Nutrition

Dr Ban Mahmoud

What Is Nutrition ?

* Nutrition: The study of how your body uses the

food that you eat.
* Nutrient: A chemical substance in food that
helps maintain the body.
* Malnutrition: is the lack of the right
proportions of nutrients over an extended period
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• Nutrition may be defined as the science of food and its relationship to

health. It is concerned primarily with the part played by nutrients in body
growth, development and maintenance .

• The word nutrient or “food factor” is used for specific dietary constituents
such as proteins, vitamins and minerals. Dietetics is the practical application
of the principles of nutrition; it includes the planning of meals for the well
and the sick. Good nutrition means “maintaining a nutritional status that
enables us to grow well and enjoy good health.”

• Protein, carbohydrate and fat had been recognized early in the 19th century
as energy-yielding foods and much attention was paid to their metabolism
and contribution to energy requirements.
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CLASSIFICATION OF FOODS
• Classification by origin:
- Foods of animal origin
- Foods of vegetable origin
* Classification by chemical composition:
1-Fats
2- Proteins
3- Carbohydrates
4- Vitamins
5- Minerals
6- Water

CLASSIFICATION BY
PREDOMINANT FUNCTION
• Body building foods:
meat, milk, poultry, fish, eggs,… etc

• Energy giving foods:

cereals, sugars, fats, oils,… etc.

• Protective foods:
vegetables, fruits, milk,… etc
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 CLASSIFICATION OF FOODS

A- Classification by origin:

1- Foods of animal origin.

2- Foods of vegetable origin.

B- Classification by chemical composition:

1-Fats
2- Proteins.
3- Carbohydrates.
4- Vitamins.
5- Minerals.
6- Water.

C- CLASSIFICATION BY PREDOMINANT FUNCTION

1- Body building foods:

meat, milk, poultry, fish, eggs,… etc

2- Energy giving foods:

cereals, sugars, fats, oils,… etc.

3- Protective foods: vegetables, fruits, milk,… etc

 NUTRIENTS
• Organic and inorganic complexes contained in
food are called nutrients. They are broadly
divided in to:
• Macronutrients:
-fats
-proteins
-carbohydrates
• Micronutrients:
-vitamins
-minerals
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Organic substances
A balanced human diet needs to contain a large
number of different components. These include
proteins, carbohydrates, fats, minerals (including
water), and vitamins. These substances can occur in
widely varying amounts and proportions, depending
on the type of diet. As several components of the diet
are essential for life, they have to be regularly
ingested with food.

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Recommended daily minimums for nutrients have been
published by the World Health Organization (WHO) and
a number of national expert committees including as :

A-Energy requirement
B-Nutrients

A-Energy requirement
The amount of energy required by a human is
expressed in kJ d-1 (kilojoule per day). An older unit
is the kilocalorie(kcal; 1 kcal=4.187 kJ). The figure
given are recommended values for adults with a
normal body weight. However, actual requirements are
based on age, sex ,body weight and in particular on
physical activity. In those involved in competitive
sports, for example, requirements can increase from
12 000 to 17 000 kJ d–1.

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B-Nutrients
1- Proteins
Proteins provide the body with amino acids,
which are used for endogenous protein bio-
synthesis. Excess amino acids are broken down
to provide energy
Most amino acids are glucogenic i. e., they can
be converted into glucose

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* Proteins are essential components of the diet,

as they provide essential amino acids that the
human body is not capable of producing on its
own .
* Some amino acids, including cysteine and
histidine, are not absolutely essential, but
promote growth in children.
* Some amino acids are able to substitute for
each other in the diet. For example, humans can
form tyrosine, which is actually essential, by
hydroxylation from phenylalanine, and cysteine
from methionine.

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* value, and larger quantities of them are The
minimum daily requirement of protein is (37 g)
for men and (29 g) for women, but the
recommended amounts are about twice these
values. Requirements in pregnant and breast-
feeding women are even higher.
* Not only the quantity, but also the quality of
protein is important. Proteins that lack several
essential amino acids or only contain small
quantities of them are considered to be of low
therefore needed.

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2- Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates serve as a general and easily

available energy source. In the diet, they are
present as monosaccharides in honey and fruit, or
as disaccharides in milk and in all foods
sweetened with sugar (sucrose). Metabolically
usable polysaccharides are found in vegetable
products (starch) and animal products
(glycogen). Carbohydrates represent a substantial
proportion of the body’s energy supply, but they
are not essential.

