NUTRIENTS

ORGANIC NUTRIENTS (Carbohydates, Fats, Proteins, Fiber and Vitamins):

1. CARBOHYDRATES:

Elements: Carbon, Hydrogen and Oxygen

Classification/Types:
Monosaccharides (simple sugars): Glucose, fructose and galactose.
Disaccharides: sucrose (cane sugar), lactose (milk sugar), maltose

Polysaccharides: Starch (source: plants), Glycogen (animal starch), cellulose (building cell walls
of plant cells)

Dietary sources: Starch – rice, potatoes, wheat, cereals, bread, noodles

Sugars (mono and disaccharides) – Fruits, desserts, soft drinks

Function:
- Main/Instant/First energy source. (17kJ/g)
- Cellular respiration
- Making nucleic acids (DNA)
- Cell wall synthesis (cellulose)

2. FATS/LIPIDS

Elements: Carbon, Hydrogen, Oxgen (lesser Oxygen than Hydrogen , compared to carbohydrates)

If lipids are solid at room temperature: FATS

If lipids are liquid at room temperature : OIL

Simplest units of fats: Each molecule of fat is made up of 3 units of fatty acids and 1 unit of glycerol.

Classification:

Saturated Fats (Bad cholesterol) – Unhealthy fats

- Dietary sources : Animal derived fats (except for fatty fish) e.g. red meat, dairy products,
eggs, animal derived oils, lard (pig meat), butter.

Unsaturated Fats ( Good cholesterol) – Healthy fats

 - Dietary sources : Plant derived fats/oils e.g. vegetable oils (coconut, olive, soyabean,
sunflower, canola etc.) , Fatty fish (omega-3-fatty acids), avocado

Functions of FATS:

1. 2nd but largest Source of energy (37 kJ/g)

2. Energy storage for plants, humans and animals outside their internal organs.
3. Insulation (prevention of heat loss) from skin due to layer of fat beneath the skin (adipose
tissue).
4. Hormones are made from cholesterol
5. Solvent for fat-soluble vitamins
6. Prevention of excessive water loss (presence of sebum – an oily secretion on skin )
7. Making cell membrane

Consequences of excess lipids in diet:

Obesity, High blood cholesterol, Cardiovascular disease (narrowing or blockage of blood vessels)

3. PROTEINS:

Elements: Carbon , Hydrogen, Oxygen, Nitrogen, Phosphorous and Sulphur

Simplest units: Each protein molecule is made up of amino acids

Note: proteins mostly insoluble in water and have to be broken up into amino acids before being used by
the body

Functions:

1. Build new protoplasm

2. Cell repair
3. Growth
4. Reproduction
5. Formation of nucleic acids (DNA and RNA)
6. Formation of enzymes
7. Hormones
8. Antibodies (proteins produced by white blood cells in response to entry of germs into body –
part of the immune system)
9. Formation of Haemoglobin and Myoglobin.
10. Formation of Blood proteins (Fibrinogen and Albumin)
11. Making keratin (protein of hair and nails)
12. Source of energy : 17 kJ/g (Since protein is needed for the above 10 functions, it will only release
energy after carbohydrates and fats)
 Dietary sources: Meat, Fish, Eggs, Cheese, Nuts, Pulses

Deficiency disease:

KWASHIORKOR:

Signs and symptoms:

1 Wastage of muscles and limbs.

2 Swollen abdomen
3 Enlarged liver
4 Changes in pigmentation of skin and hair
5 General drowsiness
6 Cracked and scaly skin

4. FIBER:
What is it? : The indigestible parts of the food. Mainly cellulose

Functions:
1. Cleans up the intestines
2. Provides bulk to the faeces
3. Stretches the muscle of the gut wall and ensures PERISTALSIS (pushing of food down the
digestive tract)

Dietary sources: Fruits, vegetables, wheat, bread, cereals, brown rice

Deficiency symptoms: Constipation, Bowel cancer.

5. VITAMINS: needed in small amounts for proper growth and health. (Vitamins C and D)

Vitamin C:

Type: Water-soluble vitamin

Functions: - to make COLLAGEN --

fibers of connective tissue (like a cement that binds cells together)

- Helps to absorb IRON

- Helps in healing of wounds
Deficiency:

SCURVY : Bleeding of gums (breakage of collagen fiber that connects tooth to gum)

Other scurvy symptoms:

- Bleeding under skin

- Swelling of joints
- Poor healing of wounds.

Sources: Citrus fruits (Lemon, oranges etc.), Leafy green vegetables

Vitamin D:

Type: Fat soluble vitamin

Functions:

1. helps to absorb CALCIUM

2. promotes strong bones and teeth

Deficiency symptoms:

1. RICKETS - in children (bones soft and bend)

2. OSTEOPOROSIS - in adults (weakening and wearing out of bones)
3. Hair loss

Natural Sources: Sunlight, Liver, Dairy products, eggs, fish liver oil.

INORGANIC NUTRIENTS: (Minerals and Water)

MINERALS: needed in small amounts for proper growth and development of body (Calcium and Iron)

A) CALCIUM: (important part of bones and teeth)

Functions:

1. Building of bones and teeth

2. Blood clotting,
3. Muscle contraction,
 4. Pregnancy and lactation

Deficiency:

1. Rickets
2. Osteoporosis
3. Brittle bones and teeth
4. Inability to clot
5. uncontrolled muscle contraction (spasm) and cramps

B) IRON

Importances:

1. Formation of protein haemoglobin (for carrying oxygen) in red blood cell

2. Formation of protein myoglobin in muscle cells.

Sources: Liver, egg yolk, meat, bread, flour, shellfish, red meat, seeds, nuts and green vegetables.

Deficiency: Anaemia, Tiredness, Breathlessness, pallor

WATER:

Essential component of protoplasm (70 percent)

RDA: 2-3 liters

Note: Humans lose 1.5 liters of water each day through urine, faeces, sweat and exhaled air.

Importances:

1. Acts as a medium for chemical and metabolic reactions to occur

2. Transporting agent for digested food substances, excretory products, and hormones
3. Acts as a medium for transport of dissolved food substances and waste products in blood
4. Helps regulate body temperature
5. Essential component of digestive juice, blood and lubricant found in joints.

Deficiency : Dehydration (losing 5 percent of body water leads to unconsciousness and losing 10
percent can be deadly)

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 Balanced Diet:

A diet consisting of the appropriate amount and proportion of each of the seven nutrients.

Malnutrition:

Malnutrition means

1. Undernutrition: lack of any particular or all nutrients in a diet (leading to deficiency

diseases)
2. Overnutrition: excess of any particular or all nutrients in a diet (leading to obesity)

Factors affecting balanced diet:

1. Age : Teenagers need more energy than young children or adults. This is because they are
actively growing and therefore needs energy for growth.
2. Gender: Men use up more energy than women. This is because men have more muscle
tissue than women (muscle tissue uses up more energy)
3. Physical Activity: The more active a person is, the more energy he needs.
4. Pregnancy: More Vitamins , Minerals , Proteins
5. Deficiency diseases

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FAMINE: Widespread scarcity (shortage) of food.

Factors causing FAMINE:

1. Drought (shortage of water due to lack of rainfall)

2. Flooding
3. Destruction of Crops and Livestock
4. Economic problems
5. War
6. Government policies
7. Population