Essential nutrients for the body. What nutrients do our bodies need to stay healthy?

Food is one of the most important environmental factors. The normal functioning of the human body depends on it. Food is necessary for a person to build and restore the cells and tissues that make up the body, to cover the energy costs associated with physical and mental work, and to maintain a constant human body temperature.

For normal human life, it is necessary that as a result of nutrition he receives all the necessary substances. The composition of the human body includes (on average): 66% water, 16% proteins, 12.4% fats, 0.6% carbohydrates, 5% mineral salts, as well as vitamins and other substances.

Water is an integral part of all tissues of the human body. It serves as an environment in which the body's metabolic processes take place, and also plays an important role in the body's thermoregulation. The amount of water allocated and consumed by a person (per day) varies significantly and depends on the ambient temperature, the work performed and other factors.

The average daily human need for water is 2-2.5 liters; this need is covered with food (about 1 l), moisture (1-2 l), and also as a result of oxidative processes in the body, accompanied by the release of water (about 0.3 l).

Squirrels are the most important component of the cells and tissues of the body and the main plastic material from which the human body is built. Unlike plants, which are capable of synthesizing protein substances from the inorganic substances of the soil and air, animal organisms need ready-made plant and animal proteins from food. Therefore, proteins are an essential part of human nutrition.

Proteins are made up of amino acids, of which there are up to 20. The proteins contained in various foods do not have the same amino acid composition. Amino acids are divided into nonessential and irreplaceable, or vital. Non-essential amino acids can be formed by the body in the process of metabolism, while essential amino acids are not formed in the body and must be supplied with food in finished form. The essential amino acids include arginine, valine, histidine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, threonine, tryptophan, phenylalanine. The absence of these amino acids in food leads to stunting of the body, impaired blood formation and other changes in the body.

Proteins that contain all the essential amino acids are called complete proteins. These proteins include most proteins of animal origin (milk, meat, eggs, etc.). Many proteins of plant origin belong to inferior ones. The combination of animal and vegetable proteins allows you to get food that best meets the needs of the body in protein. Therefore, a varied diet can satisfy a person's need for all the amino acids he needs. It is believed that the daily human diet should include approximately 60% of animal proteins and 40% of vegetable proteins.

Fats are part of the cells and tissues of the body, some of them, together with proteins, act as the building material of the animal body. The other part is deposited in it as a reserve and is used as an energy source. Fats are required for the normal functioning of the nervous system, improve the taste of food, promote the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins, some of them (butter, unrefined vegetable oil) contain vitamins.

The nutritional value and assimilation by the body of various fats are not the same. To a large extent, the use of fats by the body depends on the quantity and quality of the fatty acids of which they are composed. Solid fats are made up primarily of saturated fatty acids, while liquid fats are made up of unsaturated fatty acids. Fats. having a melting point below the temperature of the human body (vegetable oils, cow butter), are absorbed by the body better than fats with a melting point above the temperature of the human body (mutton fat).

An important role in the body is played by fat-like substances - lecithin and cholesterol. Both substances play an important role in the body's metabolic processes and have opposite biological effects. Phosphorus is a part of lecithin. It is involved in the absorption of fats, is part of the nervous tissue, cell nuclei, and ensures the normal exchange of cholesterol in the body. Cholesterol is synthesized in significant quantities in the body and only about 20% of it comes from food. It is involved in complex, vital metabolic processes.

Carbohydrates are the most widely used nutrients. Their content in food averages up to 70%, they are the main source of energy. According to their structure, carbohydrates are divided into monosaccharides (glucose, fructose, galactose), disaccharides (beet sugar, lactose), polysaccharides (starch, glycogen, fiber).

Monosaccharides are most fully absorbed by the body. Sugar and starch are digested somewhat more slowly. Fiber is practically not absorbed by the body, but plays a positive role in digestion, contributing to intestinal motility.

The main source of carbohydrates are products of plant origin - sugar, cereals, bread, potatoes.

mineral salts necessary for the human body to maintain the osmotic pressure of fluids, metabolism, building the skeleton and teeth, activating enzymes, etc. Calcium and phosphorus are the main components of bones. Phosphorus is also involved in the formation of nervous tissue. Both of these elements are found in milk and dairy products.

