Types of nutrients and their sources and functions

Nutrition is the study of a thing of food and its actions and properties on the body. Good nutrition means that the body is getting the necessary food and is using it. a large number of people do not eat that type of food as much as is necessary for their body. that is the cause of many diseases There are many children in our country who are very weak since birth and they are very lacking in nutrition.

food is necessary for all living things the food that we eat contains different nutrients, the food provides nutritive substances for growth and energy. 

A nutrient is a substance used by an organism to survive, grow, and reproduce. food provides energy to do work, nutrients for the growth and repair of damaged cells and tissues, and keeping us healthy and disease-free.

Nutrition Principles -

• A balanced diet is necessary to keep the cells and tissues of the body alive and to keep the body's functions normal,
• To maintain a balance of the elements found in the liquid form in the body, it is necessary to take a lot of liquid substances daily.
• types of food contain different quantities of nutritional elements. it is necessary for a variety of nutritious elements for the body to be healthy and to maintain health. 
• Food is essential for all living organisms, foods we eat contain various nutrients, and provides nutrients for growth and energy.

Types of nutrients: the food that we eat consists of different nutrients. nutrients are classified into 6 main groups.

1. Carbohydrates,
2. Protein,
3. Fats,
4. Vitamins,
5. Minerals,
6. Dietary fibers,
7. And water.

Carbohydrates provide energy to the human body and other animals. carbohydrates are 2 main types of sugar and starch.

sugars: it is also called simple carbohydrates

sources: the main sources are simple carbohydrates (sugar) are .fruits, honey, table sugar, sugarcane, etc.

starch: it is also called complex carbohydrates. our digestive system breaks the carbohydrates into glucose, which is the simplest form of sugar that provides us energy.

sources: rice, wheat, corn, potato, and bread.

Proteins: protein is required by our body for muscle- building and repairing the worn-out body tissue. if we do not eat proteins our body will not be able to repair damaged cells or build new ones once .protein are obtain by both animal and plant sources.

Animal sources: meat, fish, egg, milk, and chicken.

Plants sources: pulses, soybeans, grams, and nuts.



Fats also provide us energy.

sources of fats: meat, oil, ghee, nuts, butter, and cheese are sources of fats, milk, fish, and egg also contain fat.

fats are two types

• Saturated fat: saturated fats are also normally solid at room temperature.e.g ghee
• Unsaturated fat: unsaturated fat is usually liquid at room temperature. e.g vegetable oil.

Vitamins: vitamin is needed for the proper function of our body. Vitamins help in keeping our eyes, bones, teeth, and gums healthy. there are 13 types of vitamins. vitamins are two types.

• fat-soluble vitamins: vitamins A, D, E, and K are fat-soluble vitamins.
• water-soluble vitamins: vitamin B1, B2, B3, B6, B12, vitamin C, and folic acid are water vitamins.

sources of vitamins: vitamin is not stored in our body, needs to regularly supply. citrus fruits, spinach, and green leafy vegetable, etc.

Minerals: mineral performs important functions like bones, teeth, and blood cells and helps in maintaining a normal heartbeat. mineral are two types. 

1. macrominerals: is needed a larger amount in the body as compared to trace minerals. calcium, magnesium, sodium, and potassium are macromineral.
2. trace minerals: it is needed a very small amount in the body. e.g Iron, Zinc, Copper, and Iodine are an example of trace minerals.

source of minerals :

• dairy products, milk, and cheese are rich in calcium
• green leafy vegetable broccoli and spinach are rich in Iron.
• fish is rich in iodine, magnesium.
• citrus fruits oranges, lemon are rich in potassium.

Roughage or dietary fibers: roughage or dietary fibers do not provide any nutrients to our body but help in maintaining a healthy digestive system. lack of roughage in the diet our stool becomes hard and difficult to pass this is known as constipation.

roughage are two types.

soluble roughage: it is soluble in water and helps in blood circulation.

sources of soluble roughage: apple, strawberry, peach, and rice are food rich in soluble roughage.

insoluble roughage: it is not soluble in water.

sources of insoluble roughage: whole grain, carrot, cabbage, turnip, and cauliflower are rich in insoluble roughage.

 Water: water is very important for our body. water performs many functions in our body, almost 70% of our body weight is water. water transports substances inside our bodies. water regulates body temperature. we get water in the liquid we drink, but we also get water from food e.g milk, fruits, vegetables, juices, etc.