Essential Nutrition
Essential nutrition comprises essential nutrients, required by all vital organs of the body for their normal functioning. Physical standards can never be maintained without a sustained supply of essential nutrients.
Malnutrition leads to several diseases starting from childhood e.g. Kawashirkor and Marasmus etc.
Essential Nutrients:
- Proteins:
Proteins are macromolecular building blocks of the body, mainly comprising Short or Long-chain Amino acids as an essential component. Proteins can be found in the following parts/cells of the body;
- Hairs
- Nails
- Bones
- Collagen
- Muscles
- Enzymes
- Anti-bodies
- Plasma
The following are the sources of proteins;
- Meat
- Fish
- Dry Fruits
- Cheese
- Dairy products
- Eggs
Upto 30% of daily calories should come from proteins.
2. Fats:
Fats are the body’s fuel, and their building blocks are esters, glycerol, and fatty acids. They provide energy during physical exertion and should contribute up to 30% of total calories.
They are found in the following parts/cells of the body;
- Subcutaneous fat(under skin)
- Visceral fat(between organs)
- Bone marrow fat
Classification;
| Saturated Fats(solid at room temperature) | Unsaturated Fats(liquid at room temperature) |
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Sources:
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Sources:
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| Raises LDL (bad fats) & TAG levels in the body, predisposing to many medical conditions like IHD and Obesity. | Raises HDL(good fats) levels and decreases insulin resistance. |
3. Carbohydrates:
Carbohydrates can be defined as ‘hydrates of carbon.’ They are also called saccharides. Along with fats, carbohydrates work as the fuel of the body. Their building blocks are made up of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen. They should make up to 65% of total calories.
Carbohydrates are found/stored in the following organs/parts of the body;
- Blood
- Liver
- Muscles
- Fat
The following are the sources of carbohydrates;
- Sugar
- Rice
- Fruits
- Potatoes
4. Vitamins:
Vitamins are the nutrients required in small amounts but are essential for the normal functioning of body parts.
They are almost found in every part of the body. They can further be divided into two classes;
- Water soluble vitamins(B-Complex)
- Fat-soluble vitamins(A,D,E and K)
5. Minerals:
Minerals are the solid chemical elements/compounds primarily found on Earth. They are inorganic and naturally form inside the Earth.
They are found in the following parts/cells of the body;
- Blood(Iron)
- Neurons(Sodium, Potassium and Calcium)
- Enzymes
- Bones/Teeth(Calcium)
- Plasma
6. Water:
Water is the most basic and essential nutrient, without which standard mechanisms of the body can’t occur. It is critical in;
- Maintaining the osmotic balance of different body fluids
- Joint and muscle repair and movements
- Detoxification of harmful substances that would otherwise be lethal for the body
Implication of Essential Nutrition:
By learning all the basic knowledge about Essential Nutrients, one should know about the composition of Essential Nutrition.
Provision of all Essential Nutrients deeply depends on the geographical distribution and other factors like financial condition of the individual or country. Majority of people living in the African belt are malnourished. We’ll discuss about malnutrition in separate section.
Take Home Message
Essential Nutrition is the most basic requirement for maintenance of Physical and Mental Health.
Responsibility also lies on our healthcare providers to give mass awareness regarding the basics of the Essential Nutrtion. Basic Health Units of specific areas should teach the public where particularly literacy rate is low and most people are vegetarian.
Deficiency of any above-mentioned nutrients may lead to lifelong disabilities.