Of great importance in the metabolism of the body and in maintaining the osmotic pressure of tissues are potassium, which is contained in vegetables, fruits, dry fruits, and sodium, which comes with table salt. Magnesium activates phosphorus metabolism, it enters the body with bread, vegetables, fruits. Iron is involved in the oxygen supply of tissues. It is found in liver, meat, egg yolk, tomatoes.

Copper, nickel, cobalt, chlorine, iodine and many other elements are also necessary for the normal functioning of the body.

vitamins- organic substances of various chemical composition. They are essential for normal metabolism in the body. The lack of one or another vitamin in food leads to diseases. Diseases resulting from a prolonged lack of vitamins in food are called beriberi. They are rare. More often there are hypovitaminosis associated with a lack of vitamins in food.

Vitamins are divided into fat-soluble and water-soluble. Water-soluble vitamins include vitamins B 1, B 2. B 6 , B 12 , C, PP, folic, pantothenic and para-aminobenzoic acids, choline, etc., to fat-soluble vitamins - vitamins A, D, E, K, etc.

A varied diet with the inclusion in the diet of natural products in the form of vegetables, fruits, berries, milk, eggs, vegetable oil usually provides a healthy person's need for vitamins.

Food products are necessary for the body for growth, the formation of new cells to replace those that have expired and died, as well as to replenish the energy reserves necessary for life and procreation. The total amount of food products entering the body and assimilated nutrients and energy should correspond to the sum of substances and energy costs spent on the formation of new tissues, as well as those removed from the body.
Food in the form in which it enters the body cannot be absorbed into the blood and lymph and cannot be used to perform various vital functions. To assimilate food in the organs of the digestive system, it must undergo mechanical and chemical processing. Food is crushed in the mouth, mixed in the stomach and small intestine with digestive juices, whose enzymes break down nutrients into simpler components. Digested to amino acids, monosaccharides and emulsified fats, nutrients are absorbed and absorbed by the body. Water, minerals (salts), vitamins are absorbed in their natural form. The mechanical and chemical processing of food and its transformation into substances absorbed by the body is called digestion.
All chemical compounds that are used in the body as building materials and energy sources (proteins, fats and carbohydrates) are called nutrients.
A person should regularly receive a sufficient amount of nutrients (proteins, fats and carbohydrates) with food, as well as the necessary water, mineral salts and vitamins.
Proteins contain hydrogen, oxygen, carbon, nitrogen, sulfur, phosphorus and other elements. In the stomach and small intestine, dietary proteins are broken down into amino acids and their constituents, which are absorbed and used to synthesize human-specific proteins. Of the 20 amino acids needed by humans, nine are essential because they cannot be synthesized in the human body. Ego valine, histidine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, threonine, tryptophan, phenylalanine. Listed amino acids
must be ingested with food. Without these essential amino acids, the synthesis of proteins necessary for the human body is disrupted. Proteins containing a complete set of amino acids, including essential amino acids, are called biologically complete proteins. The most valuable is the protein of milk, meat, fish, eggs. Proteins of plant origin (corn, wheat, barley, etc.) are considered incomplete, since they do not contain the full set of amino acids necessary for the synthesis of human proteins.
Carbohydrates containing hydrogen, oxygen, carbon are used in the body as energy substances and for the formation of cell membranes. With food in the form of vegetables, fruits, starch and other plant products, complex carbohydrates, which are called polysaccharides, enter the body. During digestion, polysaccharides are broken down into water-soluble disaccharides and monosaccharides. Monosaccharides (glucose, fructose, etc.) are absorbed into the blood and, together with the blood, enter the organs and tissues.
Fats serve as a source of energy and are able to accumulate in the body in the form of reserve materials. Fats are part of all cells, tissues, organs, and also serve as rich energy reserves, since during starvation, energy carbohydrates are formed from fats. Fats are composed of carbon, oxygen and hydrogen and have a complex structure. In the process of digestion, fats are broken down into their components - glycerol and fatty acids (oleic, palmetic, stearic), which are found in fats in various combinations and ratios. In the body, fats can also be synthesized from carbohydrates and protein breakdown products. Some fatty acids cannot be formed in the body. These are oleic, arachidonic, linoleic, linoleic, which are contained in vegetable oils.
Minerals also enter the body with food and water in the form of various salts. These are salts containing calcium, phosphorus, potassium, sodium, sulfur, chlorine, iron, magnesium, iodine. Many other elements are present in food in small amounts, so they are called trace elements. For a growing organism, mineral salts are required more than for an adult, since they are involved in the formation of bone tissue, the growth of organs, are part of blood hemoglobin, gastric juice, hormones, cell membranes, and nerve synapses.
Water, the amount of which in an adult reaches 65% of the total body weight, is an integral part of tissue fluid, blood, and the internal environment of the body. In food, vitamins are also present in small quantities, which are complex organs.
nic connections. Vitamins are necessary for metabolic processes, they participate in all biochemical reactions, affect the growth and development of the human body and its organs. The absence or lack of vitamins in food leads to serious diseases - beriberi.
Food also contains dietary fiber, which is fiber (cellulose), which is part of plant cells. Dietary fibers are not broken down by enzymes, they are able to retain water. This is very important for digestion, since swollen dietary fibers, stretching the walls of the colon, stimulate peristalsis, the movement of food masses towards the rectum. The need for the amount of food consumed and the qualitative composition of nutrients (proteins, fats, carbohydrates, minerals and vitamins) depends on age, sex, body weight, work performed.
The amount of energy consumed in the body - energy consumption is measured in calories (or joules). One calorie is the amount of energy required to raise the temperature of water by 1°C (1 calorie is equal to 4.2 Joules - J). In the body, when 1 g of protein is oxidized, 4.1 kilocalories are formed - kcal, when 1 g of carbohydrates is oxidized - 4.1 kcal, when 1 g of fat is oxidized -

