Brief Lesson of Nutrition in Biochemistry

6 Essential Nutrients
1. Carbohydrates – macronutrients that serves as main source of body’s energy.
2. Proteins – only macronutrients that contains nitrogen which is mostly used for
tissue repairs, metabolic process and growth.
3. Fats – highly non-soluble to water macronutrients
4. Vitamins – organic substances with physiological importance in the absorption of
nutrients.
5. Minerals – inorganic substances (ions) which plays role in metabolic process
and physiological aspect of human body
6. Water – serves as transport of nutrients

Difference between ATP and Calories

 ATP is direct energy source for our biological functions coming from
macronutrients and coenzymes of vitamins (NADH-niacin, FADH2-riboflavin,
TPP-thiamin).
 Calories is the potential energy coming from the macronutrients (Carbohydrates,
Proteins and Fats)

Difference between calorie dense and nutrient dense foods

 Caloric dense foods – these are food sources that can give more calories per
gram of food. Fats are the most caloric dense source of food.
 Nutrient dense foods – these are food sources that will give lesser calories but
more vitamins and minerals. Vegetables will give you more vitamins and minerals
in lesser calories.

3 Macronutrients
1. Carbohydrates – 1 gram = 4.0 Kcal energy
- Consist of 40 – 60 % total energy in human diet.
- For diabetic persons and COPD patients this could be reduced
to 40%
2. Proteins – 1 gram = 4.0 Kcal energy
- Limited by 10 – 20% of diet depending on individuals’ activity,
health condition and age
- For cross training athletes it could be 5 gram/kilogram body of
the person
- Typically – 1.0 – 1.2 g/Kg body weight of adult person
- For patients with gout need to decrease 0.6 - 1.0 gram/Kg body
weight of the person.
- Renal diet for patients this could be reduced from 0.3 to 0.6
g/Kg body weight of the person.
3. Fats/lipids – 1 gram = 9.0 Kcal energy
- its daily requirement may range from 20 up 30% in food diet
- less than 10% of total calories from saturated fats.

Alcohol in 1 gram = 7.0 Kcal energy

2 Micronutrients
1. Vitamin – organic substance that serves mostly as coenzymes for metabolic and
physiological functions in the body.
2. Mineral – inorganic substance primarily work as ions in the body for
physiological functions of the body.

Carbohydrates – main energy source for human diet

Simple Sugars – this could be categorized as mono and disaccharide (e.g. sucrose,
fructose/levulose. Catabolized in less than a minute up to 2 minutes. They are also
classified as high glycemic index foods.

Starchy Foods – catabolized from 15 minutes up to less than an hour (rice, pasta, bread
processed wheat/flour products. (mostly consist of alpha 1-4 and alpha 1-6
polysaccharide structure that can be easily hydrolyzed). Most of them also categorized
as high glycemic foods

Resistant Starch – its catabolism ranges from 1 to 2 hours (root crops, saba, sweet
potato) it is consist of mostly alpha 1-4 polysaccharide of glucose. They are already
classified as low glycemic index foods.

Proteins – macronutrients for physiological function of the body that includes growth
and tissue repair. Arginine is the amino acid which is involved in wound healing.
- Compare a female adult that has menstruation to male adult which does not
in terms of uric acid presence in their body, most male have higher uric acid
compare to female.
- Most of female after their menopause their uric acid level already increases.

Fats – macronutrient that serves insulator and regulates temperature in the human
body. Since they are the least affected by high and low temperatures.

Hierarchy of potency in anti-oxidant property

Selenium > Vitamin E > glutathione peroxidase > vitamin C

Vitamins (fat soluble)

1. Vitamin A – also known as retinol (it is mostly found in retina) – associated for
good immune system in the body and high amounts of vitamin also produces
more white blood cells such as lymphocytes. Beta-carotene is the precursor of
vitamin A.
2. Vitamin D – also known as calciferol
a. Cholecalciferol (Vit. D3) – animal source, cow’s milk more of this
b. Ergocalciferol (Vit. D2) – plant source, soy milk has more of this
3. Vitamin E – also known as D-α-tocopherol, strongest vitamin anti-oxidant for
unsaturated fatty acids.
 4. Vitamin K (phylloquinone) – for blood clot, mostly administered right after birth
and absorbed in the large intestine.
a. menadione – precursor of vitamin K in the intestine
b. Menaquinone – plant source (found in alfalfa)

Vitamins (water soluble)

1. Vitamin B1 (thiamine) – precursor of decarboxylation (removal of carbon
dioxide) in the glycolysis (coenzyme for TPP – thiamine pyrophosphate)
2. Vitamin B2 (riboflavin) – its precursor of FAD – energy carrier for production of
ATPs.
3. Vitamin B3 (niacin) - its precursor of NAD – energy carrier for production of
ATPs.
4. Vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid) – found in the structure of Acetyl CoA. This B
complex its function is for energy source
5. Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) – production of red blood cells and proper functioning
of nerves.
6. Vitamin B7 (biotin) – for carboxylation of pyruvate to become glucose in the
process of gluconeogenesis.
7. Vitamin B9 (folic acid) – present for protein synthesis associated for brain
growth of child in the mother’s womb.
8. Vitamin B12 (cyanocobalamin) – blood carrier

Minerals
1. Calcium – regulates pH of the blood and for strong bones and teeth
2. Iron – for oxygen absorption in the body
3. Magnesium – cofactor in the DNA structure
4. Iodine – for enamel of teeth.
5. Sodium – ions need for active transport (outside cell)
6. Potassium – ion for active transport (inside cell)
7. Selenium – strongest antioxidant as cofactor for glutathione peroxidase