What is the concept of nutrition and nutrients?

Through the following study we will get the answer!

what is nutrition

Literally, the two words nutrition have specific meanings:

• The word “ying” means “to seek”;

• The word “yang” means “health preservation”.

Combining the two words, nutrition is the pursuit of health. So, what exactly is the concept of nutrition?

Nutrition is the human body's continuous intake of food from the outside world, that is, what we "eat" every day - eating , they digest , absorb , and use the substances in the food that the body needs, which is commonly referred to as nutrients or nutrients to maintain life The whole process of activity is a comprehensive physiological process.

The four processes of eating, digestion, absorption and utilization are interlinked, and any problem in any link may affect the nutritional health of the human body. Take the first link "eating" as an example. Many female colleagues are very keen on dieting, and even take "Bone Essence" as the goal of practice. If things go on like this, it will affect their health. Long-term excessive dieting may cause a series of problems such as sharp weight loss , nutritional deficiencies , metabolic and endocrine dysfunction , and even life-threatening.

On the contrary, if you eat too much, it will also cause health effects on the body. For example, many families now dote on their only child very much, giving the child a lot of food and drink every day, but ignoring whether the child can digest, absorb and utilize it. If health is not guaranteed, both adults and children suffer. Therefore, nutrition is a comprehensive physiological activity, and every link is very important.

Nutrient exploration

what are nutrients

Substances in food that are digested, absorbed and metabolized to maintain life activities are called nutrients . In short, it is "substances in food that are beneficial to the body".

Classification of Nutrients

In general, nutrients can be divided into three categories: macronutrients , micronutrients , and other dietary components .

• Macronutrients

Macronutrients include protein , fat , carbohydrates , etc.

• Micronutrients

Micronutrients mainly refer to minerals and vitamins . This division is based on the level of the human body's requirement for nutrients. Relatively speaking, micronutrients are not well understood by ordinary people, so they are more likely to be deficient.

The lack of micronutrients is not easy for people to detect at first, and it takes a long time to feel it. Their lack does not cause people to feel hungry, so it is called " hidden hunger " and is easy to be ignored. Although the human body needs them in a small amount, if the intake is insufficient for a long time, a serious deficiency may occur, which will lead to an increased risk of various chronic diseases. In other words, although the demand for trace elements is small, they are indispensable. However, the important functions of many micronutrients on the human body have been continuously discovered and researched, which has attracted the attention of more and more nutritional health and preventive medicine experts.

• Other dietary components

Other dietary components mainly include: water , dietary fiber , phytonutrients , organic compounds related to nutrients, etc. These ingredients are also of great significance to human health.

The normal function of the human body is inseparable from the synergistic effect of all nutrients. So, what functions do they perform in the human body?

function of nutrients

Different types of nutrients have very different physiological functions in the body, but in general, the physiological functions of nutrients are mainly manifested in three aspects:

• Involved in building and repairing our body tissues ;

• Provide energy and help us maintain body temperature;

• Regulate various normal life activities of the body .

These physiological functions of nutrients are organically unified. A nutrient can undertake multiple physiological functions. For example, protein can not only form body tissues, but also provide us with energy. And a variety of nutrients may also perform the same function in the body, such as protein, fat and carbohydrates can supply energy through oxidation reactions in the human body.

Subscribe for more!