What is a Nutrient?
Nutrients are the nutritional components in foods that an organism utilizes to survive and grow. The energy you need for the metabolic processes in your body and for maintaining a constant internal environment comes from these nutrients. So if you think about all the basic reactions going on in your body to keep you breathing, your heart beating, your brain working and allowing you to move about, they all derive their energy from nutrients. Nutrients can be divided into 2 categories, macronutrients and micronutrients.Macronutrients are those nutrients that the body needs in large amounts. Micronutrients are those nutrients that the body needs in smaller amounts. Macronutrients (include carbohydrates, proteins, and fats) provide the bulk energy for an organism’s metabolic system to function, while micronutrients (include vitamins and minerals) provide the necessary cofactors for metabolism to be carried out. Both categories of nutrients can be acquired from the environment. They are used to build and repair tissues, regulate body processes, and are converted to and used for energy.
The 7 Essential Nutrients
Essential nutrients are nutrients that the body cannot synthesize on its own — or not to an adequate amount — and must be provided by the diet. These nutrients are necessary for the body to function properly. These are the 7 Essential Nutrients your body needs daily:1. Carbohydrates – Carbohydrates are a major energy source. Carbohydrates provide energy (calories) for muscles, nerves, and the brain. Along with providing fuel for physical activity, they also power the body’s involuntary functions, including heartbeat, breathing and digestive processes. Carbohydrates include sugars, starches, celluloses and gums. There are two main types of carbohydrates, simple and complex.
Simple carbohydrates are simply sugars. Refined sugar in your sugar bowl is a simple carbohydrate though much healthier sources are found in fruits and milk. Refined foods lack the other nutrients your body needs such as vitamins and minerals.
Complex carbohydrates are starches. They are found in grain products, rice, crackers, pasta, vegetables and bread. Remember that a lot of these foods are refined and lack any other nutritional value so chose healthier carbs such as oatmeal, vegetables and whole grain bread or crackers.
Food sources of carbohydrates include grains and grain products, starchy vegetables, fruits, legumes, dairy products and sugars. Carbohydrates should supply 40 to 60 percent of the average person’s caloric intake. Whole grains and fruit are full of fiber, which reduces the risk of coronary heart disease and helps maintain normal blood glucose levels.
2. Proteins – Protein is the major structural component of cells and is responsible for the building and repair of body tissues. Protein is broken down into amino acids, which are building blocks of protein. 22 of these amino acids are crucial to human health. The body can produce 13 of these acids by itself but the other 9 need to supplemented through protein-rich foods.
The body uses protein to maintain, build and replace tissues in muscles, bones, blood and organs. In fact our immune system is made up of proteins. Without protein, cuts and abrasions will not heal quickly, muscles will not grow and the blood will not clot correctly. Ten to 35 percent of your daily calories should come from protein sources. High protein foods include meats, fish, milk and dairy products, eggs and beans. Nuts and seeds are also a great source of protein.
Complete proteins from animal sources contain all the amino acids your body needs for normal functioning. Plant sources only contain incomplete proteins, meaning some amino acids are missing. If you do not eat much meat, poultry, fish or other animal products, eat a variety of protein-rich plant foods such as beans, nuts and whole grains to ensure an optimal combination of amino acids.
3. Fats – Fats provide energy and “fatty acids,” and helps digestion. Fats, like carbohydrates, provide us with energy, and they are essential for absorption of vitamins A, D, E, and K. Fatty acids help our body regulate inflammation, blood pressure, and blood clotting, and they’re also used as insulation and cushioning for our organs. Twenty to 35 percent of your daily intake should come from fat. Yet be aware that there are good fats and bad fats. Here’s a break down of the different types of fats.
Healthy fats include monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats and omega 3 fatty acids. Eating healthy fats can lower your blood pressure, lower your cholesterol and decrease your chance of heart disease.
Monounsaturated fat sources – Avocados, peanut oil, canola oil, olive oil, nuts and seeds.
Polyunsaturated fat sources – Vegetable oils such as safflower, corn, sunflower, soy and cottonseed oils, nuts and seeds
Omega-3 fatty acid sources – Cold-water fish such as salmon, mackerel and herring, flax seeds, flax oil and walnuts.
Unhealthy fats include saturated fats and trans fats. They do just of opposite of the healthy ones. They raise your bad cholesterol and increase your risk of heart disease. Do what you can to avoid these fats especially if you already have heart troubles!
Saturated fat sources – Animal products such as meat, poultry, seafood, eggs and dairy products.
Trans fat sources – Partially hydrogenated vegetable oils, commercial baked goods such as crackers, cookies and cakes, fried foods such as doghnuts and french fries, shortening and margarine.
4. Fiber – is a nutrient that is indigestible. It is also a carbohydrate that is important in regulating your bodies functions. There are two types of fiber. There is insoluble and soluble. It is believed that insoluble fiber aids in the prevention of hemorrhoids and may also protect against cancer of the lower bowl. Insoluble fiber can be found in brown rice, brain, whole grain cereals and broccoli. Soluble fiber is thought to help reduce cholesterol and thus reduce the risk of heart and arterial disease. This type of fiber can be found in oats, peas, beans, root vegetables, and citrus fruits.
5. Vitamins – Vitamins are essential for growth and health. Their main function is to facilitate and regulate body processes. Vitamins are mostly co-enzymes which are required for the normal functioning of enzymes. Vitamin C and E are antioxidants, while Vitamin K is required for blood clotting. Vitamins are divided into two main groups, fat soluble and water soluble.
Fat soluble vitamins are absorbed along with fats and can be stored in the body. They include Vitamins A, D, E, and K. Water soluble vitamins include the B-complex vitamins and Vitamin C.
Your body cannot manufacture vitamins, you must obtain them through foods. Vitamins help the body use food and work properly. They’re found in all foods from the 4 food groups which include milk, meats, Vegetables and Fruits, Breads and Cereals. Vitamins are micronutrients, meaning the body needs them in small quantities.
6. Minerals – There are at least 60 minerals in the body and it is said that at least 22 are essential to good health. Minerals make up 4% of our body weight and are crucial to many body processes such as digestion, heart function and bone formation. Minerals are broken down into two catagories as follows:
Macrominerals or Major minerals – There are seven major minerals that include calcium, chloride, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, sodium and sulfur.
Trace minerals – Trace minerals are found throughout the body in much smaller amounts than macrominerals but are still extremely important to optimum health. As an example, deficiencies of certain trace minerals such as copper and manganese have been connected to lower bone density and weaker bones. Just a few of the other trace minerals include boron, iron, zinc, manganese, selenium, silica and iodine.
Like vitamins, minerals need to be obtained through whole foods or high quality supplements.
7. Water – Everyones knows that clean water is important to health on all levels. Comprising 60 percent of your body weight, water is vital for the normal functioning of all your body’s systems. It helps cleanse your body of wastes and toxins, carries essential nutrients to your cells, lubricates your joints and helps maintain your body temperature. All beverages and high-moisture foods such as soup and watermelon contain water and count towards your daily water requirement. Adults should consume 25 to 35 milliliters of fluids per kilogram body weight or 2 to 3 liters per day.
We hope you found this definition of nutrients helpful and that you’ll purchase wholesome foods with all the different types of nutrients your body needs on your next trip to the grocery store. Remember that processed and refined foods have very low nutrient content!
