Essential Nutrients and Their Role in Health

Food and Essential Nutrients

Food is our source of nutrients. Nutrients are biomolecules our body needs to sustain vital functions. They are the chemical components of food, the building blocks and energy sources our cells require to live.

Basic Nutritional Requirements

• Energetic: Some nutrients are broken down in mitochondria to extract energy.
• Structural: Some nutrients are building blocks of body structures.
• Regulatory: Some nutrients are necessary in small quantities to regulate body metabolism.

Carbohydrates (Glucids)

Biomolecules present in bread, cereals, potatoes, pasta, etc. They provide energy to cells, and some of them must be consumed on a regular daily basis.

Simple and Complex Glucids

Simple Glucids (Sugars)

Sweet taste, small molecules. They are quickly metabolized to release energy.

• Monosaccharides: Glucose, Fructose
• Disaccharides: Sucrose, Lactose (immediate source of energy in muscles and brains)

Complex Glucids (Polysaccharides)

Made up of monosaccharides joined together. They are stored in the liver as complex glycogen, which is then broken down into simple sugars. They provide a slow release of sugar to cells, preventing an uncontrolled rise of sugar in the blood.

• Glycogen: Found in animals, stored in the liver.
• Starch: Found in plants, stored in leaves, roots, tubers.

Lipids

A group of very diverse substances with a few things in common: water insolubility and an oily appearance.

Types of Lipids

• Fats: Rich in energy, can be Saturated or Unsaturated.
• Membrane Lipids: Make up cell membranes.
• Regulatory Lipids: Control metabolic processes (e.g., vitamins and hormones).

Saturated vs. Unsaturated Fats

• Saturated Fats: Of animal origin, solid at room temperature. They contribute to a rise in "bad" cholesterol levels.
• Unsaturated Fats: Of plant origin, and sometimes animal. Liquid and easily digestible.

Proteins

Half of our body is made up of proteins. They are the most important structural molecules in our body. Proteins are macromolecules made up of numerous smaller molecules called amino acids.

Proteins and Amino Acids

Proteins are made up of a chain of amino acids with a specific 3D structure that gives the protein its function.

Protein Functions

• Forming body structures
• Oxygen transport in blood
• Defense and immunity
• Muscle and cardiac contraction
• Metabolic regulation

Mineral Salts

• They are essentially regulators of our vital functions, but some also form bones and teeth.
• Fruits, vegetables, and dried fruits are rich in mineral salts.
• The lack of some salts like Fe (Iron), Ca (Calcium), or I (Iodine) can cause serious illnesses and deficiencies.

Vitamins

• Needed in very small quantities. Lack of vitamins produces serious illnesses.
• Regulate a huge number of body functions.
• Easily destroyed by light, heat, or O2 exposure, so they are more abundant in fresh food.

Vitamin Classification

Water-Soluble Vitamins

Soluble in water. Easily eliminated through urine; they do not accumulate. Problems arise when they are absent or in low levels.

Fat-Soluble Vitamins

Stored in the liver. When there is an excess of these vitamins, health problems can occur.