UNDERSTANDING NUTRITION

Understanding nutrition is one of the secrets of healthy life. Without having proper knowledge about nutrition, a person is just eating for the sake of fulfilling the body’s needs without providing nutrients for the growth & repair.

 So, to know about & to get better understanding about the process of Nutrition, one  have to go in little deep & to first understands that exactly  What is nutrition?, How it happens? , Where it happens? , What are the basic elements & key factors involved in the process?

 In simple terms Nutrition is a process of taking food by mouth also known as Ingestion, then digestion takes place by breaking bigger food molecules into smaller digestible molecules, then nutrients get absorbed by the body also known as absorption, then assimilation of absorbed nutrients into the blood stream takes place and last Egestion occurs i.e. removal of waste or undigested products from the body.

A varied variety of food is taken by all due to cultural & geographical divisions.

 The FOOD which is usually taken by is the ultimate HERO & consists of different NUTRIENT which when get absorbed and assimilated in the body provides nourishment, growth, repair and serves many other functions of body.

So, basically understanding nutrients first rather gulping is most important.

 As combination of these nutrients only gives rise to various ailments, metabolic disorders and they also decide the nutritional deficiency which is mostly seen these days right from childhood.

 Nutrients requirement is different at different stages of life and vary with age, gender, physiological status and physical activity.e.g. the nutrient requirement of heavy worker is more than moderate & sedentary lifestyle worker. So the nutrients which we derived from our food are broadly categorized in to two groups :-

1. Macronutrients

2. Micronutrients

 Macronutrients are required in more amount and form the base of nutrients which we derive from various food groups and they are:-

• Carbohydrates
• Proteins
• Fats

Micronutrients are required in lesser amounts than macronutrients and they are:

• Vitamins
• Minerals

 Now again it is more important to know the functions of these nutrients and how they affect our body because the combination of these only is termed is taken up by all and termed as food.

A. Carbohydrate: - A vital source of energy and provides 4 Kcal/gm to body. It comprises about 60% of an individual’s diet. It mostly comes from the food like wheat, rice, fruits, milk and Root vegetables. They are either Simple or Complex depending upon their chemical makeup & their absorption in body. Carbohydrate works as a fuel for body and provides energy.

B.  Proteins: - Proteins are formed by amino acid. They are considered as building blocks of proteins & there are total 20 different kinds of amino acid exist. 1 gm of protein provides 4 Kcal but its functions are different from carbohydrate. Every cell is made up of protein so the primary function of protein is to provide structure, repair of cell, regulation and various function performed by body tissue & organs. Sources of proteins are pulses, legumes, meat, poultry, fish, nuts, milk & they are considered complete & incomplete on the basis of amino acids present in them.

 C. Fats: - Fats are dense source of energy & provides 9 Kcal/gm. They help in absorption of many fat soluble vitamins like A, D, E, & K. Fats are either visible which we can see through our naked eye like butter, ghee, oils OR invisible fat which is present in milk, egg yolk, nuts & oilseeds.

 D.  Vitamins and Minerals: - They are needed in smaller amounts but are very essential for the body to develop and function properly. There are water soluble & fat soluble vitamins and they govern various functions of the body.  The major source of various vitamins & minerals are plants & animal products.Vitamins & minerals differ mainly in their chemical structure. Minerals are also classified into 2 groups:

(i)    Macro Minerals (Calcium, Phosphorus, Magnesium, Sodium, Potassium, Chloride and Sulphur)

(ii)   Trace Minerals (Iron, Manganese, Copper, Iodine, Zinc, Cobalt, Fluoride and Selenium.

In broad terms these macro & micro nutrients are present in our food and these only makes a balanced diet which is required for the proper growth of the body.

After understanding the nutrients part it is also important to understand the various food groups (which we will be taken up in next blog) which consists these nutrients and our plate consists of these food groups only.

 

Till then take care.....Be Safe, Healthy and Happy...