Nutrition Essay, Research Paper
Nutrition is the science that deals with food and how the body uses
it. All living things need food to live. The food supplies energy, which
people need to perform certain actions. Food also provides substances
that the body needs to build and repair its tissues and to regulate its
organs and organ systems.
Food provides certain chemical substances needed in order for a
person to maintain good health. These chemical substances are called
nutrients. Nutrients can perform three important functions. They provide
materials for building, repairing, or maintaining body tissues. They help
regulate body processes. They serve as fuel to provide energy. The
body needs energy to maintain all its functions. People who do not get
enough nutrients are sometimes lazy and are unwilling to work.
The foods we eat contain thousands of different chemicals. Our
body, however, only needs only a few dozen of these chemicals in order
to stay healthy. These are the nutrients that the body needs. Nutrients
are divided into six main groups. They are (1)water, (2)carbohydrates,
(3)fats, (4)proteins, (5)minerals, (6)vitamins. Water, carbohydrates, fats,
and proteins are called macronutrients. Since macro means large, the
body needs these four nutrients in large amounts. Minerals and vitamins
are called micronutrients (because micro means small). The body needs
only small amounts of these nutrients.
Water is the most important nutrient. Our bodies can survive
without other nutrients for several weeks, but we can only go without
water for about one week. Water is needed in great amounts because
the body consists largely of water. Between 50 and 75 percent of a
normal person’s body weight is made up of water. The body needs water
to carry out all of its life processes. Watery solutions help dissolve other
nutrients and carry them to all of the tissues. The body also needs water
to carry away waste products and to cool itself. Adults should drink
about 2 1/2 quarts of water every day.
The carbohydrates, fats, and proteins are needed because they have
nutrients which provide energy.
Carbohydrates include all sugars and starches. They are the main
source of energy for living things. There are two types of carbohydrates,
simple and complex. Simple carbohydrates include sugars and have a
simple molecular structure. Complex carbohydrates include starches and
have a larger and more complicated molecular structure. The structure
consists of many simple carbohydrates linked together.
Fats are a highly concentrated source of energy. All fats are
composed of an alcohol called glycerol and substances called fatty acids.
A fatty acid consists of a long chain of carbon atoms. There are three
types of fatty acids. They are saturated, monounsaturated, and
polysaturated. This is a chart that describes the amount of fat per
serving. The bold words can be found on many food products in the
supermarket.
Fat free: less than 0.5 grams of fat per serving
Saturated fat free: less than 0.5 grams of saturated fat per serving, and the
level of trans fatty acids does not exceed 1% of total fat
Low fat: 3 gram or less per serving and, if the serving is 30 grams or less
or 2 tablespoons or less, per 50 grams of the food
Low saturated fat: 1 grams or less per serving and not more than 15% of
calories from saturated fatty acids
Reduced or Less fat: at least 25% less per serving than compared food
Proteins serve as one of the main building materials for the body.
Skin, cartilage, muscle, and hair are made up largely of proteins. Protein
also contains enzymes which speed up chemical reactions. Cells could
not function without these enzymes. Proteins also serve as hormones
(chemical messengers) and as antibodies (disease fighting chemicals).
Proteins are large, complex molecules made up of smaller units called
amino acids. The body must have a sufficient supply of twenty amino
acids. It can produce eleven of them in sufficient amounts. The nine
others are called essential amino acids. The body cannot make these
amino acids. They must come from food. The best sources of protein
are cheese, eggs, lean meat, fish, and milk. The proteins in these foods
are called complete proteins. They are called this because they contain
adequate amounts of all the essential amino acids. Cereal grains, legumes
(plants of the pea family), vegetables, and nuts also supply proteins to the
body. These proteins are called incomplete proteins because they do not
have adequate amounts of one or more of the essential amino acids.
Although the vitamins and minerals are only needed in small
amounts, they are still important to the body. Minerals are needed for
growth, to maintain tissues, to regulate body functions, and maintenance
of body structures. These minerals are not to be confused with rock
minerals. Minerals are inorganic compounds. This means that they are
not created by living things. The required minerals are calcium,
magnesium, phosphorus chlorine, potassium, sodium, and sulfur.
Calcium, magnesium, and phosphorus are important for the bones and the
teeth. Calcium, which is mostly found in milk products, is also necessary
for blood clotting. Cereals and meats provide phosphorus. Whole grain
cereals, nuts, and lettuce, are good sources of magnesium. People need
only small amounts of minerals each day. Vitamins are needed in order
for a person to have good health. Vitamins regulate chemical reactions by
which the body converts food into energy and tissues. There are 13
vitamins. The main vitamins are A, B-1, B-2, B-12, C, D, E, and K.
Vitamin A is necessary for healthy skin and development of the bones.
This vitamin can be found in liver, green and yellow vegetables, and milk.
Vitamin B-1 is necessary for changing starches and sugars into energy. It
is found in meat and whole grain cereals. Vitamin B-2 is needed for
complicated chemical reactions that take place during the body’s use of
food. This is found in milk, cheese, fish, liver, and green vegetables.
Vitamin B-12 is needed for forming red blood cells and for a healthy
nervous system. B-12 is found in animal products such as liver. Vitamin
C is needed for the maintenance of the ligaments, tendons, and other
supportive tissues. Vitamin C is found in fruits and potatoes. Vitamin D
is necessary for the body’s use of calcium. Vitamin D is found in milk and
fish. Vitamin E helps maintain cell membranes. It is found in vegetable
oils, whole grain cereals, meats, fruits, and vegetables. Vitamin K is
necessary for blood clotting and is found in lettuce.
