palm kernel.

Unsaturated Fats

Unsaturated fats are healthy fats that are liquid at room temperature and can help lower cholesterol and reduce the risk of heart disease. They are found in many plant-based foods, such as nuts, seeds, and oils, as well as in fatty fish.

  1. Monounsaturated fats are found in high concentrations in: Olive, peanut, and canola oils Avocados Nuts such as almonds, hazelnuts, and pecans Seeds such as pumpkin and sesame seeds.
  2. Polyunsaturated fats are found in high concentrations in Sunflower, corn, soybean, and flaxseed oils Walnuts Flax seeds Fish Canola oil – though higher in monounsaturated fat, it’s also a good source of polyunsaturated fat.
Benefits of unsaturated Fats
  • Improve cholesterol levels: Unsaturated fats can help lower levels of “bad” LDL cholesterol and increase levels of “good” HDL cholesterol. 
  • Reduce inflammation: Unsaturated fats can help ease inflammation. 
  • Stabilize heart rhythms: Unsaturated fats can help stabilize heart rhythms. 
  • Make membranes more flexible: Unsaturated fats make phospholipids more flexible, which helps membranes resist cold stress

Vitamins

Vitamins are organic molecules (or a set of closely related molecules called vitamers) that are essential to an organism in small quantities for proper metabolic function. Essential nutrients cannot be synthesized in the organism in sufficient quantities for survival, and therefore must be obtained through the diet. For example, vitamin C can be synthesized by some species but not by others; it is not considered a vitamin in the first instance but is in the second. Most vitamins are not single molecules, but groups of related molecules called vitamers. For example, there are eight vitamers of vita

Types of Vitamins

  • Fat-soluble vitamins: Vitamins A, D, E, and K are stored in the liver and fatty tissue.
  • Water-soluble vitamins: Vitamin C and all the B vitamins are water-soluble

Function of Vitamins

  • Vitamin AHelps the heart, lungs, liver, and other organs function properly. It’s also important for vision, reproduction, and the immune system. 
  • Vitamin B12Helps keep blood and nerve cells healthy, and helps make DNA. It also helps prevent megaloblastic anemia, a blood condition that causes weakness and tiredness. 
  • Vitamin CHelps the body form blood vessels, cartilage, muscle, and collagen in bones. It also helps with wound healing and supports the immune system. 
  • Folate (vitamin B9)Helps form red blood cells and is important for healthy cell growth and function. It’s especially important during pregnancy to reduce the risk of birth defects. 
  • Biotin (vitamin H)Helps metabolize carbohydrates, fats, and amino acids. It’s often recommended for strengthening hair and nails. 
  • Niacin (vitamin B3)Helps maintain healthy skin and nerves. It can also lower triglyceride levels. 
  • Pantothenic acid (vitamin B5)Helps metabolize food and plays a role in producing hormones and cholesterol. 

Vitamin Food Source

  • B-1: ham, soymilk, watermelon, acorn squash
  • B-2: milk, yogurt, cheese, whole and enriched grains and cereals
  • B-3: meat, poultry, fish, fortified and whole grains, mushrooms, potatoes
  • B-5: chicken, whole grains, broccoli, avocados, mushrooms
  • B-6: meat, fish, poultry, legumes, tofu and other soy products, bananas
  • B-7: Whole grains, eggs, soybeans, fish
  • B-9: Fortified grains and cereals, asparagus, spinach, broccoli, legumes (black-eyed peas and chickpeas), orange juice
  • B-12: Meat, poultry, fish, milk, cheese, fortified soymilk and cereals
  • Vitamin C: Citrus fruit, potatoes, broccoli, bell peppers, spinach, strawberries, tomatoes, Brussels sprouts
  • Fat soluble
  • Vitamin A: beef, liver, eggs, shrimp, fish, fortified milk, sweet potatoes, carrots, pumpkins, spinach, mangoes
  • Vitamin D: Fortified milk and cereals, fatty fish
  • Vitamin E: vegetables oils, leafy green vegetables, whole grains, nuts
  • Vitamin K: Cabbage, eggs, milk, spinach, broccoli, kal

Minerals

Minerals are those elements on the earth and in foods that our bodies need to develop and function normally. Those essential for health include calcium, phosphorus, potassium, sodium, chloride, magnesium, iron, zinc, iodine, chromium, copper, fluoride, molybdenum, manganese, and selenium

Types of minerals

  • Calcium: Helps build and strengthen bones and teeth, and is also involved in muscle contraction and blood clot formation 
  • Potassium: Helps regulate blood pressure, heart rhythm, and water content in cells 
  • Magnesium: Helps regulate muscle contractions, nerve impulses, and bone and teeth growth 
  • Iron: Helps the body produce hemoglobin, which carries oxygen from the lungs to the rest of the body 
  • Phosphorus: A component of bones, teeth, DNA, and RNA 
  • Zinc: Helps with growth and development, immune function, and producing the active form of vitamin A 
  • Copper: Helps with energy production and iron uptake from the gut 
  • Selenium: Helps with a healthy immune system, fertility, thyroid metabolism, and regulating blood pressure 
  • Sodium: Helps maintain cellular homeostasis, regulate fluid and electrolyte balance, and blood pressure 

Food sources of minerals

  1. Dairy products- Calcium, phosphorus.
  2. Meat and poultry- Iron, zinc.
  3. Leafy greens- Magnesium, potassium.
  4. Whole grains- Iron, selenium, mangonese.
  5. Nuts and seeds- Magnesium, potassium, zinc.

Water

Water is defined as an essential nutrient because it is required in amounts that exceed the body’s ability to produce it. All biochemical reactions occur in water. It fills the spaces in and between cells and helps form structures of large molecules such as protein and glycogen.