Nutrient, a typical biological requirement of each and every living species. A nutrient is any material or chemical/non-chemical compound which is a basic necessity to grow, heal, recover or get energy in any living being for their survival.
There are six basic nutrients which are present in each and everyone's diet or meal.
The Six Basic Nutrients are.:-
- Water. Water makes up 45-75% of our bodies and is important for good health.
- Carbohydrates. Carbohydrates (carbs for short) are the main sources of energy in living beings.
- Protein. Protein is made of amino acids, which are the building blocks of tissues.
- Fat. These are the molecules which drives energy and metabolism.
- Vitamins. Although needed in much smaller amounts than the previous nutrients, vitamins are essential for various types of function.
- Minerals. Are elements (think the periodic table from chemistry) that are also essential for living beings to function.
Water
Water makes up 45-75% of our bodies and is important for good health. Water is used in different body processes and helps to regulate our temperature. Blood and other body fluids are mostly water, which helps to carry nutrients around the body and in and out of cells. The amount of water we need each day can vary depending on age, activity level, etc., but a good rule of thumb is to drink 8-10 cups of water each day.
Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates (carbs for short) are the main sources of energy in our body. In our body, blood sugar is the fuel that powers cells. Carbohydrates can be simple (easy to digest) in the form of sugar or complex (more difficult to digest) in the form of starch or fiber. We actually can’t digest fiber, but it plays an important role in gut health and cholesterol metabolism. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend 45-65% of calories in our diet come from carbohydrates. Carbohydrates are found in fruits, vegetables, grains, nuts, seeds, sugar, honey, and dairy foods.
Protein is made of amino acids, which are the building blocks of our tissues. Protein in our diet is used for growth, repair, and maintenance of body tissue. We can also convert protein into blood glucose to use as energy, too if we aren’t getting enough energy from carbohydrates or fat. Protein is in many different foods in different amounts. Meat, dairy, poultry, seafood, beans, peas, nuts, seeds, and dairy foods are the
best sources of protein.Fat
Fat is our most concentrated source of energy, providing double the amount of calories per gram. Fat is how our bodies store extra calories for later use. Despite this less desirable function, fats are important to health in other processes, too. Fat is used in metabolic processes as part of hormones, insulate our bodies, and provide shock absorption to protect different body parts (in our palms or soles of our feet and around internal organs). Our cell membranes are made of fat and our brains are about 60% fat. Some fats, like Omega-3s, are essential and we must get them from our diets. Fats are found in animal products, dairy foods, and oils from different plants, like olives, avocados, canola seeds, or coconuts.
Vitamins
Although needed in much smaller amounts than the previous nutrients, vitamins are essential for your body to function. Each vitamin works as part of a different process in your body, helping make your metabolism, growth, and development, or immune system (among many other functions) work properly. Vitamins are classified as water-soluble (B complex vitamins and vitamin C) or fat-soluble (vitamins A, D, E, & K).
The
functions of the vitamins found in Neuvon Balance Nutrition are:
Vitamin A (β-Carotene)
Is essential for growth, maintenance of skin and mucous membranes such as the
linings of the mouth, nose, lungs, digestive system, colon and for vision,
particularly at night
Vitamin D2
Vitamin D2
helps the body absorb calcium, potassium and phosphorous, all of which are
vital for healthy bones and teeth
Vitamin B1
(Thiamin) Is involved in the
proper functioning of the heart muscles and for the release of energy from
protein, fat and carbohydrate, needed for growth, normal appetite and
digestion. Thiamin has also been shown to play a vital role in the normal
functioning of the nervous system
Vitamin B2
(Riboflavin) Vitamin B2 plays a key role in energy metabolism, and
is required for the metabolism of fats, carbohydrates, and proteins
Vitamin B6
(Pyridoxine) Vitamin B6 helps protein metabolism, along with the
maintenance of the
nervous and immune systems
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Vitamin B12
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Vitamin B12 is often called
the 'red vitamin' because it is required for regulating blood cells
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Vitamin C
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Vitamin C is an essential vitamin that
plays an important role in maintaining the health of our cells, blood vessels
and our resistance to infection. Vitamin C also helps bones, teeth, gums,
skin and assists the absorption of iron from the blood
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Vitamin E
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Vitamin E is a highly effective
antioxidant, helping to protect the body from the effects of free radicals.
It also helps to maintain healthy skin and blood cells
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Biotin
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Biotin
is needed for normal growth and development of the skin and hair, the
maintenance of a healthy nervous system and the healthy functioning of bone
marrow
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Nicotinamide
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Nicotinamide (also known as vitamin B3)
is essential for a healthy nervous system
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Pantothenic acid
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Pantothenic
acid plays a vital role in the process of releasing energy from foods, the
role of fat metabolism and the provision of the immune system with antibodies
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Minerals
Minerals are elements (think the periodic table from chemistry) that are also essential for our bodies to function. Some minerals are used for metabolic processes and others are used as part of body structures, like calcium in our bones and teeth.
The main functions of the minerals and trace elements are:
Calcium Calcium is necessary for the formation of bones and |
| teeth and plays a vital role in cell function, muscle contraction and in the nervous system |
Iron | Iron forms part of red blood cells which carry oxygen round the body |
Copper | Is required for growth and forms part of enzymes involved in blood and bone formation |
Phosphorus | Phosphorus is necessary for the formation of bones and has an important role in many varied chemical reactions in the body |
Potassium | Potassium is essential in muscle function and in the transmission of nerve impulses |
Magnesium | Magnesium is essential for the formation of bones and teeth, and for the release of energy from food |
Zinc | Zinc is required for growth and cell function, bone metabolism, taste, insulin production and the body’s immune system which fights infection |
Iodine | Involved in functioning of the thyroid gland which regulates many of the metabolic processes in the body |
Manganese | Manganese helps the body to utilise calcium and potassium and maintain the structure of cells |
Selenium | Selenium helps to protect the cells and lipids from free radical damage |
The Nutrient Management and their Metabolic Significance
Although nutrients are very crucial for health and growth, but still they have very significance in our dietary intake, which is advised in the RDA stablished by various authorities and directives of FDA and FSSAI.
Nutrients are commonly evaluated by their Bioavailability and Rate of Absorption in body.
Bioavailability or Bioavailable Nutrients
The amount of the nutrient that is digested, absorbed and metabolized through normal pathways are commonly termed as Bioavailable Nutrient. However the quality of Nutrient is ideally how much the amount is get absorbed. The nutrients which are absorbed 70% or more over of it is bioavailable nutrient.
Rate of Absorption
The absorption rate is very important in ideal nutrient management. The rate of absorption is proportional to the gut health of the body which directly helps in the absorption of nutrients without excreted from the body. In general the Kidneys regulate the rate of absorption so the kidney health is required to be maintained.
As the dietary supplements industry is registering steady and rapid growth, consumers are demanding quality supplements. Consumer perception of the quality of oral solid dosage forms is changing. Good quality is associated with the ability to disintegrate and dissolve. Performance characteristics of oral solid dosage forms in public standards will address the in vitro dissolution requirements, which will be presented as they relate to multivitamin-mineral combination products.
So, Choose Your Nutrition Source wisely. Neuvon | Nurturing Health.
