What is Nutrition

Provide nourishment to your cells and organism in form of food to support life and nutrients that provide energy and physical nourishment to an organism. A bad diet injurious on your health causing deficiency diseases like Metabolic syndrome, cardio disease, heart disease and diabetes. Nutrients are substances that our bodies need to function properly and maintain good health.

Major types of nutrients require human body

Nutrient is a source of nourishment, an ingredient in a food, protein, carbohydrate, fat,vitamin, mineral, fiber and water and macronutrients.

Carbohydrates

Carbohydrate is an organic compound that consists of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen atoms. Carbohydrates include monosaccharides (glucose, fructose, glactose), sisaccharides, and polysaccharides (starch). Nutritionally, polysaccharides are more favored for humans because they are more complex molecular sugar chains and take longer to break down - the more complex a sugar molecule is the longer it takes to break down and absorb into the bloodstream, and the less it spikes blood sugar levels. Spikes in blood sugar levels are linked to heart and vascular diseases.

Proteins

Molecules contain carbon, nitrogen, hydrogen and oxygen. Two types of Proteins (monomers and polymers), monomers, are used to create complicated proteins and polymers, which build tissues and repair break down tissues. Protein needs to break down when protein used as a fuel, as it breaks down it gets rid of nitrogen, which has to be eliminated by the kidneys.

Fats

Fats is an organic compound that consists consist of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen atoms. Fats are triglycerides - three molecules of fatty acid combined with a molecule of the alcohol glycerol.

Water

Water is absolutely essential for life. It's involved in nearly every bodily function, including digestion, circulation, temperature regulation, and waste elimination.

Micronutrients

Fibre

Fibre consists mostly of carbohydrates. However because of its limited absorption by the body, not much of the sugars and starches get into the blood stream. Fibre is a crucial part of essential human nutrition.

70% of the human body is water. We can't say completely sure how much water the human body needs but experts says 4-7 liters water required as per body size, age and weight and environmental temperature, dietary habits and physical activity.

Minerals are the other chemical elements our bodies needs, apart from carbon, hydrogen, oxygen and nitrogen.

Essential Minerals for human body:

Potassium : Potassium affects entire body, electrolyte and essential in co-regulating an important carrier of energy in cells in the body with sodium. Deficiency of potassium affects the heart and never system.

Chloride : Production of hydrochloric acid in the stomach, also help for cellular pump functions. Hypochleremia (low salt level) disease caused by deficiency of chloride.

Sodium : A systemic electrolyte and regulating essential in co-regulating an important carrier of energy in cells in the body with potassium. Hyponatremia disease caused by deficiency of sodium. The American Heart Association (AHA) announced on November 5, 2012 that sodium consumption should be limited to 1,500 milligrams per day, and that includes everybody, even healthy people without high blood pressure, diabetes or cardiovascular diseases

Calcium : Calcium important for muscle, heart and digestive health. Builds bone, assists in the synthesis and function of blood cells. Muscle cramps, abdominal cramps and tendency caused by deficiency of calcium. Muscle weakness, constipation and impaired kidney function caused by excess of calcium in human body.

Phosphorus: Phosphorus is a component of bones and energy processing. Hypophosphatemia disease caused by deficiency of phosphorus like rickets. Kidney failure also caused by excess phosphorus in body.

Magnesium : Magnesium required for good bones. Irritability of the nervous system with spasms of the hands and feet, muscular twitching and cramps, and larynx spasms caused by deficiency of magnesium and nausea, vomiting, impaired breathing, low blood pressure caused by excess magnesium in boy if patient has renal problems.

Zinc : Zinc required by several enzymes. Increased pigmentation of skin, enlarged liver and spleen, impaired wound healing and immunity caused by lack of zinc.

Iron : Iron is required for the production of blood cells and it is also part of haemoglobin. Iron is also involved in the conversion of blood sugar to energy. The immune system is dependent on iron for its efficient functioning and physical and mental growth require sufficient iron levels.

Manganese : Hearing loss, weak tendons and ligaments, chances of diabetes these all causing by deficiency of Manganese.

Copper : It is necessary for the formation of red and white cells in the blood along with iron. About 95% of the copper present in blood plasma is found firmly bound in a complex protein, ceruloplasmin, and the remaining 5 % loosely bound to another protein, albumen.

Iodine : Iodine is a vital micronutrient required at all stages of life; fetal life and early childhood being the most critical phases of requirement. Iodine is metabolized in the human body through a series of stages involving the hypothalamus, pituitary, thyroid gland and blood.

Selenium : It is essential to activity of antioxidant enzymes. Deficiency of Selenium causing muscular weakness and myalgia with, in several instances, the development of congestive heart failure. Excess of selenium causing garlic-smelling breath, gastrointestinal disorders, hair loss, sloughing of nails, fatigue, irritability, and neurological damage.

Molybdenum : A vital part of three important enzyme systems xanthenes oxidise, aldehyde oxidise, and sulphite oxidise. It has a vital role in uric acid formation and iron utilization, in carbohydrate metabolism, and sulfite detoxification. Deficiency of molybdenum causing affect metabolism and blood counts, but as this deficiency is often alongside other mineral deficiencies, such as copper, it is hard to say which one was the cause of the health problem.

Vitamins

Vitamins are organic compounds we require in tiny amounts. Vitamins needs to grow and develop normally of your body. There are 13 vitamins your body needs. They are vitamins A, C, D, E, K and the B vitamins(thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, biotin, vitamin B-6, vitamin B-12 and folate). You can usually get all your vitamins from the foods you eat. Your body can also make vitamins D and K. People who is vegetarian may need to take a vitamin B12 supplement.

Every vitamin has specific part. If you have low levels of certain vitamins, you may develop a deficiency disease like, if you don't get vitamin D, you could develop rickets and Vitamin A prevents night blindness. Some vitamins may help prevent medical problems.

The best way to get enough vitamins is to eat a balanced diet with a variety of foods. In some cases, you may need to take a daily multivitamin for optimal health.