kcal. Data on the energy needs of workers of various types of labor are given in Table. 9.

To meet the vital needs of the body during the day with light work, food should contain at least 80-100 g of proteins, and with heavy physical exertion - from 120 to 160 g. For children, taking into account their growth and energy costs, the amount of protein in food, when calculated per 1 kg of body weight, should be more than for an adult. The total amount of animal and vegetable fats in food per day should be at least 50 g. The need for carbohydrates during the day is 400-500 g.
Types of digestion
Digestion of food - digestion is a complex process. It is carried out in the cavities of the digestive system with the participation of enzymes secreted by the digestive glands. Therefore, digestion in the stomach, small intestine is called abdominal digestion. Digestion of food also occurs directly on the surface of the epithelial cells of the small intestine. Such digestion is called contact or membrane digestion. The fact is that on the outer surface of the cell membrane of epitheliocytes there is the highest concentration of digestive enzymes secreted by the intestinal glands. Membrane digestion is, as it were, the final phase of food digestion, after which the split proteins and carbohydrates, emulsified fats are absorbed into the blood and lymphatic capillaries.
The breakdown (digestion) of proteins, fats, carbohydrates occurs with the help of digestive enzymes (juices). These enzymes are found in saliva, gastric juice, intestinal juice, bile and pancreatic juice, which are, respectively, the secretion products of the salivary, gastric, small intestine and colonic glands, as well as the liver and pancreas. During the day, approximately 1.5 liters of saliva, 2.5 liters of gastric juice, 2.5 liters of intestinal juice, 1.2 liters of bile, 1 liter of pancreatic juice enter the digestive system.
Enzymes are the most important components of the secretions of the digestive glands. Thanks to digestive enzymes, proteins are broken down into amino acids, fats into glycerol and fatty acids, carbohydrates into monosaccharides. Digestive enzymes are complex organic substances that readily react chemically with food. Enzymes also serve as accelerators (catalysts) of biological reactions - the breakdown of nutrients. Produce enzymes that break down proteins
7 Sapin

proteases, splitting fats - lipases, splitting carbohydrates - amylases. For splitting actions, certain conditions are necessary - body temperature and the reaction of the environment (acidic or alkaline).
The organs of the digestive system also perform a motor (motor) function. In the digestive organs, food is crushed and mixed with digestive juices, which ensures close contact of food masses with enzymes. Mixing food with simultaneous promotion contributes to its continuous and close contact with the absorption surface of the intestine and more complete absorption of the digested food components. The promotion of food masses towards the rectum contributes to the formation of fecal masses and ends with their removal from the body.

