Nutritional Needs

Introduction to Nutrients

Nutritional Needs Objectives

• Name key nutrients, describe their functions and sources

• Analyze effects of nutrient deficiencies and excesses

• Explain the process of digestion

Definitions

• Nutrient: chemical substance in food that helps maintain the body– Eating too many sweets and fats, skipping meals

prevent us from getting all of the nutrients we need

• Nutrition: study of how your body uses the foods you eat

• Malnutrition: lack of the right proportions of nutrients over an extended period of time– Causes: body’s inability to use nutrients in food,

body does not receive adequate nutrients. Energy, Growth, repair and regulation of body processes can be impaired

Nutrients For Good Health

• The amount of food is not as important as the right variety of food!

• A person who is malnourished could be overweight or underweight

• Some effects of malnutrition are long lasting– What a girl eats now could effect her pregnancy

later– Foods pregnant women eat can affect their

child’s growth and development in the future– Lifespan and health can be affected in the long

run

Nutrients!

• You need over 50 nutrients for good health!

• Nutrients supply energy, build and maintain body and cells and regulate bodily processes

• No single food supplies all of the nutrients!

Nutrient Groups

• There are six groups of nutrients your body needs

• Energy Producing– Carbohydrates– Fats– Proteins

• Non Energy Producing– Vitamins– Minerals– Water

• These are obtained through the foods you eat• Each nutrient has specific jobs• Each is vital to good health

More Nutrients

• A healthy diet contains nutrients from all six groups in the right proportion

• Failure to meet nutrient needs results in a – Deficiency Disease: illness caused by lack of

sufficient amounts of a nutrient

• To meet nutrient needs– Variety of fruits, Vegetables, Carbohydrates,

Fats, Proteins and Water– Dietary supplements: purified nutrients that

are manufactured or extracted from natural substances

Carbohydrates

• Body’s main source of ENERGY!• Three Main Types

– Sugars, Starches and Fiber

• 2 categories of carbohydrates• Simple

– Sugars

• Complex– Starches: most abundant carbohydrate in the diet– Fiber: form of complex carbohydrate from plants that

humans cannot digest• Does not provide energy• Helps you to feel full and promotes normal bowel function

• Most complex carbohydrates come from plant foods

Carbohydrate Sources

• Simple Carbohydrates– Sugars, syrups, soft drinks, jams,

jellies, candies and other sweets• Complex Carbohydrates

– Starches• Breads, cereals, pasta products, rice, corn,

potatoes, dry beans and peas

– Fiber• Whole grain cereal products, fresh fruits

and vegetables

Fats

• Concentrated source of energy, Carry fat soluble vitamins, Carry flavors that make food taste good

• Belong to a larger group of compounds called lipids– Lipids: include both fats and oils, all lipids contain fatty

acids

• Fatty Acids: chemical chains that contain carbon, hydrogen and oxygen– Saturated Fatty Acids: fatty acids that have as many

hydrogen atoms as they can hold– Unsaturated fatty acids: have fewer hydrogen atoms as

they can hold• Monounsaturated fatty acids: missing one hydrogen atom• Polyunsaturated fatty acid: missing two or more hydrogen

atoms

More Fats• Most Fats high in saturated fatty acids are solid

at room temperature• Oils high in unsaturated fatty acids are liquid at

room temperature• Hydrogenation: adds hydrogen atoms to

unsaturated fatty acids in liquid oils– Margarine– shortening

• Trans Fatty Acids: fatty acids with odd molecular shapes. When oils are partially hydrogenated trans fatty acids are created– Creates health concern! Causes risk for heart

disease!! Lowers Good HDL’s and raises Bad LDL

Even More Fats

• Cholesterol: fat like substance found in every cell of the body

• Serves several important functions:• Part of skin tissue• Aids in transport of fatty acids• Body needs it to produce hormones

• 2 types: Dietary Cholesterol and Blood Cholesterol

• Dietary cholesterol: occurs when you eat “animal” foods

• Blood Cholesterol: circulates through your blood stream– A high blood cholesterol level can lead to heart disease

