Nutrition

NAVEED AHMED KHAN

Explaining Nutrition
 All living organisms need nutrients to survive. While plants can
obtain the molecules required for cellular function through the
process of photosynthesis, most animals obtain their nutrients by
the consumption of other organisms.
 At the cellular level, the biological molecules necessary for animal
function are amino acids, lipid molecules, nucleotides, and simple
sugars. However, the food consumed consists of protein, fat, and
complex carbohydrates. Animals must convert these
macromolecules into the simple molecules required for
maintaining cellular functions, such as assembling new molecules,
cells, and tissues.
 The conversion of the food consumed to the nutrients
required is a multi-step process involving digestion and
absorption. During digestion, food particles are broken
down to smaller components, and later, they are absorbed
by the body.
 One of the challenges in human nutrition is maintaining a
balance between food intake, storage, and energy
expenditure. Imbalances can have serious health
consequences. For example, eating too much food while
not expending much energy leads to obesity, which in turn
will increase the risk of developing illnesses such as type-2
diabetes and cardiovascular disease. The recent rise in
obesity and related diseases makes understanding the role
of diet and nutrition in maintaining good health all the
more important.
Food Requirements
 What are the fundamental requirements of the
animal diet? The animal diet should be well
balanced and provide nutrients required for bodily
function along with the minerals and vitamins
required for maintaining structure and regulation
necessary for good health and reproductive
capability.
 Explaining Macronutrients: Protein, Carbohydrate and Fat
Proteins
 Proteins are often called the body’s building blocks. They are
used to build and repair tissues. They help you fight infection.
Your body uses extra protein for energy. The protein foods
group includes seafood, lean meat and poultry, eggs, beans and
peas, soy products, and unsalted nuts and seeds.
 Protein is also found in the dairy group. Protein from plant
sources tends to be lower in saturated fat, contains no
cholesterol, and provides fiber and other health-promoting
nutrients.
 Amino acids are the building blocks of proteins which are
needed for growth, development, and repair and maintenance
of body tissues. Protein provides structure to muscle and bone,
repairs tissues when damaged and helps immune cells fight
inflammation and infection.
Carbohydrates
The main role of a carbohydrate is to provide energy and fuel the body the
same way gasoline fuels a car. Foods such as corn, beans, plantains, rice,
tortilla, potatoes and other root vegetables, bread and fruit deliver sugars or
starches that provide carbohydrates for energy.
 Energy allows the body to do daily activities as simple as
walking and talking and as complex as running and moving
heavy objects.
 Organisms typically cannot metabolize all types of carbohydrate to yield energy. Glucose is
a nearly universal and accessible source of calories. Even though these complex
carbohydrates are not very digestible, they may comprise important dietary elements for
humans. Called “dietary fiber,” these carbohydrates enhance digestion, among other
benefits.
 Refined grains includes white rice and pasta made with white
flour. Other sources are bread and baked goods made with
white flour such as crackers, cookies, cakes and muffins. Such
foods don't contain fiber and they're lacking in nutrients.

 Choosing healthy carbohydrates, which refers to those that are

low in sugar, calories and fat but rich in fiber, water and
vitamins. For example, eat whole fruit instead of drinking fruit
juice and opt for brown rice rather than white rice. Select
bread made with 100-percent whole-grain or whole-wheat
flour, and avoid bread made with white flour.
Fats
 Fats give you energy, and they help the body absorb certain
vitamins. Essential fatty acids help the body function, but they
aren’t made by your body—you have to consume them. Many
foods naturally contain fats, including dairy products; meats,
poultry, seafood, and eggs; and seeds, nuts, avocados, and
coconuts.
 Certain kinds of fat can be bad for your health—saturated fats and trans fats:
 Saturated fats are found in the greatest amounts in butter, beef fat, and coconut,
palm, and palm kernel oils. Higher-fat meats and dairy and cakes, cookies, and some
snack foods are higher in saturated fats. Dishes with many ingredients are common
sources of saturated fat, including pizza, burgers, tacos, and sandwiches.
 Trans fats, which is short for trans fatty acids, occur naturally in some foods but are
also artificially produced. Because trans fats are not healthy, food manufacturers are
phasing them out. But trans fats can still be found in some processed foods, such as
some desserts, microwave popcorn, frozen pizza, margarine, and coffee creamer.
 Replace saturated and trans fats with these two types of
healthier fats while keeping total fat intake within the
recommended range:
 Monounsaturated fats. These are found in the greatest
amounts in canola, olive, peanut, sunflower, and in
avocados, peanut butter, and most nuts.
 Polyunsaturated fats. These are found in the greatest
amounts in sunflower, and cottonseed oils and in fatty fish,
walnuts, and some seeds.
Explaining Micronutrients: Vitamins and Minerals
 Vitamins and minerals are food components that help support overall health and play
important roles in cell metabolism and neurological functions.
 Vitamins aid in energy production, wound healing, bone formation, immunity, and eye
and skin health.
 Minerals help maintain cardiovascular health and provide structure to the skeleton.
 Consuming a balanced diet including fruits, vegetables, dairy, protein foods and whole or
enriched grains helps ensure the body has plenty of nutrients to use. Providing a few
examples of specific micronutrient functions can enhance the effectiveness of nutrition
education:
 Vitamin A helps the eyes to see
 Calcium and magnesium help muscles and blood vessels relax, preventing cramps and
high blood pressure
 Vitamin C helps wounds heal and the body’s ability to fight off germs
 Iron helps the blood transport oxygen throughout the body and prevents anemia
Explaining the Concept of Nutrients as Building Blocks
 Building blocks include protein for growing babies in utero, for child and adolescent
growth, and for repairing damaged skin, blood, and other body parts in adults who
aren't growing.
 Some parts of the body are replaced regularly, like blood and skin, so even adults are
building new body parts regularly. Calcium is also a building block for building bones.
Iron is a building block for blood. Since blood cells only last a few months, the body
constantly needs more iron and protein to make new blood.
 Using Metaphors to Explain Nutrition

