5 MAJOR NUTRIENTS YOUR BODY REQUIRES 💪🧐
Channel: PRISHA TV
Date: 2021-05-16

Components of Food
Previously we discussed that our body needs food for different purposes. 
Why do we eat food?
Provides energy to our body.
Growth of the body.
Repair torn out tissues.
Protects us from diseases and helps in keeping our body safe.
We also discussed the various types of food made available to us by plants and animals. In this chapter we discuss the nutrition that we get from these foods.
The components of food that serve different purposes in our body are called nutrients.

Nutrients are classified in 5 major categories-
Carbohydrates
Fats
Proteins
Minerals and
Vitamins
Along, with these our body needs roughage, in the form of fibrous food and water.
Carbohydrates: are major sources of energy in our body. There are 2 types of carbohydrates: Simple and Complex. Simple Carbohydrates are those, which are digested easily such as Glucose, Sugarcane, grapes, and melons. Complex Carbohydrates are those which cannot be digested easily such as starch present in rice and wheat product such as bread, pasta, cake and vegetables like potato and sweet potato.




Fats: also provide energy, infact a little more energy than carbohydrates. Fats are used as energy stores in our body. Fats are obtained from cod liver oil, ghee, cheese, peanuts, sesame, vegetable oils.


Proteins: are known as the building blocks of life. These are complex substances found in food items and made of thousands of small units called amino acids. These help in the growth and repair of the tissues. Muscles are made up of proteins. Proteins are obtained from pulses, nuts, seeds and legumes (phali). It is also obtained from animals through milk, milk products, eggs, fish, poultry and meat.


Vitamins: are very important for keeping our body healthy. There are number of vitamins which our body needs and each are found in different food items and have a significant role to play for the functioning of our body.




Minerals: are required in very small unit and help in building up different parts of the body and in carrying various life processes. 
Calcium: Milk, Green Vegetable- For building bones and teeth, helps blood to clot.
Phosphorus: Meat, Fish, Eggs - For building bones and teeth.
Iron: Salt, Green vegetable – Maintains water balance in the water.
Iodine: Sea Food, Iodised Salt – Helps in proper growth.

Roughage: The function of these dietary fibres is to add bulk to the daily diet. We cannot digest roughage, so it adds bulk to the faeces. This helps in digestion process and proper functioning of bowel system. For example apples, grapes and pears.

Water: we should drink atleast 6-8 glasses of water every day and even more on hot and humid days. Fluid intake in the form of water-based drinks is also essential for good health. Water is needed for following reasons:
It is a good solvent and helps in transportation of nutrients of digested food throughout the body.
Water helps is in the proper functioning of kidneys and bowels. It also helps in eliminating wastes like sweat and urine and keeps our body cool.