Fat Sources

• Fats can be visible or invisible• Visible Fats

– Butter, Margarine, Fat on Meat and in Chicken and Turkey Skin

• Invisible Fats– Eggs, whipped cream, baked products, fried

foods

• Foods High in Fat– Butter, margarine, most salad dressings, oils,

vegetable shortening, Egg yolks, many dairy products, meats and avocados

Proteins• Chemical compounds that are found in every

body cell• Needed for growth, maintenance and repair of

body tissues• Made up of small units called Amino Acids• 9 amino acids are essential

– Body cannot make essential amino acids

• 11 amino acids are non essential• Complete protein contain all 9 essential amino

acids– Support growth and normal maintenance of body

tissue

• Incomplete amino acids are missing one or more of the essential amino acids

Protein Sources

• Complete Proteins– Animal Foods

• Meat, poultry, fish, milk cheese, eggs

– Soybeans• Only plant food source of a complete

protein

• Incomplete Proteins– Plant Foods

Assignment

• “Big Three” Nutrient Information Flyers• Using one sheet of paper for each nutrient (3

sheets total), list the following information:• Name of nutrient( carbohydrate, protein, fat)• Functions of nutrient• Pictures of food sources of Nutrient: Carbohydrate- Complex (2), Simple (2) Protein- Complete (2), Incomplete (2) Fat-(2) Visible Fats (2) Invisible Fats

Vitamins

• Complex organic substances needed in small amounts for normal growth maintenance and reproduction

• Body cannot produce most vitamins• Best way to get vitamins is to eat a

healthy diet• Can be fat soluble or water soluble

More Vitamins• Fat Soluble Vitamins:

– Dissolve in fats– Carried by the fats in foods – Stored in the fatty tissues in the body– Over time fat soluble vitamins can build up in the

body and reach dangerous levels– Vitamins A, D, E and K are fat soluble

• Water Soluble Vitamins:– Dissolve in water– Body does not store them – Excess water soluble vitamins are carried out of the

body in the urine– Consuming large quantities may still be harmful– Vitamin C and B-complex Vitamins are water soluble

Minerals

• Inorganic substances that become part of the bones, soft tissue and body fluids– Make up about 4% of your body weight– Help regulate body processes

• Body needs 21 minerals for good health• Macrominerals:

– minerals needed in the diet in amounts of 100 or more milligrams per day

– Calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, sodium, potassium, and chlorine

• Microminerals/Trace Elements– Minerals needed in amounts less than 100 milligrams

per day– Iron, Zinc, Iodine, Flourine

Water

• Body must have water to function• People can live more than a month

with out food, but only a few days with out water

• 50-75% of your body weight is water

• Water is found in and outside of your cell walls

Water Functions

• Aids in proper digestion, cell growth and maintenance

• All chemical reactions in the body rely on water

• Water lubricates the joints and body cells

• Helps regulate body temperature

Water Sources

• Liquids you drink and foods you eat• 54% comes from liquids

– Water, milk, tea, fruit juices and other beverages

• 37% comes from foods you eat– Different foods contain different amounts of water

• Ex: Lettuce contains more water that bread

• Body also obtains water when it releases energy from carbohydrates, fats and proteins

• Body excretes most of the water it uses through the kidneys as urine

• The rest is excreted through the skin, lungs and feces

Water Requirements• Nutritionist suggest:• Divide your body weight in pounds by two The

result equals how many ounces of fluids you should drink each day

• Ex: (150lb/2=75) This means a 150 pound person should drink 75 ounces of water per day

• Some People need more water– People in a coma– With fever– With diarrhea– People on high protein diets– People living in hot climates– Athletes

Water Deficiencies

• Diarrhea, vomiting, sweating or unavailability of water can deplete body fluids

• Thirst is the 1st symptom of water loss

• If water is not replaced• Dryness of the mouth, weakness,

increased pulse rate, flushed skin and fever can result

Assignment

• Vitamin/Mineral Research• With your assigned group research the

– Type– Functions– Food Sources– Deficiencies and – Excesses of your assigned Vitamins or

Minerals• Create a presentation explaining your

vitamins/minerals to the class• Must have Tangible (touchable)

examples of main food sources