Proteins 1. Proteins are called the building blocks of our body because they are essential for the growth and repair of muscle and other body tissues. Proteins are made up of small units of amino acids that contain carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen. We obtain proteins from 2 main sources viz Animal sources and Vegetable sources.
Animal-based proteins are found in milk, meat, eggs, cheese, and fish. They are also called Complete Proteins since they provide all the essential amino acids EAA our body needs in adequate amounts.
Plant-based proteins are found in pulses legumes , cereals, beans, nuts, oilseeds, etc. All the proteins of plant origin are not complete proteins except quinoa. Hence vegetarians should consume more and a variety of these foods in order to meet their protein needs. Fats 1. Fats and oils are concentrated sources of energy. Fat is a compound made up of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen. Fats provide heat and energy to our bodies. It also helps to maintain body temperature.
These are classified into 3 major categories: simple lipids e. We can obtain fats from two main sources, Animal sources and Vegetable sources. The major sources of animal fats are butter, ghee, milk, cheese, eggs, fish, and meat. The sources of vegetable oils are groundnut, mustard, sesame, coconut, olives, sunflower, safflower, soybean, etc. Excess carbohydrates that we consume are converted into fats in our bodies. Fast food items like pizza, burgers, samosa are rich sources of fats. Therefore, children who consume only fast foods tend to become obese.
Micronutrients or Minor nutrients: These are the nutrients that are required in very small amounts in our body. Minerals and Vitamins are included in Micronutrients or Minor nutrients. They are extremely important for the normal functioning of our bodies. The main function of micronutrients is to enable various chemical reactions to occur in the body. Vitamins a. Vitamins are organic substances that are vital and essential for life and health. They regulate metabolism, help in the growth and maintenance of our body and protect against disease by increasing immunity of our body.
Our body cannot synthesize vitamins itself. Therefore, we need to consume natural sources such as fruits and vegetables. Each vitamin has a specific function, and its deficiency may lead to particular deficiency diseases. For example, Vitamin A is necessary for normal growth and to keep eyes and skin healthy; deficiency of Vitamin A may cause night blindness or irregular growth of teeth. Minerals a. Minerals are the nutrients that are essential for the proper growth and functioning of the human body and are required in very small amounts.
Each mineral has different sources of food, and also each of them is necessary to perform different functions in the human body. For example, Iron as a mineral can be found in different food sources like meat, fish, liver, eggs, green vegetables, etc.
Iron plays a very prominent role in the formation of hemoglobin in our bodies. Non-nutritive components The non-nutritive components of a balanced diet are the components that do not have any nutritive value. We consume many non-nutritive substances in our daily diet like beverages coffee, tea , direct and indirect food additives artificial sweeteners , etc. Non-nutritive components are found in different forms like fiber or roughage, water, color compound, flavor compound, plant compound, etc.
Each of the food items that we eat contains a variety of nutrients. We have divided foods into different groups in such a way that each food group contains foods having similar nutritional properties or biological classification. So we kept sugar constant across all diets. In the first test, mice chose between a diet of 22 percent fat, 18 percent protein and 60 percent carbohydrates or a diet of 22 percent fat, 4 percent protein and Upon treatment with FGF21, the mice shifted their preference towards the higher protein diet.
In the second test, mice chose between a diet of 35 percent carbohydrates, 18 percent protein and 47 percent fat or a diet of 35 percent carbohydrates, 4 percent protein and 61 percent fat. Again, the FGFtreated mice shifted their preference towards the higher protein diet. To further validate their findings, the team performed another test. They presented mice with a diet of 18 percent protein, 60 percent carbohydrates and 22 percent fat or a diet of 18 percent protein, 52 percent carbohydrates and 30 percent fat.
This time, FGF21 treatment did not change diet preference, supporting the hypothesis that FGF21 plays a role to specifically regulate dietary protein. When the team deleted Klb from the whole brain, FGF21 no longer increased protein intake.
Either ways, the country is reeling under a nutritional deficit, and the significance of the National Nutrition Week cannot be undermined! The National Nutrition Week was initiated in to address the critical issue of malnutrition in the country. The Ministry of Women and Child Development, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and various other NGOs conduct mass nutrition awareness campaigns, food training camps and more to help spread the message of the importance of a nutritious diet, while also running schemes that ensure that appropriate nutrition reaches the masses; especially to the lower income groups.
A balanced diet helps to provide the right amount of nutrients to the body. Additionally it should include vitamins, minerals, anti-oxidants and fibres. The nutritional requirements of the body vary based on gender, age-group and special needs.
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