Download The 7 Essential Nutrients

The 7 Essential Nutrients
Family Studies 10
Health & Nutrition Unit
Carbohydrates
Function:
The main source of energy for the body
Carbohydrates
Food Sources:
Primarily Plants
Fruits
Vegetables
Grain products
Legumes
peas
Carbohydrates
Types:
Simple Carbohydrates
Sugars
Include fructose, maltose, lactose
Simple carbohydrates digest quickly into the
body.
Complex Carbohydrates
Starches
They regulate blood sugars, and keep you
feeling fuller longer as they digest slowly.
Proteins
Main Function:
Help build, repair and maintain body tissues.
Source of energy for the body.
Can only do their job if you eat enough
carbohydrates and fats. If you don’t, your body
starts using protein energy and is unable to
build,repair, maintain tissues.
What happens if we don’t eat enough protein?
Some protein can be stored in fat, but eventually your
body will begin to break down.
Proteins
Food Sources
Animal Sources:
Meats (19-22 grams of protein)
Poultry (chicken breast = 35 grams protein)
Fish, seafood (approx. 22 grams per serving)
Eggs (1 egg = 6 grams protein)
Milk products - cheese, cottage cheese, milk (8-15 grams)
Plant Sources:
Beans (7-10 grams/cup),
nuts and seeds(9 grams/cup)
2 Tbsp of Peanut Butter (8 grams)
How much protein do you need a day?
Body weight (lbs) x 0.37 = grams per pound needed
Proteins
Types:
Complete
Contain the 9 essential amino acids
What is an amino acid? An essential building block of
protein molecules that our bodies cannot produce
and need to get from a food source.
Essential amino acids are protein molecules that can
not be made in the body.
Incomplete
Do not contain all 9 essential amino acids OR
Are made up of nonessential amino acids
Minerals
Main Function:
Vital for good health.
Most minerals become a part of your body,
such as teeth/bones.
Other minerals are used to make
substances that your body needs.
Minerals
You have to get the right amount per
day. Too much or too little can cause
health problems:
Example:
Too much iodine = hyperthyroidism (fast metabolism)
Too little iodine = hypothyroidism (slow metabolism)
Minerals
Food Sources:
Milk
Dark orange & green vegetables
Minerals
Types:
Major
Needed in a large amounts. Includes calcium,
magnesium.
Electrolytes
Specific major minerals that work to maintain the body’s
fluid balance. Includes sodium, potassium.
Trace
Needed in small amounts, but are just as important.
Includes zinc, iron, selenium.
Vitamins
Main Function:
Help keep your tissues healthy and body
systems working properly.
They also help carbohydrates, fats and
proteins to do their work.
Vitamins have antioxidants that
boost/protect immune system.
Protect against heart disease and cancer.
Vitamins
Food Sources:
Eat plenty of fruits/veggies every day.
Dark green veggies and yellow-orange
vegetables have the highest level of
Vitamin A.
Vitamins
Types:
Water Soluble
Dissolve in water, pass easily into bloodstream
in the process of digestion.
Extra is expelled from the body.
Fat Soluble
Absorbed/transported by fat; stored in fat.
Body will draw on these when needed.
Fats
Main Function
Concentrated source of energy (storage)
Transports nutrients
Nourish skin and protects organs
Promotes normal cell growth
Contains essential fatty acids important for good
cholesterol levels and reducing health risks.
Fats
Food Sources
Depends on the type of fat.
Examples:
Saturated: meat, poultry skin, whole milk
Unsaturated: vegetable oils and seafoods
Monounsaturated: olive oil, peanut oil,
avocado, canola oil.
Trans Fats: synthetic
Fats
Types
Saturated
Raises bad cholesterol (LDL)
Unsaturated Raises good cholesterol
Trans: Raises bad cholesterol and lowers
good cholesterol
Fibre
Main Function
Form of carbohydrate
Function depends on the type.
Insoluble
helps move food through the large intestine.
Promotes regular bowel movements
Prevents constipation
Soluble
Dissolves in water.
