NUTRITION

NUTRITION
 The process of obtaining food to provide energy and
substances needed for growth and development is called
nutrition
 Plants produce their own food by process of
photosynthesis
 There are 7 different nutrients:

 Carbohydrates

 Protein

 Fats

 Vitamins

 Minerals

 Fibre

 Water
 A nutrient is a substance which is needed for growth,
repair and metabolism
BIOMOLECULES
 Biomolecules are molecules made by living organisms.
 They only become food molecules when eaten by
animals.
 Carbohydrates, fats, proteins and nucleic acids are
biomolecules.
CARBOHYDRATES
 The basic units of carbohydrates are simple sugars,
such as glucose and fructose. These are also
called monosaccharides.
 Monosaccharides

 Glucose and fructose have the same molecular formula,

C6H12O6. However, their structure is different. They are
called isomers
 Isomerase enzyme is used to convert glucose into
fructose
DISACCHARIDES
 Sucrose is a disaccharide. It consists of two
monosaccharides, glucose and fructose, joined together.
 Maltose is also a disaccharide made up of two units of
glucose
 Polysaccharides

 Starch (found in plants) and glycogen (found in animals)

are polysaccharides. They consist of many glucose
molecules joined together.
 Sources of carbohydrates –Rice, potato, bread, honey,
sugar
LIPIDS
 Lipids are fats and oils. Lipids are large molecules made
from smaller units of fatty acids and glycerol.
 They act as long term energy store

 They are stored under the skin, around the heart and
kidneys
 1 gm of fat releases twice more energy compared to
energy released from 1gm of carbohydrate
 Fats are good thermal isulators

 good sources- cheese, butter, fat

PROTEINS
 Proteins are large molecules made from smaller units of
amino acids.
 There are only about 20 different naturally-occurring
amino acids. However, each protein molecule has
hundreds, or even thousands, of them joined together in
a unique sequence and folded into the correct shape. This
gives each protein its own individual properties.
 The amino acids are joined together by chemical bonds
called peptide bonds
 Haemoglobin, enzymes, antibodies, some hormones are
soluble proteins
 Good sources- meat, fishes, milk.
 WATER
 Water forms 70% of human body
 2/3rd is in cytoplasm and 1/3rd is in plasma and tissue
fluid
 It is needed for chemical reactions in body

 Waste chemicals are passed out of our body as urine,

sweat (around 1.5 l is lost)
 Intake of water equals your loss of water in urine, faeces,
sweat, and breath
 FIBRE
 It’s the indigestible part of the food
 It largely consists of cellulose from plant cell wall

 It provides bulk for faeces

 Stretches the muscle of the gut wall to push food by

peristalsis

 Other uses:
 It absorbs poisonous waste from bacteria
 Lowers the concentration of cholesterol
VITAMINS AND MINERALS
Name Food source Use in body Deficiency
symptoms
Vitamin C Citrus fruits Tissue repair, Scurvy
resist disease
Vitamin D Sunlight, butter, Strengthen bones Rickets
fish oil and teeth's

Iron Liver, meat, coca, haemoglobin Tiredness, lack of

eggs energy
calcium Milk, fish, green Strengthen bones Rickets, muscle
vegetables, and teeth's cramps
CHEMICAL AND PHYSICAL TESTS
 There are different tests which can be used to detect
carbohydrates, proteins and lipids.
 Carbohydrates

 Starch is detected using iodine solution. This turns blue-

black in the presence of starch.
REDUCING SUGARS TEST
 Reducing sugars are detected using Benedict’s solution.
Reducing sugars include:
 monosaccharides - such as glucose and fructose

 disaccharides - such as maltose

 Benedict’s solution gradually turns from blue to cloudy

orange or brick red when heated with a reducing sugar.
Sucrose is a non-reducing sugar and does not react with
Benedict’s solution.
PROTEINS
 Proteins are detected using Biuret reagent. This turns to
purple colour when mixed with protein.

 Lipids
 Lipids are detected using the emulsion test. This is what
happens:
 the test substance is mixed with 2 cm3 of ethanol

 an equal volume of distilled water is added

 a milky-white emulsion forms if the test substance

contains lipids
PRODUCTION OF YOGHURT
 Lactobacillus is the the bacteria used in yoghurt making.
 Process:

 Milk is first pasteurised

 Bacteria are added after providing yoghurt favourable

conditions
 Milk is incubated

 During this time, bacteria respires anaerobically to

breakdown lactose in the milk into lactic acid
 This lowers the pH of the milk causing the milk solids to
coagulate, forming curd.
 It is a batch culture
MYCOPROTEIN
 It is a substitute for meat
 It is produced by a fungus called Fusarium

 It is made by continuous process. A Fermenter is used

 The fungus is supplied with oxygen, glucose (energy

source), mineral salts, ammonia (nitrogen source)
 Advantage: low fat hence reduce the risk of diabetes,
obesity, more protein content

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j9_m10xHAvA
FOOD ADDITIVES
 Colorants
 Preservants

 Antioxidants

 Flavourants

 Emulsifiers and stabilisers

ADVANTAGE AND
DISADVANTAGE???