Macro-nutrients - Our daily needs

                                                        

                                                            Macro-nutrients 

What is  Macro-nutrients –

 

1.      Macro-nutrients , are essential nutrients the body needs in large quantity to remain healthy . It provide  energy to our body , help to prevent disease , and allow the body function correctly . Most of the body’s energy and calories come from Macro-nutrients . Each type of Macro-nutrients has its own benefit and purpose in maintaining a healthy body . The exact amount of each Macro-nutrients a person require may vary based on individual factor such as weight , age , and health condition .

2.     The Macro-nutrients are  Fat , Protein and Carbohydrates, which provide the energy and essential component of the sustain life . Fat is composed of glycerol and fatty acid ; Protein is an agglomeration of Amino acid  ; and Carbohydrates is simple sugar occurring either as the Mono-saccharides or chain of connected Mono-saccharides .

3.     Macro-nutrients provides energy that helps the body to -

·       Grow new cell and tissues

·       Conduct nerve impulse that allow us to sense and interact with our environment .

·       Develop and repair new tissues

·       Regulate vital bodily processes , like fueling muscles , regulating the central nervous system , creating enzymes , eliminating waste and much more .

·       Water  is the main component of our body fluids and which lubricates nutrients to cells , regulate internal body temperature , creates an ionic balance of the blood and play a key role in the body’s metabolism , which is one of the many reason it’s so critical to stay hydrates .

 

Type of Macro-nutrients -

4.     Macronutrients are mainly three type ; which are Carbohydrates ,  Proteins and Fats . Water is also a part of Macro-nutrients . Line diagram of Carbohydrates –

Macro-nutrients
1-      Carbohydrates			2- Proteins		3  -  Fats  ( Fatty acid )
Simple	Complex		Amino-acid		Trans	Saturated	Unsaturated
Sugar	Starch polysaccharide	Fiber          Dietary	Essential Amino acid (9)	Non Essential   Amino acid  (11)	Totally Un-healthy fat	Totally Un-healthy fat	Mono-unsaturated	Poly-unsaturated

A– Carbohydrates – Carbohydrates are the main energy source of the body , in which body can break Carbohydrates down into Glucose , which moves from the blood stream in to body’s cells and allows them to function . They provide energy for our muscles and central nervous system during movement and exercise . Molecules of Carbohydrates and Fats consist of Carbon, Hydrogen and Oxygen atoms .

Carbohydrates
Simple	Complex
Simple sugar	Starch		Dietary       Fiber
Simple monosacchride          Glucose , Fructose , Galactose	Amylose ( water soluble – 15-20% of starch )	Amylopectin Insoluble in water	Water Soluble dietary fiber	Insoluble in water dietary fiber

·       Carbohydrates provide the body with fuel . The body breaks Carbohydrates  down into Sugar (Glucose ) which either provides immediate energy or gets stored for later use .

·       There are generally Three type of Carbohydrates ;   Simple carbohydrates ( 1- simple Sugar ).  Complex Carbohydrates  (2-Starch and  3-Fiber ) .

·       Simple Carbohydrates / 1-Sugar ( simple Monosaccharide’s- Glucose , Fructose , Galactose ) are made up of either one or two sugar units and can be broken down fairly quickly in the body  or our body can break down into Glucose and burn as energy almost immediately . Small dose can help give an immediately energy boost .       Source -Table Sugar , Honey , Candy , Fruit juice , Sweetened Tea , Soda and Milk are the best example of Simple Carbohydrates and others  .

·       Complex Carbohydrates   -2- Starch-

       Complex Carbohydrates ( Polysaccharides and Oligosaccharides , Starch ) are made up of long string of sugar unit that take longer for the body to break down and use . Starch is a polymeric Carbohydrate that consist of numerous glucose units joined together by glyosidic bonds . It is white , tasteless and odorless powder and consist of two type of molecule known as Amylose and Amylopectin . 

      Amylose is a Polysaccharide water soluble, Amylopectin is a water insoluble Polysaccharide and highly branched polymer of alpha-glucose units found in plants.     If when body needs to digest and slowly break down . That are converted into simple sugar over time as our body metabolize the Carbohydrates . Sources -Starchy Vegetable (like Potato ,Peas, Corn ) Rice, Pasta ,Bread ,whole grain  are Complex Carbohydrates.