A balanced diet is the key to having good health. A balanced diet
includes every kind of nutrient. The food we eat directly effects our
health. A good diet will help prevent certain illnesses and help in the
recovery from others. An improper diet increases the risk of various
diseases. Nutrition experts recommend that the daily diet include a
certain number of servings from each of the five food groups: (1)
vegetables, (2) fruits, (3) breads, cereals, rice, and pasta, (4) milk,
yogurt, and cheese, and (5) meat, poultry, fish, dried beans and peas,
eggs, and nuts.
Energy is important for people to get through their day. The amount
of energy varies for every person. A person who plays sports needs
more calories than someone who does little physical work. Children need
more calories than their size would indicate because they are growing.
Pregnant women need extra calories in order to provide enough nutrients
for a healthy baby.
Health experts recommend that people limit their intake of saturated
fats and cholesterol. The consumption of saturated fats and cholesterol
raises the level of cholesterol in a person blood. A high level of blood
cholesterol increases the risk of heart disease. Animal products are the
source of most saturated fats and all dietary cholesterol. People should
eat lean meats, fish, poultry, and low fat dairy products to reduce the
consumption of saturated fats and cholesterol.
People should also limit their intake of sodium and sugar. A diet that
includes a great deal of sodium may increase the risk of high blood
pressure. Sodium is found in many foods. It can be found in fast food
(Kentucky Fried Chicken has great tasting fast food chicken but it is very
unhealthy), junk/snack food (my favorite), canned foods, and TV
dinners. Fresh foods have much less sodium than most frozen foods.
Foods that have a lot of sugar are often high in calories and fat but low in
minerals, proteins, and vitamins. These foods are sometimes called
“empty calorie” foods because they make a person feel full but provide
few nutrients. The sugars are bad because they contribute to tooth decay
and cavities. Foods with a lot of sugar are candies, pastries, and
breakfast cereals. Instead of eating sugary foods, people should eat fresh
fruits and vegetables.
A bad drink to have is alcohol. Alcoholic beverages supply
calories, but they provide almost no nutrients. Alcohol is also a powerful
drug, and constant drinking can lead to health problems. If people drink
alcohol, they should drink only small amounts at a time. Children,
adolescents, and pregnant women should not drink alcohol at all. Also,
people who are about to drive should never drink alcohol.
If a person wants to stay thin they should not overeat. When a
person consumes more calories than are needed, the body stores most of
the excess calories as fat. This can result in OBESITY. An obese
person has too much body fat for good health. To avoid obesity, people
should be careful not to use food as a reward or as a way to overcome
loneliness or boredom. It is also a good idea to avoid snacking on foods
that are high in fat or sugar. Also try exercising and eating fruits and
vegetables.
An improper or inadequate diet can lead to a number of diseases.
A bad disease to get is heart disease. Heart disease is the narrowing of
the coronary arteries and it reduces the blood supply to the heart. It can
lead to chest pain and heart attacks. The main causes of heart disease
are high blood pressure and high cholesterol. This disease can be
avoided by eating nutritional foods.
Another disease is malnutrition. Malnutrition is a condition caused
by a deficiency or excess of essential nutrients, causing many health
problems, including extreme weight loss, stunted growth, and weakened
resistance to infection. Severe malnutrition can lead to death.
Here are some recipes for snacks that are easy to make.
Crispix Mix Original Recipe
7 cups Crispix cereal
1 cup mixed nuts
1 cup pretzels
3 tablespoons margarine, melted
1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
1/4 teaspoon onion salt
2 teaspoon lemon salt
4 teaspoon Worcestershire Sauce
1. Combine Cripix cereal, nuts and pretzels in a 13 x 9 x 2
inch baking pan. Set aside.
2. Stir together remaining ingredients. Gently stir spices
and margarine into cereal mixture until evenly coated.
3. Bake at 250 degrees for about 45 minutes, stirring every 15
minutes. Spread on paper towels to cool. Store in ziploc
storage bags.
Serves 10 to 12
Rice Krispies Treats
3 tablespoons margarine
1 package (about 40) regular marshmallows or 4 cups
miniature marshmallows
6 cups Rice Krispies cereal
Vegetable cooking spray
1. Melt It. Melt margarine in large saucepan over low heat.
Add marshmallows and stir until completely melted. Remove
from heat.
2. Mix It. Add Rice Krispies cereal. Stir until well coated.
3. Spread It. Using buttered spatula or waxed paper, press
mixture evenly into 13 x 9 x 2 inch pan coated with cooking
spray. Cut into 2 x 2 inch squares when cool.
Makes 24 squares
Bibliography
Garrison, Robert H., Jr. The Nutrition Desk Reference. New York:
Keats Pub., 1990
Stare, Fredrick J. Your Guide to Good Nutrition. Chicago:
Prometheus, 1991
Kellogg’s Rice Krispies box. Side panel. Exp. Sep 08 1998.
Winick, Myron. The Columbia Encyclopedia of Nutrition. New
York: Putnam, 1987
Encarta? 98 Desk Encyclopedia? & 1996-97 Microsoft
Corporation.
Kellogg’s Crispix box. Side panel. Exp. Nov 21 1998.
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