It is known that there are 40 to 45 kinds of essential nutrients for the human body, among which the most important nutrients for the human body are carbohydrates, proteins, lipids, water, minerals, and vitamins. Among them, carbohydrates, fats and proteins are present and consumed in large amounts in food and are called macronutrients or macronutrients. Vitamins and minerals are only required in small amounts in a balanced diet, so they are called micronutrients. Minerals are divided into macroelements and trace elements. Macroelements are relatively abundant in the human body, while trace elements are in small amounts in the human body.
They cannot be synthesized in the body and must be obtained from food, which are called "essential nutrients"; other nutrients can be converted into other food components in the body and do not necessarily need to be obtained directly from food, which are called "essential nutrients" Non-Essential Nutrients”.
After people eat foods containing these nutrients, the body can further utilize them and use them to produce many other substances necessary for body functions, such as enzymes and hormones. From a nutrition and food science or food processing perspective, these nutrients should be kept as undamaged as possible.
Many scholars also classify dietary fiber as a nutrient and become the seventh type of nutrient. Water is the source of life. People’s need for water is second only to oxygen. Water is a necessary substance to maintain life. The body’s material metabolism and physiological activities are inseparable from the participation of water. The important component of human cells is water. A normal adult's water content is about 70%, an infant's body weight is about 80% water, and the elderly's body is 55% water. About 150 ml of water is needed per kilogram of body weight every day. Breast milk is mostly water, and breastfeeding water feeding should be adjusted appropriately. You can multiply 150 ml by your body weight in kilograms to get the water requirement, and then subtract the amount of milk you eat to get the amount of water you should feed.
Water comes from various foods and drinking water. If a person does not take in a certain vitamin or mineral, he may be able to live for a few weeks or live with a disease for several years, but if a person does not have water, he can only live for a few days. Water facilitates chemical reactions in the body and also plays a role in transporting substances within the organism. Water plays a large role in maintaining the stability of temperature in living organisms. Protein is an indispensable substance for maintaining life. Human tissues and organs are composed of cells, and the main component of cell structure is protein. The growth of the body, the repair of tissues, the regulation of biochemical reactions in the body by various enzymes and hormones, the composition of antibodies to resist diseases, the maintenance of osmotic pressure, and the transmission of genetic information are all played by proteins. Infants and young children grow rapidly and require more protein than adults, averaging more than 2 grams per kilogram of body weight per day. Meat, eggs, milk, and beans are rich in high-quality protein and must be provided every day. Note:
1. The principles of matching include the matching of animal and plant foods; the matching of multiple types of food.
2. The principle of not overproviding. In infants and young children, it is appropriate for protein calories to account for 12% to 14% of total calories. Too much protein will affect the normal function of protein, cause protein consumption, and affect the nitrogen balance in the body.
3. The principle of not providing less. Providing too little protein will obviously affect the speed of growth and development, decrease biochemical reactions, decrease disease resistance, and even lead to malnutrition. The result is not only growth retardation, but also mental retardation due to the impact on brain cell development. Fat is the primary nutrient that stores and supplies energy. Each gram of fat provides twice as much energy as the same weight of carbohydrates or protein. The formation of body cell membranes, nervous tissue, and hormones are all inseparable from it. Fat also plays a role in keeping warm and insulating; supporting and protecting internal organs, joints, and various tissues; and promoting the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins. Babies need 4 grams of fat per kilogram of body weight every day. Fats from animal and plant sources are necessary for the human body and should be provided in combination. Daily fat heat supply should account for 20% to 25% of total calories.
Lipids refer to a class of lipids that are very different in chemical composition and structure, but all have the same characteristic, that is, they are insoluble in water but soluble in non-polar solvents such as ether and chloroform. substance in. Generally, lipids can be divided into five categories according to different compositions, namely simple lipids, complex lipids, terpenes and steroids and their derivatives, derived lipids and combined lipids.
Lipids have important biological functions, and fat is the energy provider of organisms.
Lipids are also important components of living organisms. For example, phospholipids are an important component of biological membranes, and oils are the storage and transportation form of fuel required for body metabolism. Lipids also provide the animal body with essential fatty acids and fat-soluble vitamins dissolved in them.
Certain terpenes and steroids such as vitamins A, D, E, K, cholic acid and sterol hormones have nutritional, metabolic and regulatory functions. Lipids on the surface of organisms have protective effects such as preventing mechanical damage and preventing heat dissipation. Lipids, as surface substances of cells, are closely related to cell recognition, species specificity and tissue immunity. Carbohydrates are the main nutrients that provide energy for life activities. They are widely found in rice, noodles, potatoes, beans, and various grains. They are the most important and economical food for humans. The daily calories provided by this type of food should account for 60% to 65% of the total calories. Any carbohydrates that undergo biochemical reactions in the body are eventually decomposed into sugars, so they are also called sugars. In addition to providing energy, it also promotes the metabolism of other nutrients, combines with proteins and fats to form glycoproteins and glycolipids, and forms antibodies, enzymes, hormones, cell membranes, nervous tissue, ribonucleic acid and other substances with important functions. The importance of this type of food is self-evident, but parents should also be reminded not to add too much rice noodles too early; adding too much sugar to their children's food will lead to obesity and lay the foundation for their children's future health.
Cellulose is an undigested carbohydrate, but its role cannot be ignored. Cellulose is divided into two categories: water-soluble and water-insoluble. Water-insoluble fiber is not digested and absorbed by the human body and only stays in the intestines. It can stimulate the production of digestive juices and promote intestinal peristalsis, absorb water to facilitate defecation, and also play a beneficial role in the establishment of intestinal flora; water-soluble fiber Vitamins can enter the blood circulation, reduce plasma cholesterol levels, improve blood sugar production response, and affect the absorption speed and location of nutrients. Fruits, vegetables, cereals, and beans all contain more fiber and can be chosen by parents. There are two definitions of dietary fiber. One is from a physiological perspective, which defines dietary fiber as the remains of undigested plant cells in the digestive system of mammals, including cellulose, hemicellulose, pectin, resistant starch and lignin. etc.; the other is chemically defined as dietary fiber as plant non-starch polysaccharides plus lignin.
Dietary fiber can be divided into soluble dietary fiber and insoluble dietary fiber. The former includes part of hemicellulose, pectin and gum, etc., and the latter includes cellulose, lignin, etc. Among them, apple collagen, as a natural macromolecular water-soluble dietary fiber, has the function of strong adsorption and elimination of "radiation substances (positively charged substances)" in the human body, and is an essential nutritional balancing factor for the human body. It has a unique molecular structure and physiological characteristics that cannot be directly digested by the human body, so that it can naturally absorb "toxins", "negative nutrients", "heavy metals", "free radicals" and other harmful substances that are difficult for the human body to metabolize itself and excrete them from the body. Thus achieving nutritional balance. Regular consumption of apple collagen can prevent, prevent and inhibit various human diseases such as cardiovascular diseases, gastrointestinal diseases, respiratory diseases, metabolic diseases and tumors.