·       3-Fiber is also a Generally a type of   Carbohydrates , that cannot be broken down by our GI  tract . Therefore , this nutrients does not give energy , but it does help rid our body of waste and keeps our intestinal tract healthy  .

·       Type of fiber – There are two main categories of Dietary fiber – Soluble and Insoluble fiber . Soluble fiber is a type of fiber that dissolves in water and forms a thick , gel like substance . On the other hand , Insoluble fiber does not dissolve in water . Instead, it absorbs liquid as it travels through our digestive tract .

·       Fiber  is an extremely important nutrients that we get from Carbohydrates . Fiber may helps slow down the process of food into sugar , making there less of chance for a blood sugar spike and crash . All naturally Fiber rich food are also rich in Carbohydrates . The body break down some type of Fiber and uses them for energy ; other are metabolized by gut bacteria , while other type pass through the body .

·       Sources – Whole grain , such as Rice , Pasta , Flour , and Barley . They are also present in starch such as Potato , Corn ,Dairy , Whole fruit , honey , and Beans . Sugar are also a Carbohydrates, Fruits , Beans and Legumes , Dairy product  .

           B- Proteins – Protein consist of long chain of compound called Amino acid , that occur naturally . Peptides bonds are formed by the condensation of Amino acid to form Proteins . They play important role in growth , development , repair and maintenance of the body tissues . Protein is present in everybody cell . Protein also transport oxygen and other important nutrients . It also plays a vital    role , such as aiding immune system , biochemical reaction, and providing structure and support cells .Protein molecules contain Nitrogen atom in addition to Carbon , Oxygen and Hydrogen .

                      

------           Proteins     ---------
Amino acid
Essential  Amino acid                             (9 number )	Non essential amino acid                           (11 number )
1-    Histidine                     2-   Isoleucine                       3-    Leucine                       4-     Lysine                      5-     Methionine                     6-    Phenylalanine                       7- Threonine                      8 - Tryptophan                       9 - Valine	1-     Alanine                  2-    Arginine                  3-    Asparagine                  4 -Aspartic acid                  5-    Cysteine                   6-  Glutamic acid                  7-      Glutamine                   8-     Glycine                    9-     Proline                   10-     Serine                   11-   Tyrosine

·       Protein is composed of Amino acid , which building the blocks of protein . Amino acid are two type ;  Non essential  and   Essential Amino acid .

·       Non essential Amino acid are not required to be consumed through the diet as our body can actually make these . Essential Amino acid are required through our diet , which can either be used on their own or in some case they are transformed into a Non-essential Amino acid . It means our body makes 11 Non essential Amino acid on its own and 9 Essential Amino acid that our body cannot make , which means they consume only through our diet .

·       09 Essential Amino acid are – Histidine , Isoleucine , Leucine , Lysine , Methionine , Phenylalanine , Threonine , Tryptophan and Valine .

·       11 Non Essential Amino acid are – Alanine , Arginine , Asparagine , Aspartic acid , Cysteine , Glutamic acid , Glutamine , Glycine , Proline , Serine , and Tyrosine.

·       Protein is our body’s building blocks for tissues. Protein is generally not used as an energy source  . It used carbohydrates first , then fats and finally breakdown muscles and uses protein if no other option are present .

·       Protein can be found in muscles , bones , skin, hair, and almost any other organ or tissues in the body . It is the building block of enzyme , which power many chemical reaction , as well as, hemoglobin that transport oxygen in our blood .

·       Our body contain thousands of different Proteins , each with a unique function . Some Proteins are enzyme , some are hormones , some maintain fluid balance .

·       Antibodies are proteins in the body that the immune system uses to repair and heal the body after foreign pathogens have been introduced  . Proteins that allow cells and organs to interact.

·       The fundamental component of Protein are Nitrogen containing Amino acid , some of which are essential in the sense that humans cannot make them internally . Some Amino acid are convertible to glucose and can be used for energy production .

·       Amino acid may helps maintain a proper acid-base pH balance within our body . Amino acid may helps create new proteins within the our body . They are also useful to build and repair tissue and muscles .

·       Amino acid provide structure to our body cells membrane , organ , hair , skin and nails .without the right Amino acid , our body cannot create enzyme and hormones.

·       In the absence of Glucose or Carbohydrates , the body can reverse –process Protein to use as energy .( conversion process called Gluconeogenesis ) .

