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Nutrition The study of foods and the nutrients and their interaction in relation to heath
and disease

Nutrients Chemical components of food required by the body for energy, growth and
regulation.

ESSENTIAL NUTRIENTS OR BASIC NUTRIENTS

1. Carbohydrates ( including dietary fibre)

2. Fat Macronutrient
3. Protein

4. Vitamins
5. Minerals
Micronutrient
6. Water Macronutrient

Nutrients Major functions Calorific value of food

( in the body)
Carbohydrate, Fats Fuel (Energy giving) Carbohydrate 4 kcal/g
Fats 9 kcal/g

Dietary fibre Prevent constipation,

 cholesterol level

Protein Growth and turnover of tissue protein Can also provide fuel.
( Body building) Protein 4 kcal/g

Vitamins, minerals Specific Metabolic function NO CALORIFIC VALUE

CARBOHYDRATE
CHEMISTRY

It is hydrated Carbon Cn (H2O)n

Types Structure
1. Monosaccharides SIMPLE SUGAR

simple sugarthat cannot be broken down into

another simple sugar

2. Disaccharides
They contain 2 monosaccharide.
examples
Sucrose [ Glucose + Fructose ] from table sugar/
cane sugar
Maltose [ Glucose + Glucose ] from beer
Lactose [ Glucose + Galactose ] from milk sugar

3. Polysaccharides
They contain many monosaccharides.

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They represent most supply of CHO in diet.

examples of Polysaccharides

 Starch PLANT SOURCE Rice, Maize, Cereal, Potato, Oat, Barley

 Glycogen ANIMAL SOURCE

Storage form of glucose in liver and
Muscles.

 Cellulose [ Dietary fibres ]

Cellulose cannot be digested in human.

LIPID
Lipid is the Scientific name for fat.
Fats ( contain saturated fatty acids) are lipids which are solid at room temperature.
Oil( contain polyunsaturated fatty acids) are lipids which are liquid at room temperature.

TYPES OF DIETARY LIPIDS

Triglycerides [ Triacylglycerol ] 95 to 98 %

Phospholipids Lipids that contain phosphorus

examples:
Phosphatidyl choline

phosphotidic Phosphatidyl ethanolamine

ALCOHOL
acid Phosphatidyl serine

Sterol such as Wax like lipid normally occur in Blood, Cell membrane, Brain and
Nervous tissues
Food rich in cholesterol *
Beef, Chicken liver, Egg yolk, Squid, Shrimp

cholesterol cholesterol/cholesteryl ester

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Free fatty acid Saturated Fatty acid

No double bond and solid
Found mostly Animal sources such as
Butter, Lard

or R - COOH

Unsaturated Fatty acid

one ( mono) or more( poly) double bond and liquid
Found mostly Plant sources such as
Olive, Peanut, Sessamum , Coconut, Sunflower

Essential Fatty acid** are Poly Unsaturated fatty acid

[ PUFA ].

6 FATTY ACID
1. Linoleic Acid
3 FATTY ACID
2. -Linolenic Acid

6 FATTY ACID
3. Arachidonic Acid

Lipid soluble Vitamins Vit A, D, E, K

REQUIREMENT

Daily requirement 66 - 83 g / day [ i.e. 20 - 30 % of daily calorie intake]

Normal adult need about 6 - 7 teaspoon / day.
Calorific value of fat [ 1g = 9 kcal]

FUNCTIONS OF LIPID
1. It has High Fuel value and Major source of energy.
Fat 1g gives 9 kcal of energy.
triacyl glycerol 2. Triacylglycerol is a storage form of fat, mainly stored in the Adipose tissues.
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3. Phopholipid act as activators of enzymes.

4. Electron trasport chains in inner mitochondrial membrane are buried in
phospholipid.
5. Phospholipid serves as ;
Second messenger PHOSPHOTIDYL INOSITOL

Component of Surfactant PHOSPHOTIDYL CHOLINE

cholesterol 6. Sterols are precursors of Bile salts , Vitamin D and Steroid hormone.
7. Polyunsaturated Fatty acids [ PUFA ] reduced cholesterol level.
8. Essential fatty acids are precursors of Leucotrienes, Lipoxins, Prostagladins and
fatty acid
Thromboxanes.
9. Linoleic acids are essential in infants.
They are precursors of Prostagladin E1 which maintain ductus arteriosis as lifesaving
pathway.
vitamins 10. They serve as Vehicle ,in the form of Lipoprotein, for transport of lipid soluble vitamin
and essential fatty acid (linoleic acid).
11. They act as
Thermal insulator [ eg. subcutaneous fat ]
Mechanical insulator [ eg. fat pad in buttock, orbit ]
Electrical insulator [ eg. myelin sheath in myelinated nerve fibres ]
12. Fat has protein sparing action.
13. Palatability of food and feeling of satiety.
14. Lipids are constituents of all cells ( especially brain and nerve cells)