 Foods Simple Concept of Function

Carbohydrate-rich foods Fuel
Protein-rich foods Building blocks
Fruits and Vegetables Helpers and protectors
Water
 The human body can last weeks without food, but only days without water.
The body is made up of 50 to 75 per cent water. Water forms the basis of
blood, digestive juices, urine and perspiration, and is contained in lean
muscle, fat and bones.
 As the body can’t store water, we need fresh supplies every day to make up
for losses from the lungs, skin, urine and feces. The amount we need
depends on our body size, metabolism, the weather, the food we eat and
our activity levels. 

 The functions of water are varied. It lubricates joints, regulates body

temperature, helps prevent constipation, aids the kidneys in flushing out
wastes and protects organs and tissues. Water also moistens tissues and
carries nutrients to the cells.
Diet and mental health
 There is research to suggest that what we eat may affect not
just our physical health, but also our mental health and
wellbeing.  
 Eating well (i.e. a well-balanced diet rich in vegetables and
nutrients) may be associated with feelings of wellbeing.
 One 2014 study found high levels of wellbeing were reported
by individuals who ate more fruit and vegetables1.  
 A recent study found that a Mediterranean-style diet (a
diet high in vegetables, fruits, legumes, nuts, beans, cereals,
grains, fish, and unsaturated fats such as olive
oil.) supplemented with fish oil led to a reduction in
depression among participants, which was sustained six
months after the intervention
 Think about it. Your brain is always “on.” It takes care
of your thoughts and movements, your breathing and
heartbeat, your senses — it works hard 24/7, even while
you’re asleep. This means your brain requires a constant
supply of fuel. That “fuel” comes from the foods you eat
— and what’s in that fuel makes all the difference. Put
simply, what you eat directly affects the structure and
function of your brain and, ultimately, your mood.
 Diets high in sugary, fatty and processed foods are
associated with depression and poor brain health. While
nutrient supplementation can have a role in maintaining
proper brain function and treating certain psychiatric
disorders, nutrients should, in the first instance, be
consumed as part of a balanced wholefood diet.
Nutrients in Brain Development
 Brain development during pregnancy and the first two years of life
determines lifetime brain function.
 Certain nutrients are critical for healthy brain development. These
include protein and long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids like
omega-3 fatty acids. Important vitamins include the following:
 Choline from eggs, dairy, meat and many vegetables
 Vitamin A from carrots, spinach and sweet potatoes
 Vitamin B6 from fish, potatoes and non-citrus fruits
 Vitamin B12 from fish, dairy products and eggs
 Zinc from fish, nuts and dairy products
 Iron from beans, lentils, baked potatoes and dark leafy vegetables
 Iodine from iodized salt, dairy products and seafood
Nutritional therapies for mental disorders
 According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4 out of the 10
leading causes of disability in the US and other developed countries are mental
disorders. Major depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and obsessive compulsive
disorder (OCD) are among the most common mental disorders that currently plague
numerous countries and have varying incidence rates from 26 percent in America to 4
percent in China.
 Notably, essential vitamins, minerals, and omega-3 fatty acids are often deficient in
the general population in America and other developed countries; and are exceptionally
deficient in patients suffering from mental disorders.
 Studies have shown that daily supplements of vital nutrients often effectively reduce
patients' symptoms. Supplements that contain amino acids also reduce symptoms,
because they are converted to neurotransmitters that alleviate depression and other
mental disorders.
 Based on emerging scientific evidence, this form of nutritional supplement treatment
may be appropriate for controlling major depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia
and anxiety disorders, eating disorders, attention deficit disorder/attention deficit
hyperactivity disorder (ADD/ADHD), addiction, and autism.
THANK YOU…..