·       Sources – Protein rich food include Meat , Fish , Eggs , Milk ,Cheese , or other type of animal by-product foods  , which contain all Essential Amino acid . Nuts , Seeds , Whole grain , Beans ,  Dairy , Soy and Tofu , Poultry , Red Meat , Seafood , Dairy product , Beans and Legumes are also contain rich amount of Protein .

·       Mainly two type of Protein ; compete and incompletes Protein . Complete Protein provide all of the Amino acid that our body needs in appropriate amount such as Meat , Poultry , Seafood , Eggs , Milk etc.

·       Incomplete Protein provide some , but not all , of the Amino acid we need . Many plant based protein are incomplete proteins . Nuts , Seed ,and most grain are best example of incomplete Protein .

         C- Fats – Fat is also known as the Fatty acid and it is made up of three most  important element ;Carbon , Hydrogen and Oxygen , but amount of Carbon is in maximum quantity .Fats are also important second source of energy , they also known as a store of energy . Body stores Fat for protection , warmth , and energy  . It have many important function in the body , when our body needs more energy than it has glucose , it break down Fats . Fats are Triglycerides , made of assorted Fatty acid monomers bound to a Glycerol backbone .Fats are broken down into Fatty acid and Glycerol .

Fats  ( Fatty acid )
Trans	Saturated	Unsaturated Fatty acid
Totally unhealthy	Totally unhealthy	Healthy Fatty acid
		Mono unsaturated	Poly unsaturated
Hydrogenated fat Ex. Cake, cookies , Frying fats , Vanaspati ghee , Microwave popcorn , Frozen pizza, backed foods etc.	They are taken indirect way –  ex.  Palm oil , Coconut oil , Palm kernel oil Others Source- Butter fat , meat fat , etc.	Palmitic , Oleic , Elaidic acids etc. ( Olive , Pea nut and Canola oils , Avocados , Nuts and others	Healthy fat Example-  Omega- 3 and 6 Fatty acid ,  Linoleic acid   ( found in Soybean oil , Canola oil , Walnuts and Flax seed and others )

                    Some of the main function of Lipid or Fats .

·       Fat is an essential nutrient that is required for the absorption of Fat soluble vitamins . Ghee or Oil enhance the absorption of hidden nutrients from the Vegetables , Pulse or Legumes .

·       There are three type of Fats  : Trans  , Saturated Fat  and Unsaturated Fat .

·       Trans Fat should be cut out of the diet . Most Trans Fat comes from hydrogenating or adding Hydrogen molecules to Unsaturated Fats . Unhealthy Fats –are Trans –Fat and too many Saturated Fats . These tend to be found in fast food , Butter and other processed food .

·       Saturated Fat does not have any bend , caused by double bonds , in the molecule because it is Saturated in hydrogen molecules . In large amount , Saturated Fat will increase cholesterol level . It is responsible for bad cholesterol . Saturated Fat is found in animal sources with high Fat content such as Fatty Beef , Lamb , Pork , Poultry with Skin , Cream ,Butter, full Fat Cheese . Decreasing the amount of Saturated Fat in our diet can be beneficial for us .

·       Unsaturated Fat  has generally two type ,which are Mono-unsaturated and Poly-unsaturated Fat .

·       Mono-unsaturated Fat have one double bond while poly-unsaturated fat have multiple  . The healthy Fats are both , Mono-unsaturated and Poly-unsaturated Fats . These healthy Fats originate from plant source such as Nuts , Avocados , Nut butter , Seeds , Olives and Oils ( Olive , Canola etc.) . They can also found in animal sources such as fatty Fish , including Salmon , Mackerel , Tuna and others .

·       Fats also help our body process Vitamins and Nutrients. They also provide essential Fatty acid .

·       Lipid are an essential component of cell membrane . Lipid help transport and promote the absorption of the fat soluble Vitamins .

·       Fats are also essential for lubricating joints , helping organs produce hormones , enabling the body to absorb certain fat soluble vitamins , reducing inflammation and preserving brain health . Too much Fat may be lead to obesity and high cholesterol .

·       Sources – Healthier Unsaturated Fats are Avocado , Oily Fish , Olive oil and others .

Disclaimer –

            This content about  Macro-nutrients  is purely informative and educational in nature and should not be constructed as medical advice.