Nutrients - carbohydrates, proteins, vitamins, fats, trace elements, macronutrients- Found in food. All these nutrients are necessary for a person to be able to carry out all life processes. The content of nutrients in the diet is the most important factor for compiling a diet menu.

In the body of a living person, the processes of oxidation of all kinds never stop. nutrients. Oxidation reactions occur with the formation and release of heat, which a person needs to maintain life processes. Thermal energy allows the muscular system to work, which leads us to the conclusion that the harder the physical labor, the more food is required for the body.

The energy value of foods is determined by calories. The calorie content of foods determines the amount of energy received by the body in the process of assimilation of food.

1 gram of protein in the process of oxidation gives an amount of heat of 4 kcal; 1 gram of carbohydrates = 4 kcal; 1 gram of fat = 9 kcal.

Nutrients are proteins.

Protein as a nutrient necessary for the body to maintain metabolism, muscle contraction, nerve irritability, the ability to grow, reproduce, and think. Protein is found in all tissues and body fluids and is an essential element. A protein consists of amino acids that determine the biological significance of a protein.

Non-essential amino acids formed in the human body. Essential amino acids a person receives from the outside with food, which indicates the need to control the amount of amino acids in food. A dietary deficiency of even one essential amino acid leads to a decrease in the biological value of proteins and can cause protein deficiency, despite a sufficient amount of protein in the diet. The main source of essential amino acids are fish, meat, milk, cottage cheese, eggs.

In addition, the body needs vegetable proteins contained in bread, cereals, vegetables - they provide essential amino acids.

Approximately 1 g of protein per 1 kilogram of body weight should enter the body of an adult every day. That is, an ordinary person weighing 70 kg per day needs at least 70 g of protein, while 55% of all protein should be of animal origin. If you exercise, then the amount of protein should be increased to 2 grams per kilogram per day.

Proteins in the right diet are indispensable for any other elements.

Nutrients are fats.

Fats as nutrients they are one of the main sources of energy for the body, participate in recovery processes, as they are a structural part of cells and their membrane systems, dissolve and help in the absorption of vitamins A, E, D. In addition, fats help in the formation of immunity and keeping the body warm .

An insufficient amount of fat in the body causes disturbances in the activity of the central nervous system, changes in the skin, kidneys, and vision.

Fat consists of polyunsaturated fatty acids, lecithin, vitamins A, E. An ordinary person needs about 80-100 grams of fat per day, of which vegetable origin should be at least 25-30 grams.

Fat from food gives the body 1/3 of the daily energy value of the diet; There are 37 g of fat per 1000 kcal.

The required amount of fat in: heart, poultry, fish, eggs, liver, butter, cheese, meat, lard, brains, milk. Vegetable fats, which contain less cholesterol, are more important for the body.

Nutrients are carbohydrates.

Carbohydrates,nutrient, are the main source of energy, which brings 50-70% of calories from the entire diet. The required amount of carbohydrates for a person is determined based on his activity and energy consumption.

On the day of an ordinary person who is engaged in mental or light physical labor, about 300-500 grams of carbohydrates are needed. With an increase in physical activity, the daily intake of carbohydrates and calories also increases. For full people, the energy intensity of the daily menu can be reduced due to the amount of carbohydrates without compromising health.

A lot of carbohydrates are found in bread, cereals, pasta, potatoes, sugar (net carbohydrate). An excess of carbohydrates in the body disrupts the correct ratio of the main parts of food, thereby disrupting metabolism.

Nutrients are vitamins.

vitamins,as nutrients, do not provide energy to the body, but still are the most important nutrients necessary for the body. Vitamins are needed to maintain the vital activity of the body, regulating, directing and accelerating metabolic processes. Almost all vitamins the body receives from food and only a few can be produced by the body itself.

