Water is another essential component of your diet. Protein in the diet can come from meats, nuts, beans and certain whole grains. Your body uses protein to build and repair your muscles, skin and bones. In your digestive system, proteins break down into the amino acids that constitute them. Your body can produce most of the amino acids that it needs, but there are eight amino acids that you must include in your diet.
The eight are called essential amino acids. Typically, if you eat 50 to 65 g of protein each day and choose a variety of protein sources, such as:. When you digest carbohydrates, your body converts them into glucose and uses them to fuel various body processes.
Fruits, vegetables and dairy products contain simple carbohydrates, or sugars. Whole-grain products, starchy vegetables and legumes are complex carbohydrates, and these often contain fiber. Fiber aids in digestion and helps lower bad cholesterol. Not only do fats make food taste better, but they also provide energy, help your body absorb vitamins and aid in growth and development. Saturated fats include lard, butter, solid shortening and fatback. Trans fats are common in vegetable shortening, certain types of margarine, cookies, crackers and any foods that use partially hydrogenated oils.
Eating too many bad fats increases unhealthy cholesterol levels, which could lead to cardiovascular problems. Your body needs 13 types of vitamins to accomplish various bodily processes, including digestion, growth and nerve function. Without certain vitamins, you may develop medical problems. For example, without vitamin D, you might develop rickets, which weakens your bones.
Typically, a balanced diet that includes all the major food groups should supply your body with all the vitamins it needs, including A, C, D, E, K and the eight types of B vitamins.
Stan Mack is a business writer specializing in finance, business ethics and human resources. Mack studied philosophy and economics at the University of Memphis. Monitor the health of your community here. More Articles. MedlinePlus: Nutrition U. The nutrients produced are stored in the plants and passed on to other animals that eat these plants.
When living things die and rot in the ground, the nutrients in them end up in the soil and get dissolved in it. As a result, plant roots can absorb nutrients such as salts, potassium, minerals, starch, phosphates, and nitric acids from soils too. Animals also need food or nutrients to survive. Some animals get nutrients from eating plants. Larger animals eat other smaller animals for food. Essential minerals can be defined as those chemical elements which are necessary so that the body can function properly.
Minerals can be divided into two types namely major and trace. Calcium, iron, magnesium, potassium, and zinc are some of the essential minerals. Essential minerals serve various functions like, strengthening bones and teeth, maintaining nerve and muscle systems, regulating metabolism, producing energy, and maintaining the immune system.
Basically, vitamins are molecules required by the body in small quantities, essential to maintaining the bodily functions. Each of them has its function in the body. Best vitamin sources include citrus fruits, potatoes, beef, eggs, fortified milk, fatty fishes, carrots, mangoes, vegetable oils, leafy green vegetables, tomatoes, meat, chicken, whole grains, spinach, yogurt, and cheese.
Vitamins perform numerous vital functions from maintaining proper vision and healthy skin to providing blood clotting in case of injury. In an effort to answer your question, " Why do we need food to survive? Also, we covered what happens when there is a lack of a certain type of nutrient and the problems that might occur. If a lack of one nutrient can cause this much problem, what will happen in case of no food? As such, even if we say that water can help us survive for a few days, without food, we really cannot function well and won't be able to survive longer than we are supposed to.
Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Spread the love. Final Verdict. To get a closer look at how cells function, study these few essential bodily functions performed by cells: Build bones Make hormones Sustain breathing Muscle growth Energy production For your cells to function properly, you need a balanced diet enriched with all the necessary nutrients.
Essential Types of Food Food can be classified into a variety of types according to their nutrient value. Carbohydrate Carbohydrate carbs is one of the primary nutrients for the body, which consist of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen. Carb deficiency leads to: Nausea Fatigue Muscle cramps Dehydration Constipation Lack of concentration Increased lipid content in the blood leading to heart disease 2. Protein Proteins are organic compounds that contain oxygen, carbon, hydrogen, and nitrogen.
Protein deficiency can lead to: Weight loss Low blood pressure and heart rate Swelling Liver problems Muscle weakness Hair loss and skin problems Anemia 3.
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