What are the six classes of nutrients and their functions?

The quality of food that we intake makes a difference in our appearance, activity, behavior and in the quality of life. Diseases can be caused because of the lack of nutrition in our food. Proper diet helps in the proper growth of children. In India, because our food is deficient in nutrients, we suffer from various deficiency diseases.

NUTRIENT GROUPS AND THEIR FUNCTIONS: There are six classes of nutrients namely, carbohydrates. proteins, fats, vitamins, minerals and water which should be included in our everyday meal. Food preparation should be done accordingly so that all the nutrient are available in it. Food providing same nutrients belongs to the same food group, k) that we can have,an alternate food item to suffice that nutrient.

ESSENTIAL NUTRIENTS

Our body need different compounds for the functioning of the different parts of our body. These compounds are called as nutrients. Different protein, vitamins and minerals should be included in our diet.

Plant Proteins v/s Animal Proteins: Proteins are obtained from grains, pulses, fishes, egg, meat, etc. Plant proteins are incomplete food as they lack in one or more amino acids whereas animal protein have all the amino acids and are called as the complete food. A complete diet of various cereals, millets and pulses is required by vegetarians. Egg also contains a large amount of protein.

Vitamin: Vitamin deficiency leads to different types of diseases. They can be obtained from plant and animal foods. Different types of vitamins available from different sources help our body in performing different functions. But the overdose of vitamins can cause illness.

Minerals: A large amount of calcium is required for healthy bones. Milk and green leafy vegetables are a very good source of calcium. Iron is another important mineral required for making hemoglobin in the blood. There are other 17 different types of minerals necessary for the healthy functioning of our body.