In winter and spring, hypoavitaminosis can occur in the body due to a lack of vitamins in food - fatigue, weakness, apathy increase, efficiency and body resistance decrease.

All vitamins, according to their effect on the body, are interconnected - a lack of one of the vitamins leads to a metabolic disorder of other substances.

All vitamins are divided into 2 groups: water soluble vitamins And fat soluble vitamins.

Fat-soluble vitamins - vitamins A, D, E, K.

Vitamin A- is needed for the growth of the body, improving its resistance to infections, maintaining good vision, the condition of the skin and mucous membranes. Vitamin A comes from fish oil, cream, butter, egg yolk, liver, carrots, lettuce, spinach, tomatoes, green peas, apricots, oranges.

Vitamin D- is needed for the formation of bone tissue, growth of the body. A lack of vitamin D leads to a deterioration in the absorption of Ca and P, which leads to rickets. Vitamin D can be obtained from fish oil, egg yolk, liver, fish caviar. Vitamin D is still found in milk and butter, but just a little bit.

Vitamin K- Needed for tissue respiration, normal blood clotting. Vitamin K is synthesized in the body by intestinal bacteria. The lack of vitamin K appears due to diseases of the digestive system or the use of antibacterial drugs. Vitamin K can be obtained from tomatoes, green parts of plants, spinach, cabbage, nettles.

Vitamin E (tocopherol) is needed for the activity of the endocrine glands, the metabolism of proteins, carbohydrates, and intracellular metabolism. Vitamin E favorably affects the course of pregnancy and fetal development. Vitamin E is obtained from corn, carrots, cabbage, green peas, eggs, meat, fish, olive oil.

Water-soluble vitamins - vitamin C, B vitamins.

Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) - is needed for the redox processes of the body, carbohydrate and protein metabolism, increasing the body's resistance to infections. Vitamin C is rich in rose hips, black currants, chokeberries, sea buckthorn, gooseberries, citrus fruits, cabbage, potatoes, leafy vegetables.

Vitamin B group includes 15 water-soluble vitamins that take part in metabolic processes in the body, the process of hematopoiesis, play an important role in carbohydrate, fat, water metabolism. B vitamins stimulate growth. You can get B vitamins from brewer's yeast, buckwheat, oatmeal, rye bread, milk, meat, liver, egg yolk, green parts of plants.

Nutrients are micronutrients and macronutrients.

Nutrient Minerals are part of the cells and tissues of the body, participate in various metabolic processes. Macroelements are necessary for a person in relatively large quantities: Ca, K, Mg, P, Cl, Na salts. Trace elements are needed in small quantities: Fe, Zn, manganese, Cr, I, F.

Iodine can be obtained from seafood; zinc from cereals, yeast, legumes, liver; copper and cobalt are obtained from beef liver, kidneys, egg yolk, honey. Berries and fruits contain a lot of potassium, iron, copper, phosphorus.

Nutrients include proteins, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins, mineral salts and water.

Squirrels. They are indispensable substances. They are not kept in stock. Protein starvation, even with sufficient intake of other nutrients, ends in death. Protein functions:

Plastic;

Energy - in case of excess intake and starvation;

Enzymatic (eg, digestive enzymes, blood coagulation enzymes, intracellular enzymes, etc.);

Transport (for example, hemoglobin);

Regulatory (for example, protein-peptide hormones: insulin, growth hormone, etc.);

The mechanism of muscle contraction;

Protective function (for example, antibodies).

The need for proteins in children is higher than in adults due to high plastic needs. So in newborns, the daily requirement for proteins is more than 4 g / kg of body weight, at 5 years old - about 4 g / kg, at 14-17 years old - 1.5-1.6 g / kg, in adults - 1.1 - 1.3 g/kg.

Fats. They are deposited in the reserve, mainly in the subcutaneous adipose tissue and normally make up 10-20% of body weight. The value of fats:

Plastic;

Energy (about 50% of the energy the body receives from the oxidation of fatty acids. When 1 mole of a fatty acid is oxidized, energy is released that is sufficient for the synthesis of 130 ATP molecules, while when 1 mole of glucose is oxidized, only 36 ATP molecules can be synthesized);

Source of endogenous water (107 g of water is formed per 100 g of fat);

Thermal insulation;

Protective (shock-absorbing);

Absorption of fat-soluble vitamins;

Regulatory (synthesis of hormones of a steroid nature), etc.

