HUMAN NUTRITION

Human Nutrition
◦ Is study of how food affects the health and survival of the human body

◦ Human beings require food to grow, reproduce, and maintain good health

◦ Without food, our bodies could not stay warm, build or repair tissue, or maintain a
heartbeat. Eating the right foods can help us avoid certain diseases or recover faster when
illness occurs

Nutrients
◦ Food and other important functions are fueled by chemical substances in our body called
nutrients
◦ Nutrients are classified as carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins, minerals, and water.
Human Nutrition
◦ Begins in the mouth by the action of chewing and the chemical activity of saliva, a watery
fluid that contains enzymes, certain proteins that help break down food.

Nutrients
◦ Metric unit of heat measurement

◦ Nonessential nutrients - are manufactured in the body and do not need to be obtained from
food.
◦ Essential nutrients - must be obtained from food sources,

Calorie
◦ Metric unit of heat measurement
Classification of Essential Nutrients

WATER
◦ If the importance of a nutrient is judged by how long we can do without it, water ranks as
the most important.
◦ Water circulates through our blood and lymphatic system, transporting oxygen and nutrients
to cells and removing wastes through urine and sweat.
◦ While water has no caloric value and therefore is not an energy source, without it in our
diets we could not digest or absorb the foods we eat or eliminate the body’s digestive waste.
Classification of Essential Nutrients
CARBOHYDRATES
◦ Carbohydrates are the human body’s key source of energy, providing 4 calories of energy
per.
◦ When carbohydrates are broken down by the body, the sugar glucose is produced.
◦ Some of this glucose goes straight to work in our brain cells and red blood cells
◦ While the rest makes its way to the liver and muscles, where it is stored as glycogen
(animal starch)
◦ Some to fat cells, where it is stored as fat.
◦ Fructose and galactose, other sugar products resulting from the breakdown of
carbohydrates, go straight to the liver, where they are converted into glucose.
◦ Starches and sugars are the major carbohydrates
Classification of Essential Nutrients
CARBOHYDRATES
◦ Foods that contain starches and naturally occurring sugars are referred to as complex
carbohydrates.
◦ In contrast, simple sugars, refined from naturally occurring sugars and added to processed
foods, require little digestion and are quickly absorbed by the body, triggering an unhealthy
chain of events
◦ Many processed foods not only contain high levels of added simple sugars. Nutritionists
often refer to such processed foods as junk foods and say that they provide only empty
calories.
◦ Complex carbohydrates contain indigestible dietary fibers, found only in plants, dietary
fiber is classified as soluble or insoluble.
Classification of Essential Nutrients
PROTEINS
◦ Dietary proteins are powerful compounds that build and repair body tissues, from hair
and fingernails to muscles.
◦ Speed up chemical reactions in the body, serve as chemical messengers, fight infection, and
transport oxygen from the lungs to the body’s tissues.
◦ Animal proteins, found in such food as eggs, milk, meat, fish, and poultry, are considered
complete proteins because they contain all of the essential amino acids our bodies need.
◦ Plant proteins, found in vegetables, grains, and beans, lack one or more of the essential
amino acids
Classification of Essential Nutrients
FATS
◦ Fats, which provide 9 calories of energy per gram, are the most concentrated of the
energy-producing nutrients, so our bodies need only very small amounts.
◦ Fats play an important role in building the membranes that surround our cells and in helping
blood to clot
◦ Fat consists of fatty acids attached to a substance called glycerol.
◦ Dietary fats are classified as saturated, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated
◦ We just do not need cholesterol in our diet. The liver, and to a lesser extent the small
intestine, manufacture all the cholesterol we require.
◦ High-density lipoproteins (HDLs) - “good” cholesterol
◦ Low-density lipoproteins (LDLs) and very-low-density lipoproteins (VLDLs) - “bad”
cholesterol
◦ Polyunsaturated fats —found in margarine and sunflower, soybean, corn, and safflower
oils—are considered more healthful than saturated fats.
Classification of Essential Nutrients
VITAMINS AND MINERALS
◦ Among their many functions, vitamins enhance the body’s use of carbohydrates, proteins,
and fats. They are critical in the formation of blood cells, hormones, nervous system
chemicals known as neurotransmitters, and the genetic material deoxyribonucleic acid
(DNA).
◦ Vitamins are classified into two groups: fat soluble and water soluble.
◦ Fat-soluble vitamins, which include vitamins A, D, E, and K, are usually absorbed with
the help of foods that contain fat
◦ Water-soluble vitamins, which include vitamins C (also known as ascorbic acid), B1
(thiamine), B2 (riboflavin), B3 (niacin), B6, B12, and folic acid.
◦ Vitamins A (in the form of beta-carotene), C, and E function as antioxidants, which are
vital in countering the potential harm of chemicals known as free radicals. If these
chemicals remain unchecked they can make cells more vulnerable to cancer-causing
substances
Classification of Essential Nutrients
VITAMINS AND MINERALS
◦ Are minute amounts of metallic elements that are vital for the healthy growth of teeth and
bones. They also help in such cellular activity as enzyme action, muscle contraction, nerve
reaction, and blood clotting.
◦ Mineral nutrients are classified as major elements (calcium, chlorine, magnesium,
phosphorus, potassium, sodium, and sulfur) and trace elements (chromium, copper,
fluoride, iodine, iron, selenium, and zinc).
◦ Vitamin C is important in maintaining our bones and teeth
◦ Diets lacking vitamin B1, which supports neuromuscular function, can result in beriberi
◦ Adequate intake of folic acid by pregnant women is critical to avoid nervous system defects
in the developing fetus
MALNUTRITION
◦  Is a condition that results from eating a diet in which one or more nutrients are either not
enough or are too much such that the diet causes health problems
OBESITY
◦ A medical condition characterized by storage of excess body fat.
◦ The body mass index (BMI) is commonly used to determine desirable body weights.
◦ BMI is a measure of an adult’s weight in relation to height, and it is calculated metrically as
weight divided by height squared (kg/m2).
◦ People with a BMI of 25.0 to 29.9 are considered overweight and people with a BMI of 30
or above are considered obese.
CAUSES OF OBESITY
◦ Biological Factors
◦ Genetics
◦ Lifestyle
TREATMENTS OF OBESITY
◦ Diets
◦ Exercise
◦ Behavior Modification
◦ Weight-Loss Medications
◦ Surgery
WHAT DETERMINES ENERGY NEEDS:
◦ Our present weight
◦ Our height
◦ Our age
◦ Our gender
◦ Our exercise routine
◦ Our health
◦ Our body-fat-percentage
◦ Our environment
◦ How fast we want to lose weight
◦ Biological Factors
◦ Genetics
◦ Lifestyle