Download Newman, Solyom, Draft 1 article, Macronutrients, May

Macronutrients
What is a macronutrient?
Macronutrients are nutrients the body needs in large amounts. These include water
and the energy-creating nutrients: carbohydrates, proteins and lipids.
Types of Macronutrients
Carbohydrates include sugars and starches, and each gram of carbohydrate provides
4 calories of energy.
Proteins are made up of different combinations of amino acids, and they can come
from animal and plant sources. They also contain 4 calories per gram.
Lipids include fats and oils, and they provide 9 calories of energy per gram.
On a typical day, a healthy person eats approximately 2000 calories. How many
calories you should consume from each macronutrient can be broken down into
recommended percentages.
What macronutrient do you think pairs with the 55% or the largest percent of
calories we eat in a day?
What about the macronutrient that pairs with the 30%, or second largest
percentage of calories?
Now finally, the15%?
Carbohydrates
Most people think that the 55% refers to the amount of protein in our diet, but it
actually refers to the amount of carbohydrates we need to eat.
Some of the information we learn from the media may lead us to question the role of
carbohydrates in our diet and can cause us to fear them, but they play many
important roles in our bodies:


They are the primary source of energy for the body
They are the preferred source of energy for the brain, spinal cord, red blood
cells and kidneys
Carbohydrates must be eaten regularly in our daily diet because they can only be
stored for the short-term. Eating smaller, regular balanced meals will prevent low
and high blood sugar.
Fats
Regarding the 30% portion of the pie diagram, most people think it relates to
carbohydrates, but it is actually the amount of calories we should get from the fat in
our diet.
Fats have many important roles in our bodies. These include:
 Acting as a backup source of energy when carbohydrate stores run out
 Helping our bodies to absorb the fat soluble vitamins, including A, D, E, and K.
When eating a salad, it is important to use a dressing that has some fat so
that these vitamins will be absorbed.
 Omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids help to regulate blood pressure and blood
clots, as well as our body’s immune response against disease.
 Helping our bodies to use other energy-giving nutrients, like carbohydrates
and proteins more efficiently
Proteins
Finally, this means that the small 15% portion remaining is for protein and not fat as
most people think.
Protein is also very important in our diets and, aside from giving energy, acts in
many important ways:
 Act as enzymes, working to break down and build up substances
 Transport hormones and lipids throughout the body
 Important for our vision; the protein opsin conveys a sense of sight to the
brain
It is also important to note that the only way to build muscle is by working your
muscles; proteins supplements alone won’t do the trick.
What does your macronutrient ratio look like?