Increases thickness of stomach contents.
Fibre
Food Sources:
Depends of fibre type
Insoluble
Fruits and veggie skins, whole wheat, bran
products
Soluble
Fruits, vegetables, legumes, peas, lentils, oat
products
Fibre
Types:
Insoluble
Will not breakdown in the body
Soluble
Body will break this fibre down.
Water
“The forgotten nutrient”
Function:
Critical for survival
Can only live a few days without it.
Plays a role in many chemical reactions
that go in the body.
Body uses 2-3 liters/day
Water
Food Sources
You need to drink to 8 cups of water a day.
Water, fruit, juice, milk, soup
Glossary
Amino Acids:
Chemical molecules that are the
building blocks of proteins.
Antioxidants:
Substances that protect body cells
and the immune system from harmful
chemicals in the air, certain foods and
tobacco smoke.
Basal Metabolism:
The minimum amount of energy
required to maintain the life in a
living organism.
Calorie:
A unit of energy.
Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs)
Nutrition recommendations created
by scientists to help North Americans
stay healthy.
Digestion:
Process of breaking down food into usable
nutrients.
Glucose:
The body’s basic fuel supply.
Fructose:
Natural sugar found in fruit.
Maltose:
A sugar formed in the process of digestion.
Can also be used as a sugar substitute.
Lactose:
Natural sugar found in milk.
Hydrogenation:
A process in which missing hydrogen
atoms are added to an unsaturated
fat to make it firmer in texture. (ex.
Margarine).
Nutrient Deficiency:
a severe nutrient shortage.
Osteoporosis:
A condition in which bones lose their
minerals and become porous, making
them weak and fragile.
Phytochemicals:
Disease-fighting nutrients contained in
plants. (Ex. Beta-carotene).
Fatty Acids:
Are “good” fats that are produced when
fats breakdown. Essential to diet.
Lifestyle Diseases:
Illnesses that relate to how a person
lives and the choices he or she makes.
Example: high blood pressure, heart
disease, diabetes.
Thiamin (Vitamin B1)
Helps convert sugar and starches into energy; promotes digestion,
strong heart muscle, child growth; prevents fatigue, fat deposits in
arteries.
NATURAL SOURCES: Whole wheat, dried yeast, oatmeal, peanuts, pork,
bran, enriched rice, sunflower seeds, soybean sprouts.
Riboflavin (Vitamin B2)
Aids in releasing energy to body cells; enables utilization of fats,
proteins and sugars.
NATURAL SOURCES: Dairy products, liver, kidney, yeast, leafy greens,
fish, eggs.
Niacin (Vitamin B3)
Aids normal functioning of tissues, particularly skin,
gastrointestinal tract and nervous system; used with other
vitamins in converting carbohydrates to energy.
NATURAL SOURCES: Liver, lean meat, whole wheat, brewer's
yeast, wheat germ, fish, eggs, roasted peanuts, poultry, sesame
seeds, nuts
Vitamin B9 Folate (folic acid)
Essential for function of Vitamins A, D, E, and K, forms red blood cells
and nucleic acid; improves circulation; aids digestion of proteins. May
help prevent neuro-tube defects (Spina bifida), and some cancers.
Reduces the risk of coronary heart disease.
NATURAL SOURCES: Dark-green leafy vegetables, carrots, liver, eggs,
soybeans, avocados, oranges, beans, whole wheat flour.
Vitamin B6
Aids metabolism of protein carbohydrates and fats; controls
cholesterol level; aids chemical balance between blood and tissue;
prevents water retention; builds hemoglobin.
NATURAL SOURCES: Brewer's yeast, wheat bran, wheat germ, organ
meats, beef, avocados, bananas, milk, eggs
Vitamin B12
Promotes utilization of protein, fats and carbohydrates; essential for
formation of red blood cells; builds nucleic acid; prevents pernicious
anemia; helps nervous system.
NATURAL SOURCES: Liver, beef, pork, eggs, dairy products, shellfish
Vitamin C:
Calcium:
Vitamin A: