UNIT – 2A

NUTRITIONAL ELEMENTS:
CARBOHYDRATE, PROTEIN, FATS
AND MINERALS

Mrs. Mehrunnisha
Objectives
After completion of the lecture, students will be able to:

o Recognize the functions of carbohydrate, protein, fats and minerals.

o Identify the food sources of carbohydrate , protein, fats and minerals.
o Recognize the recommended amount of dietary carbohydrates ,
protein, fats and minerals.
o Discuss the classification of carbohydrate , protein, fats and minerals.
Introduction
• Based on Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, food and nutrition rank on the
same level as air in the basic necessities of life. But unlike air, food
does so much more than simply sustain life. Food is loaded with
personal, social, and cultural meanings that define our food values,
beliefs, and customs.
• Various nutritional elements to be included are: Carbohydrates,
Proteins, Lipids, Vitamins and Minerals.
CARBOHYDRATES
Carbohydrates are the body's most preferred source of energy. They
make up, by far, the largest volume (60%) of our daily food.
They are taken in the form of all foods made up of grain flour, cereals,
pasta, potatoes and other vegetables, and also in the form of sugars
contained in fruits, syrups, honey and candy, as well as in the pure
crystalline form of our familiar table "sugar".
Functions of Carbohydrate
Keeping and regulating body temperature.
Supply energy for all cells in the body.
As a part in mothers milk content.
As a part in glycoprotein.
To complete oxidation of fats.
Protect protein from breakdown in the body.
Very essential for nervous system.
Classification of carbohydrate
The carbohydrate is a class of chemical compound composed of carbon,
hydrogen and oxygen.
►MONOSACCHARIDE
►DISACCHARIDES
►POLYSACCHARIDES
 Monosaccharide
The simplest carbohydrates are the monosaccharide, or simple sugars. These
sugars can pass through the wall of the alimentary tract without being
changed by the digestive enzymes. The three most common are:

a) Glucose, sometimes also called dextrose, is present in fruit, sweet

potatoes, onions and other plant substances. Glucose is oxidized to
produce energy, heat and carbon dioxide, which is exhaled in breathing.

b) Fructose is present in honey and some fruit juices.

c) Galactose is a monosaccharide that is formed, along with glucose, when

the milk sugar lactose is broken down by the digestive enzymes.
Disaccharides
The disaccharides, composed of simple sugars, need to be converted by the body into
monosaccharide before they can be absorbed from the alimentary tract. Examples of
disaccharides are:

a) Sucrose is the scientific name for table sugar (the kind that is used, for example, to
sweeten tea). It is most commonly produced from sugar cane but is also produced from
beets. Sucrose is also present in carrots and pineapple.

b) Lactose is the disaccharide present in human and animal milk. It is much less sweet than
sucrose.

c) Maltose is found in germinating seeds.

 Polysaccharides
The polysaccharides are chemically the most complicated carbohydrates. They tend to be
insoluble in water, and only some can be used by human beings to produce energy. Examples
of polysaccharides are:
a) Starch is an important source of energy for humans. It occurs in cereal grains as well as in
root foods such as potatoes . Starch is liberated during cooking when the starch granules
rupture because of heating.

b) Glycogen is made in the human body and is sometimes known as animal starch. It is formed
from monosaccharide produced by the digestion of dietary starch.

c) Cellulose is sometimes called unavailable carbohydrates because humans cannot digest

them.
IMPORTANT SOURCES OF
CARBOHYDRATES
Most carbohydrates - Foods of plant origin.
Lactose - in milk.
Sugar - Fruit, fruit juice, table sugar, honey, soft drinks, and other
sweets
Starch - Bread, cereal, potatoes, pasta, rice, and legumes (dried peas
and beans)
Fiber - Whole-grain foods, raw vegetables and fruit (especially the
seeds and skins), legumes, nuts, seeds and popcorn
Utilization: (the supply of energy to the tissue)

The routes along which dietary carbohydrates may pass before

utilization in the tissues as a source of energy shows in the figure.
Intake -------------Alimentary canal
Transport--------Blood & lymph
Storage ---------Liver, muscles
 adipose tissue
Transport ------Blood
Utilization------Tissue
Recommended amount of dietary
Carbohydrates
The recommended dietary allowance (RDA) for carbohydrate is same
for all persons above one year of age.

Children, adolescents and adults should take in a minimum of

130 g/day.
Protein
Protein is one of the most important nutrients in our food because it is the chief
constituent of the body cells, of body tissues and of body fluids.

Functions of Protein:
Growth factor.
Body tissue repair.
Formation of globins.
Formation of enzymes and hormones.
Equilibrium of the osmotic pressure.
Formation of immune system.
Amino Acids
• Amino acids are the chemical building blocks from
which new proteins are made.
• The value of proteins is dependent upon combinations
of amino acids that build the protein.
• There are two types of Amino acids:
Essential Amino acids
Nonessential Amino acids
Types of Amino Acids
Essential Amino acids: Nonessential Amino acids:

 There are nine amino acids that are  Some plant foods contain protein, but do not
essential to human health and nutrition. have all the essential amino acids the human
body needs. They are called incomplete
 A food that has all the essential amino proteins or non essential amino acids.
acids an individual needs is called a  Incomplete proteins lack one or more
complete protein. essential amino acids but will neither support
 Complete proteins support growth and growth nor provide normal maintenance of
normal maintenance of body tissues. body tissues.
 Milk, eggs, cheese, fish and meat have  Rice, wheat and corn, for example, are
all the amino acids. missing some of the nine essential amino
acids.
Recommended amount of Proteins

• The daily requirements of the body for proteins are

approximately 1 gram/kilograms of normal
bodyweight.

• During pregnancy the requirement increases to 1.3 –

1.5 gm/ kg and 2 gm / kg during lactation.
Important Sources of Protein
• Plant Sources :
Bread, cereal, rice and pasta group, dry beans & nuts,
fruits (small amount of protein in fruits).

• Animal Sources:
Milk, yogurt and cheese group, meat, poultry and fish.
Consequences of Protein Deficiency
Growth slows down or stops for young child.
Failure to digest and absorb the food leading to diarrhea
and loss of water and electrolytes.
Failure of the liver to maintain normal structure and
function leading to edema.
Failure to maintain the structure of skeletal muscles and the
production of red blood cells leading to muscle wasting and
anemia.
FAT
 Fat (Lipids) provide a concentrated source of energy.
Examples of Lipid includes Triglycerides, phospholipids,
steroids….etc.
 Lipids have been defined as substance which are insoluble in
water but soluble in organic solvents such as ether,
chloroform and benzene.
FUNCTIONS OF FAT
 The main source of energy in the body.
 Transfer of vitamins.
 Protective layer under the skin.
 Keeping body temperature.
 Protective layer around all organs in the body.
 Formation of cholesterol (essential substance in brain structure).
Lipid Classification
 Triglycerides (Neutral fats)
 Phospholipids: Contain phosphate
 Sphingolipids: Contain sphingosine.
 Glycolipids: Contain carbohydrate
 Steroids: Are high molecular weight compounds include cholesterol.
 Waxes: Are esters of fatty acids with alcohol.
Types of Fat
FATTY ACIDS are the basic chemical units or organic acids which make up fat. All
fat is one of three types of fatty acid: Saturated, monounsaturated and
polyunsaturated.
SATURATED - found in animal sources such as milk, cream, cheese, butter, meat,
and poultry. Also in coconut and palm oil. Because it can be made from
saturated fatty acids, cholesterol levels in the blood are related to the amount of
saturated fat eaten. Appear to raise LDL or bad cholesterol.
MONOUNSATURATED - the best type of fat. It is found in olives, avocados, nuts,
and olive, canola and peanut oils. Most margarines and hydrogenated vegetable
oils are highly monounsaturated. These seem to lower LDL and raise HDL levels.
POLYUNSATURATED - are better than saturated fats. They are found in
vegetable oils and fish. Seem to help lower cholesterol levels.
Recommended amount of Fat
For 2,000 calorie recommends 6 teaspoons of oil
per day.
10% of your total calories should come from fat,
or about 22 grams of fat/day.
Important Sources of Fat
1) Animal fats
 Animal foods: Full cream milk, cheese, egg yolk and fatty meats of
animals, poultry and fish
 Prepared Fat : Cream, butter, and cooking fat ghee

2) Vegetable oils
 Plant foods: Sesame, olives, peanuts and nuts
 b) Prepared Oils: Prepared from variety of plant seeds as olives
and corn.
Fat Absorption
o In the process of digestion and absorption, the fatty acids are mixed, so
that the triglycerides of the food loss their identity and new triglycerides
partly characteristic of the animal species are formed after resynthesize
the triglycerides enter the lacteals of the small intestine as small particles
form 0.1-0.6um in diameter known as chylomicrons.
o These pass into the lacteals and the mesenteric lymph vessels, enter the
thoracic duct and then the systemic circulation via the right subclavian
vein.
o The major part of the fat absorbed enters the circulation via the thoracic
duct except for most short and medium chain fatty acids which pass to
the liver via the portal vein.
Problems Associated with excess Fat
 Fat is often associated with
cholesterol and health problems.
 Excessive amounts of fat
taken with meals interfere with
digestion and, of course, if
persisted in, will result in
obesity. Being overweight is the
cause of many troubles in the
body, besides much
inconvenience.
 CHOLESTEROL
CHOLESTEROL is a fat-like substance
made by the body which is
manufactured by the liver from the
fatty foods we eat and plays a vital
part in allowing the body to
function normally.
It has some useful functions:
 Found in every body cell.
 Part of skin tissue.
 Transports essential fatty acids.
 Needed to produce hormones.
Minerals
• Minerals are found in nearly all the foods but they do not supply
energy as carbohydrates, fats and proteins do, but they are essential
because they regulate the body chemistry and body functions.
• Minerals cannot be produced by our bodies. They must be ingested
(eaten in our food). Minerals are also found in enzymes, hormones,
bones and muscles. Minerals can become part of the body’s
structure.
• There are about sixty different minerals that make up about four
percent of the body.
Types of minerals

Minerals are also divided into two groups:

1. Macro minerals (Major Minerals) are found in relatively large

amounts. Required Intake is ≥ 100 mg/day.

2. Trace minerals are found in very small amounts in the body.

Required Intake is ≤ 100 mg/day.