Nutrients are the beneficial components of food that we require to nourish and nurture ourselves in order to be happy and healthy. Science defines nutrition as the quantity of food that we need as living things in order to maintain our cells. While there are other ways to get nutrients, such as vitamin supplements, when we talk about nutrition, we primarily mean the nutrients that come from food.
A balanced diet should have the right amounts of protein, carbs, fats, calcium, vitamins, and fiber. A well-balanced diet boosts the immune system, improves gut health, lowers the risk of chronic diseases like diabetes and heart disease, improves mental alertness, and makes pregnancy safer.
Why nutrition is important for us?
We all know that food and water are essential for maintaining and building up our bodies. Every healthy food and beverage contains certain essential nutrients, including water, vitamins, minerals, proteins, carbohydrates, and fats. These all have various functions in maintaining our body’s health and generating new cells.
These are the main nutrients and their roles in our bodies:
Protein
Protein helps our body grow muscles and maintain a healthy immune system. They are made up of long chains of amino acids. There are 22 different types of amino acids, and our body requires all of them to function effectively. Protein is a nutrient that is rich in our body which helps to generate new tissues and repair any broken cells. Good sources of protein include lentils, low-fat dairy, tofu, almonds, seeds, peas, and tempeh. Protein can be found in a variety of meals, including whole grain bread, potatoes, corn, and pasta. Soy protein is the most powerful protein, and it is equal to any protein derived from animals.
Carbohydrate
Carbohydrates provide energy. Because carbs convert more easily into glucose. This is an excellent source of energy for the body. It promotes our body in providing energy for the creation of cellular constituents. Carbohydrates composed of three chemicals produced by plants: carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen. They are classified into four types: sugar, starches, fibre, and gum. It doesn’t lead to weight gain unless they are taken in excess like other dietary groups. Carbohydrates come in two varieties: complex and simple. Efficiency of carbohydrates can lead to the body producing ketones, which can result in a state known as ketosis. Breads, potatoes, spaghetti, soda, chips, candies, cookies, biscuits, puddings, cakes, sugar, bananas, and other foods are good examples of carbs.
Fats
Fat gives us extra energy. It is a nutrient, and our body requires a specific amount of fat. It does not always make us obese. Fat helps to insulate our body by protecting us from unexpected temperature swings and guarding our important organs. Fats are made up of a wide range of compounds that are soluble in organic solvents but insoluble in water. It contain 9 calories per gramme. When dietary fat is metabolised, fatty acids are generated. It is also essential for maintaining good skin and controlling blood pressure.
There are two varieties of fat: Saturated (at room temperature solid) and unsaturated (liquid at room temperature). Every adult requires one tablespoon of unsaturated fat everyday. Saturated fats are mostly found in dairy products such as butter, cream, cheese, and some chocolates. Unsaturated fats are found in soybean, sunflower, and corn oils.
Vitamins
A vitamin is an organic substance that regulates our body’s functions and is crucial to maintaining health. Our body needs vitamins as building blocks for healthy growth and development. There are 13 vitamins that our body needs. A, B, C, D, E, K, vitamin B-6, and vitamin B-12 are a few of them. We obtain the majority of these vitamins from the foods we eat on a regular basis. Our body can also produce vitamins D and K.
Each vitamin performs particular roles. Any specific vitamin deficiency might result in a deficiency disease. For instance, rickets can develop if we don’t obtain enough vitamin D. Vitamin ‘A’ deficiency can result in night blindness.
If we consume a balanced diet, we naturally obtain adequate necessary vitamins from our daily food or fluids. There is no need to take a specific vitamin individually. For optimum health, we only occasionally need to take a regular multivitamin.
Minerals
Minerals help us build body tissues and control bodily functions. Vitamins and minerals both play a part in how well our body perform, yet neither one stops weight loss. Although we don’t need to take it separately because we get it through our regular foods. It help to boost our immune system. Chloride, calcium, copper, chromium, fluoride, iron, and iodine are a few crucial minerals. These minerals are available in common foods including salt, soy sauce, milk, vegetable oils, whole grains, cheese, and nuts as well as nutritional supplements.
Water
Water covers 70% of the entire mass of the human body. It is a very important nutrient that is not present in all nutrients. Water is also the most prevalent form of liquid in the human body. It helps to maintain body temperature and remove waste away from the body. We can see that nutrition is vital to our health and that each meal and drink has a specific nutritional value. It could influence how long we live, how much education we get, and how we make a living. It aids both our physical and mental development. We need to be aware of the food and drink we usually consume. Popper food in daily life creates a lifetime habit that contributes to a healthy, longer life.