The need for fats in children increases with age, mainly due to their plastic value. So, children 1-3 years old need 40-50 g of fat per day, 4-6 years old - 55-60 g. 7-9 years old - 65-70 g. Excess fat in the diet causes metabolic disorders, accompanied by deterioration the use of protein, the deterioration of digestion processes and the deposition of fat in the reserve.

Carbohydrates. Stored as glycogen in the liver and muscles. With excessive intake and overflow of glycogen depots, they can turn into fats and also be stored in reserve. Meaning:

Energy. Especially important for the brain, which consumes 70% of glucose;

Rapidly mobilized energy reserve in the form of glycogen;

Plastic.

The daily requirement for children of younger preschool age is 6 times higher than the need for proteins and fats, for children of older preschool age - 5 times, and for schoolchildren - 4 times. An excess of carbohydrates in the diet is accompanied by a decrease in protein intake, water retention and the formation of fat that is not involved in metabolic processes.

Vitamins. They do not have energy value. They have no plastic value. However, they are vital substances. In the absence (avitaminosis) or deficiency (hypovitaminosis) of these substances in food, severe metabolic disorders, diseases (rickets, scurvy, night blindness, etc.) and even death are inevitable. Hypervitaminosis is no less dangerous. They are rare and have become possible in connection with the production of artificial vitamin preparations. With hypervitaminosis A, inflammation of the eyes, hair loss, headaches, insomnia and nausea are observed; hypervitaminosis D is accompanied by death due to calcification of internal organs, such as the heart, kidneys.

The effect of vitamins on metabolism is due to the fact that they are involved in the synthesis of enzymes, are part of enzyme molecules, i.e. vitamins indirectly (through enzymes) regulate metabolism. For example, vitamin Bı is necessary for the synthesis of 4, and vitamin B6 - 20 enzymes of protein synthesis, vitamin K - for the synthesis of 5 enzymes involved in blood clotting. However, no enzyme systems have been found for some vitamins and a direct biocatalytic function is assumed.

Mineral salts and water– meaning and the need to learn on your own.

The daily diet of every person should consist of essential nutrients, which many people know almost nothing about. Although everyone should know about them, they are the ones that saturate our body.

Squirrels

Proteins are complex organic compounds that contain amino acids. There are more than 80 of them and only 22 of them are distributed in food products. Proteins are necessary to perform many functions of the human body - they are involved in the processes of building tissues, cells, organs, in the formation of enzymes, hemoglobin, many hormones and other compounds. They also take part in the formation of compounds, and help to ensure the body's immunity to various infections.

Without proteins, the processes of assimilation of carbohydrates, fats, vitamins and minerals are not complete. Proteins do not have the ability to accumulate and form from other substances, which fundamentally distinguishes them from carbohydrates and fats.

Proteins for the human body are simply an indispensable part of nutrition. Due to an insufficient amount of protein in the body, quite serious disturbances in the composition of the blood, in mental activity, the work of the endocrine glands can occur, the growth and development of a small child can also slow down and, accordingly, resistance to various viruses and infections will decrease. When it comes to energy sources, proteins are not the main substance, since they can be replaced by both carbohydrates and fats. The formation of proteins in the human body comes from the amino acids that come with the food taken.

Amino acids are divided into two main groups:

Essential amino acids (phenylalanine, valine, leucine, lysine, threonine, isoleucine, methionine, tryptophan). These amino acids are not synthesized in the human body, so the body can only get them with food, which is very necessary. These amino acids are rich in animal products.

Essential amino acids (alanine, cystine, arginine, tyrosine and others). These amino acids can be synthesized from other amino acids found in the human body.

According to the amino acid composition, it is possible to distinguish incomplete and complete (indispensable amino acids) proteins. The source of complete proteins are the following products - milk, poultry, fish, meat, eggs. Food of plant origin is rich in defective proteins. When compiling a diet, it is worth knowing that more than 90% of amino acids are absorbed in the body from animal products, about 60-80% from vegetable proteins.

