NUTRIENTS

Dr. Ei Ei Min
Nutrients
• Everyone enjoys eating tasty food

• Food gives us pleasure

• It also gives the nutrients that we need to stay healthy

Nutrients
Nutrients are substances in food that the body uses
• To provide energy
• To provide materials for making the chemicals that are
needed to make cells and other parts of the body

Different kind of food contain different nutrients

Protein, Carbohydrate and Fat
• The nutrients that we need to eat in the largest quantity
are protein , carbohydrate and fat

Protein
• Used for making new cells
• Used for making many important chemicals in the body
such as enzymes and antibodies
• Cells can use proteins to supply energy
Protein, Carbohydrate and Fat
Carbohydrate
• Used to provide energy
• Starch (complex) and sugars (simple) are two kinds of
carbohydrate

Fat
• Provide energy
• Can be stored in the body
• Fat stores underneath the skin provide insulation
• Is needed to make new cell membranes
Vitamins and minerals
• They are nutrients that we need in only very small
quantities
• Do not provide energy
• There are many different kinds of vitamins and minerals
that we need to eat
• Fruit and vegetables are a good source of some of them.
Fibre and Water
Fibre (roughage)
• Helps to keep food moving easily through the digestive
system
• We get fibre from fresh fruit and vegetables
• Also from the food made from whole seeds such as brown
rice or wholemeal bread

Water
• Sometimes considered to be a nutrient
• Between 60-70% of the body is made up of water
A balanced diet
• Your diet is the food that you eat each day
• Your diet should provide you with enough of each kind of
nutrient
• It should also give you the right amount of energy.

A diet that provides all the different kinds of nutrients, and

the right amount of energy, is called a balanced diet.
Nutritional deficiencies
• If a person does not eat enough of a particular nutrient,
their body may not be able to work properly.
• They may have a nutritional deficiency disease.
• For example, a child who does not have enough protein in
her body may not be able to make enough new cells.
• She will not grow properly.
Scurvy
Rickets
Not too much

• Too much sugars can make your teeth decay.

• Too much fat in the diet can increase the risk of

developing heart disease when you are older.
Not too much
• Eating too much fat and carbohydrate may mean that you
take in more energy each day than you use
• The body stores these extra nutrients as fat
• Everyone needs some fat stores , but it is not good to
have too much.
• Being seriously overweight can cause damage to joints,
and increase the risk of developing heart disease and
diabetes.
What should I eat?
• These students are giving some good guidelines for
eating a balanced diet.