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3-Fats

Fats are primarily important energy suppliers in

the diet. Per gram, they provide more than twice
as much energy as proteins and carbohydrates.
Fats are essential as suppliers of fat-soluble
vitamins

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 Types of Fats
1. Saturated Fats:
• Solid at room temperature.
• Found in meat and dairy products.
• Can raise blood cholesterol.
• Some sources include butter,
• cheese, lard & margarine.

2. Unsaturated Fats:
• (Monounsaturated or polyunsaturated)
• Generally liquid at room temperature.
• Made from plant products.
• Sources: corn oil, canola oil, olive oil.

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3. Trans Fats: (Trans fatty acids)

- A process called hydrogenation can make
unsaturated fats (oils) solid at room temperature.
- Examples include shortening and many
margarines.
Raises blood cholesterol.

4. Essential Fatty Acids:

- Fatty acids the body can not produce.
- Needed to make other important
- compounds such as hormones.

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5. Functions of Fats:
- Source of energy.
- Forms cushions to help protect internal organs
from injury.
- Fat under skin forms a layer of insulation to
maintain body temperature.
- Carries fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K.
- Fats are part of the membrane that surrounds
every cell in the body.

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6. Limiting Excess Fats & Cholesterol:

A high fat diet can lead to weight problems.
Saturated and trans fats can lead to high
cholesterol.
Recommended to be no more than 30% of daily
food intake.
7. What is cholesterol?
A chemical relative of fat manufactured in the
liver and also contained in some foods. It can be
deposited in fatty streaks along the inner lining
of arteries, causing blocking.

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eicosanoic
4-Mineral
Mineral substances and trace elements, a very

heterogeneous group of essential nutrients, They are

usually divided into macro-minerals and microminerals.

5- Vitamins
Vitamins are also indispensable compo- nents of the
diet. The animal body requires them in very small
quantities in order to synthesize coenzymes and
signaling substances .
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Vitamins :

Ø Tasteless, organic compounds

Ø Required in small amounts
Ø Functions
• Regulate metabolism
• Help convert energy in fat, carbohydrate, and
protein into ATP
• Promote growth and reproduction
Ø Deficiencies can result in potentially serious
consequences

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Ø Cannot be synthesized in ample amounts in the
body
Ø Chronic deficiency is likely to cause physical
symptoms
Ø Symptoms will disappear once the vitamin
level in the body is restored
*Deficiency can cause permanent damage

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Classification of Vitamins

Ø Classification is based on solubility

• Eight water-soluble: B vitamin complex and
vitamin C
• Four fat-soluble: vitamins A, D, E, and K
Ø Solubility influences a vitamin’s
• Digestion
• Absorption
• Transportation

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 Vitamin Structure and Function

Ø All vitamins contain carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen

*Some vitamins contain nitrogen and sulfur
Ø Chemical structure of each vitamin is unique
Ø Each vitamin is a singular unit
Ø Vitamins are absorbed intact
Ø Vitamins perform numerous essential functions

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Vitamin Absorption and Storage

Ø All absorption takes place in the small intestine

Ø Fat-soluble vitamins
* Are absorbed in the duodenum
* Storage
- Vitamin A is mainly stored in the liver
- Vitamins K and E are partially stored in
the liver
- Vitamin D is mainly stored in the fat and
muscle tissue
- Can build up in body to point of toxicity

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Vitamin Absorption and Storage

Ø Water-soluble vitamins
• Absorbed with water and enter directly into the
blood stream
• Most absorbed in the duodenum and jejunum
• Most are not stored in the body
• Excess intake excreted through the urine
• Important to consume adequate amounts daily
• Dietary excesses can be harmful

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Digesting and Absorbing Vitamins

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 Digesting and Absorbing Water-Soluble Vitamins

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Antioxidants, such as vitamin E and C, selenium,

flavonoids, and carotenoids, help counteract the damaging
effects free-radicals
Ø Oxidative stress occurs when free radicals accumulate
faster than the body can neutralize them
• Contribute to chronic disease and conditions
Ø Fruits, vegetables, and whole grains are excellent sources of

antioxidants

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 Antioxidants
These sources also act as antioxidants, stimulate the
immune system and interact with hormones to prevent
cancers
* Phytochemicals
- Carotenoids
- Flavonoids
Ø Get antioxidants and phytochemicals from the diet instead
of supplements

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Best Sources of Vitamins

Whole foods
• Fruits, vegetables, and whole grains
• Rich in vitamins, phytochemicals, antioxidants, and fiber
Ø Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2005
• Recommend a variety of foods
• Increased fruits, vegetable, whole grains, and dairy
recommendation
Ø Most people do not need supplements

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