Fats

Fats are complex organic compounds that are made up of fatty acids and glycerol. In human nutrition, in addition to neutral (own) fats, fat-like substances (sterol, phospholipid) are of no small importance. Fats occupy the most important place in the body's energy supply. Fat accounts for approximately 30% of energy needs. Fats are part of the composition of cellular structures, as well as the cells themselves. They are involved in the metabolic process. Together with fats, the human body also receives the substances necessary for it, such as lecithin, fatty acids and vitamins A, D, E.

A large amount in the human body adversely affects the absorption of calcium, proteins, magnesium, and also increases the body's need for vitamins, which help to ensure fat metabolism. Excessive consumption of fats causes inhibition of the secretion of the stomach and the removal of food from it, and also exerts an overstrain of all functions of the organs of nutrition. As a result of all this, disorders in digestion, pancreas, gallbladder, and liver may appear. When planning a diet, it is worth consuming fats as little as possible, especially with a small biological value.

Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates are organic compounds that include oxygen, hydrogen and carbon. Carbons are synthesized by sunlight in plants from carbon dioxide and water. Complex (polysaccharides - starch, fiber, klikogen, hemicellulose, pectin), simple (fructose, galactose, glucose, lactose, sucrose, maltose), digestible and indigestible carbohydrates enter the human body along with food.

Carbohydrates are needed by the human body for the normal metabolism of fats and proteins. Together with proteins, they are involved in the formation of enzymes, hormones, salivary secretions. Separate importance should be noted in pectin, fiber, which play a major role in nutrition, forming the basis of dietary fiber. Glucose is the main source of energy for the brain. Berries and fruits are rich in glucose.

With insufficient content of carbohydrates in the body, there may be a violation of the metabolism of proteins and fats, as well as the consumption of tissue proteins and food proteins. With a lack of carbohydrates, a person will feel drowsiness, weakness, headaches, dizziness, nausea, trembling, hunger. Simple sugar will help get rid of these symptoms. When limiting the body in carbohydrates, for example, during a diet, you should pay attention to the fact that the amount consumed should not be less than 100 grams. Also, excess carbohydrate content has a negative effect. For example, an excess of carbohydrates can lead to obesity.

Vitamins and minerals

In addition to proteins, fats and carbohydrates, there are other nutrients in the human body, such as vitamins, trace elements and minerals. All these substances are simply necessary for a person to ensure that his body performs all processes. It is they who determine the usefulness of the food consumed. After all, the main component of the quality of all food products is the content of nutrients in it.

Vitamins in foods are contained in small quantities, but still necessary for a person to ensure that he has the necessary functions. It is they who help the body absorb other nutrients, and also participate in other important formations and formations. Only properly selected and cooked food can enrich the body with the vitamins it needs.

Minerals also play an important role in the functioning of the body. The main role of minerals is given in the formation of skeletal muscles, oxygen transport, regulation of heart contractions, transmission of nerve impulses, and so on. Along with calcium and phosphorus, minerals help form the bones of the human skeleton.

Antioxidants are the body's natural defense against the harmful effects of free radicals. To strengthen this protection, a person needs to enrich his diet with vegetables and fruits.

The lack of nutrients in the human body will not only affect its internal state, but will also be visible from the outside. For example, a lack of vitamins and minerals will immediately affect the human skin. The lack of each substance will manifest itself in its own way, but the negative effect will be noticeable, even if not immediately, then after a while it will manifest itself and let you know about yourself. That is why nutritionists and doctors constantly talk about a balanced diet, about the correctness of food, a healthy diet and other things that can affect the human body and its proper functioning.

The need of the human body for these substances largely depends on the age and gender of the person, his physical activity and daily load. During stress or illness, a person needs much more substances than when his body is calm and healthy. Also, do not forget that children, pregnant women, the elderly also need more substances. It is a pity, but the substances in the body do not accumulate. The nutrients in foods make up their value. All products are characterized and divided depending on the content of the considered nutrients in their composition. Human nutrition should be varied and balanced. The diet should include all these substances for the full functioning of the body, as well as its proper functioning.