DEFICIENCY STATE
Scaly dermatitis in infant
EXCESS STATE
Obesity
Coronary heart disease
Carcinoma breast and colon

NOTE: PUFA in the diet reduce blood Cholesterol and Triacylglycerol

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PROTEIN
CHEMISTRY
Basic structural unit of protein are Amino acid.
Amino acids are joined by Peptide bond to form Polypeptide chain or Protein.

Peptide bond formation

R O H R R O H R

NH2 C C-OH NH C COOH NH2 C C N C COOH

AMINO CARB0XYL
TERMINAL H TERMINAL H H H
H2O

Peptide bond

TYPES OF AMINO ACIDS

20 different types of amino acid in the body.
Nutritionally
1. Essential Amino acids (10)
Nutritionally
2. Non Essential Amino acids (10)

Define Essential Amino acids and List.

Definition;
Essential Amino acids are those that cannot be synthesized by the human body and must threfore
come from food.
E s s e n t i a l A m i n o a c i d s a r e " HILL MTV PTA "
Histidine Threonine
Isoleucine Valine
Leucine Phenylalanine

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Lysine Tryptophan
Methionine Arginine

SOURCES
Animal sources Meat, Fish,Poultry, Viscera [ Liver, kidney, Brain ]
Milk, Eggs
Plant Sources Peas, Beans, Rice, Corn, Legumes, Lentils

FUNCTIONS OF PROTEIN

1. Dietary proteins are the only source of essential amino acids

2. Proteins are required ;
 during growth and pregnancy.
 for synthesis of Tissue proteins which are constantly undergoing destruction and resynthesis
(wear and tear quota)
 formation of structures of every cells
 for formation of enzyme, certain hormones , plasma proteins, antibody and haemoglobin.
 for production of milk proteins[ Lactalbumin and Casein] during lactation.
 for wound healing during recovery from surgery, burns and fever.
3. Protein supply specific amino acids to synthesis of nitrogen-containing compound such as
purine, pyrimidines, and heme.
4. For production of energy under certain condition but this is not their primary funtion of protein.
[ 1g of protein gives 4 kcal ]

DEFICIENCY STATE

KWASHIORKOR or
PROTEIN-ENERGY MALNUTRITION [PEM]

It occur in the children especially after weaning.

It is common in the tropics among children living on a diet adequate in calories [ from
carbohydrate ] but deficient in good quality protein.

KWASHIORKOR is characterised by;

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In children Unhappy miserable child

Thin, Pale, Straight hair

Thin upper arm

Distended abdomen
"Pot Belly"
swollen legs
[Oedema]

Underweight
In adult Muscle wasting

QUALITY OF PROTEIN

The nutritive value of proteins depends on presence of one or more of the essential amino acids
which will maintain Nitrogen balance.

The quality of proteins can be measured by

1. Biological Value (BV)

In this method, quality of protein is expressed as biologic value (BV).

Retained Nitrogen
BV = x 100
Absorbed Nitrogen

2. Chemical score
It is the concentration of essential amino acids presents in the highest amount in test protein.
It is expressed as the percentge of the same amino acid in whole egg protein.
Animal proteins have high chemical score and Vegetable proteins have a low chemical score.

mg of amino acids/g of test protein

Chemical score = x 100
= mg of amino acids/g of reference protein

Depending on these value ( BV and Chemical score) , proteins are graded as ;

Grade I Protein
Protein which supply all the essential amino acids in proportion well suited for the synthesis of
human proteins
eg animal protein

Grade II Protein
Protein which supply amino acids lacking in one or more essential amino acids

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eg. plant protein.

Complete or reference protein

Protein which supply all the essential amino acids in adequate concentration for the synthesis
of human proteins.
eg. whole egg protein.

Limiting amino acid

It is the essential amino acid found most inadequate .
e.g.
Lysine is the limiting amino acid in rice protein
Methionine is the limiting amino acid in legume and beef protein
Tryptophan is the limiting amino acid in maize protein.

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