In my previous post, I have discussed 5 rules of health and longevity. A series of posts on nutrition science is being started as informed earlier. This series will enable people to control obesity, reverse diabetes, high blood pressure, fatty liver etc by changes in diet alone. Obese people need not put themself to hungers of dieting and pains of intense exercise.
In this post various components of food we eat, will be discussed.
Whatever we eat, our food comprises of following components:-
(a) Energy. Energy is measured in calories (Kcal)
(b) Proteins. Proteins are building blocks of the body. One gram of proteins gives 4 Kcal.
(c) Carbohydrates. Carbohydrates (or carbs as popularly known) acts as fuel for body. One gram of carbs give 4 Kcal.
(d) Fats. Fats are not only body stores of energy, but also support other vital functions of the body. Fats are innocent victims of todays nutrition sciences and implicated in heart diseases. Fats provide 9 Kcal of energy per gram of food.
(f) Vitamins. Vitamins are required as catalyst in various reactions of the body. Various vitamins known to us are vitamin A, Vitamin B complex ( B1, B2, B6, B12 etc) Vitamin C, D,E, K. Vitamins control various body functions.
(g) Minerals. Important minerals which has been linked to health are Iron, Magnesium, copper, zinc, etc.
Proteins, carbohydrates and fats are called Macronutrients as they are required in larger amounts. Vitamins & Minerals are called micronutrients since they are required in very small quantities. Each component will be discussed in details in subsequent posts.
Have you liked the article. Comments, criticism and suggestions are welcome. You can test your class X knowledge by participating in the quiz. Answer the following questions using contact form. Names of winners will be published in next post.
Q 1. Name three rich sources of protein.
Q2. Name three foods rich in vitamin A.
Q3. Disease caused by lack of iron in body.
Q4. Which disease is caused by lack of vitamin A.