Six Essential Nutrients Nutrition Unit

What are carbohydrates? Your body uses carbohydrates (carbs) to make glucose which is the fuel that gives you energy and helps keep everything going. Your body can use glucose immediately or store it in your liver and muscles for when it is needed.

What are the types of carbohydrates? There are two main types of carbohydrates: Complex carbohydrates Simple carbohydrates You can find carbohydrates in the following: Fruits Vegetables Breads, cereals, and other grains Milk and milk products Foods containing added sugars (e.g., cakes, cookies, and sugar-sweetened beverages).

Vitamins Types of Vitamins Fat-Soluble – are stored in the body Vitamin A – (in carrots) helps your eyes Vitamin D – (in milk) helps your bones Vitamin E – (in leafy greens) maintains a lot of your body tissues Vitamin K – (in leafy greens) helps with blood clotting Water-Soluble- are not stored in the body Vitamin C (in oranges) helps your body heal from cuts Vitamin B (in leafy greens) helps your body make protein)

Minerals Macrominerals- Macro means large and your body needs larger amounts of these than the trace minerals. Calcium – (dairy products) helps to build strong bones Phosphorus – (cereal grains) important component of cell membranes. Sodium – (table salt, meat, fish, eggs) we need only about 250 milligrams per day. The average American consumes approximately 4000 to 6000 mg per day. Potassium – (bananas) keeps your muscles and your nervous system working properly. Trace Minerals Iron – (meat, especially red meat) to transport oxygen from your lungs to the rest of your body. Zinc – (oysters, meat, eggs) helps your immune system. It also helps with cell growth and repairing wounds. Fluorine – (drinking water) helps prevent tooth decay Copper – (shell fish and whole grains) helps keep blood vessels, nerves, immune system, and bones healthy Iodine – (seafood) needed for normal thyroid function and for the production of thyroid hormones. Magnesium – (fruits and vegetables) contraction and relaxation of muscles. Production and transport of energy. Production of protein.

Proteins Complete (meat, poultry, fish, eggs, and cheese) have an ample amount of amino acids. contains adequate amounts of all of the essential amino acids Incomplete (rice) missing one or more of the essential amino acids Lacks some amino acids

An important task of proteins is to build and repair body. They are found in animal products – meat, eggs, as well as fish, nuts, seeds, legumes soybeans. 10% - 35% of you calories should come from protein.

Fats Fats are an important part of a healthy diet. Small children need a certain amount of fat in their diets so the brain and nervous system can develop correctly. This is one reason why small children should drink whole milk. Fat is also required for maintenance of healthy skin, regulation of cholesterol metabolism and other body functions.

Fatty Acids Saturated Fat – (meat, butter, cheese, and milk) eating too much saturated fat can raise your blood cholesterol levels and increase the risk of heart disease Unsaturated Fat – (meat and some oils such as olive oil) heart health Trans Fat – (margarine, baked good, and fried foods) can raise cholesterol and increase the risk of heart disease.

Cholesterol HDL (good Cholesterol) protect against heart attack. Medical experts think that HDL tends to carry cholesterol away from the arteries and back to the liver, where it’s passed from the body. LDL (bad Cholesterol) when too much bad cholesterol circulates in the blood, it can slowly build up in the inner walls of the arteries that feed the heart and brain. Heart attack and stroke can result.

Water Most of your water needs are met through the water and beverages you drink. You can get some fluid through the foods you eat. For example, broth soups and other foods that are 85% to 95% water such as celery, tomatoes, oranges, and melons.

What does water do in my body? Water helps your body with the following: Keeps its temperature normal. Lubricates and cushions your joints. Protects your spinal cord and other sensitive tissues. Gets rid of wastes through urination, perspiration, and bowel movements.

Fiber – Fiber is a non-nutrient substance found in plant food that is not digested. It is found in fruits, vegetables, and grains. Crude/Roughage Residue Dietary Cellulose Pectin Hemicellulose