1. Nutrition
Life Science Grade 7

2. What is a Nutrient?
A nutrient is a chemical substance in food needed by the body for growth, energy, and life processes.
The six nutrients are carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins, minerals, and water.

3. Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates are nutrients that supply your body with energy.
There are three kinds:
sugar cellulose starch

4. Sugar – A Simple Carbohydrate
Are “simpler” compounds
They are digested and used quickly by your body.
Sugar examples are glucose, sucrose, fructose, and lactose.
They give your body short, quick bursts of energy.

5. Starch and Cellulose - Complex carbohydrates
Are more “complex” molecules
They take longer to digest and use.
They give your body energy over long periods of time.
cellulose
starch

6. Proteins
Proteins are nutrients that help your body grow, build, and repair body tissues.
You need 8 essential “amino acids” from food (the building blocks of protein).
When carbohydrates and fats have been used up, proteins can also be used for energy.

7. Proteins
Some food sources of protein are: milk products, fish, meat, poultry, beans, grains, and nuts.

8. Fats Fats are energy-storage nutrients.
Fat that is stored in the body is used for insulation and cushioning of internal organs.
Fats are classified as unsaturated and saturated.

9. Unsaturated Fats come from plant sources
are usually liquid at room temperature
are often called “oils”
are considered
healthier for you

10. Saturated Fats
come mainly from animal sources such as meat, eggs, and milk products
are usually solid at room temperature
can give you too much cholesterol which can clog your arteries

11. Vitamins help your body use other nutrients
help promote growth and regulate body functions
no one food contains them all, but some foods supply more than others

12. Common Vitamins

13. Minerals are inorganic nutrients
regulate many chemical reactions in your body
about 14 are used by your body, calcium and phosphorus being used in the largest amounts

14. Minerals

15. Water most chemical reactions in the body need to take place in water
body is 60% water by weight
water is found in and around cells and in plasma and lymph
you lose about 2 Liters of water every day through excretion, perspiration, and respiration

16. Food Groups Nutritionists recommend eating a variety of foods.
Foods that contain the same nutrients belong to a “food group”.
Recommendations for how much of each food group should be in your daily diet are changing along with new research.

17. Old Food Pyramid

18. New Food Pyramid

19. Alternate Food Pyramid

20. Antioxidants
Some chemicals that enter the body can react with oxygen and cause cancer.
Antioxidants prevent this from happening.
They are “substances that prevent other chemicals from reacting with oxygen”.
There are antioxidants in fruits and vegetables, especially yellow-orange pigmented ones.