Vitamins:

 OVERVIEW AND CLASSIFICATION Vitamins are organic compounds and are divided into: • water-soluble (vitamin C and B-complex)• fat-soluble (vitamin A, D, E, K)

 Functions”Vitamin C is vital for immune function and skin health, and vitamin D for bone health.””Stores”Found in fruits and vegetables, dairy products, fortified foods and so on.

Minerals:

 Types and functions: Calcium, potassium and iron are minerals – inorganic elements critical to functions ranging from bone structure to nerve transmission to muscle function.

 Dietary Sources: Minerals can be obtained from a wide range of foods including diary products (calcium), green vegetables (iron) and bananas (potassium).

Amino Acids and Fatty Acids:

 Essential: this means a compound is not made in the body and so must be obtained from the diet. Everything we eat is made of grams of either carbon, hydrogen or oxygen. Since water is made of H (hydrogen) and O (oxygen) and was present on Earth we can conclude that carbon and hydrogen, like water, were also present and could have reacted to form ever bigger chicken-sized molecules made up of these elements. All protein we eat is made up of amino acids. Essential amino acids, unlike non-essential amino acids, cannot be synthesised in the body and so must be obtained from the diet. Amino acids are crucial for the building and maintenance of proteins such as haemoglobin, which carries oxygen in red blood cells. Fatty acids are other carbon compounds important for brain health and energy. One fatty acid essential to health is omega-3: you don’t make it but you need it for many life processes.

 Food sources: Meat, eggs and legumes are sources of amino acids, and fatty fish, flaxseeds and walnuts provide essential sources of omega-3 fatty acids.

Conclusion:

 All the nutrients that are required for a healthy person can be supplied if the person takes a balanced diet in the form of a variety of foods. A knowledge about the function and the source of nutrients help people taking the right diet.

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Introduction:

Nutrition is a very important science as it studies the effect of the food we eat and how it has an impact on our wellbeing, our functions through the nutrients and influences many of health problems, research diseases and how we can protect ourselves from them.

Understanding Nutrition:

 Definition and Scope: Eating is the behavior, nutrition is the science of eating; of eating as a mode of, and a means to, life. It is that complex and delicate way in which we sustain ourselves, studying nutrients — the macronutrients (carbohydrates, proteins, fats) and micronutrients (vitamins, minerals) — as to how they operate in the context of human health and disease.

 Nutrient Functionality: Each nutrient provides a specific health-related function; as such, a healthy diet supplies the components we need to live. Proteins are used for growth and repair of tissue, carbohydrates are the source of fuel that powers our cells, and vitamins and minerals enable myriad different biochemical reactions.

 Dietary Guidelines and Recommendations Organisations like the World Health Organisation (WHO) and national health bodies release dietary guidelines to encourage people to consume a well-balanced and healthy diet. These guidelines often recommend that people eat as varied a diet as possible in order to obtain their recommended nutritional intake.

 Nutrition and health promotion: The human body needs certain nutrients to function properly, and dietary deficiencies can lead to a range of chronic diseases including heart disease, diabetes, obesity, certain cancers and immune system disorders. Adequate nutrition is vital for good immune function and for our general wellbeing and quality of life.

Understanding what nutrients rise from the ground and the ocean, where nature transforms them into foods that our bodies can recognise, is the first big step towards ensuring that your diet is serving your particular health needs and health goals. 

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