Nutrient

As nutrients are referred to various organic and inorganic substances that are added to their life support of living organisms and processes in metabolism. The diversity and the different needs of living organisms yet can be summarized to essential nutrient groups. Here are primarily the nature, origin, use, and the quantitative requirement of nutrients as a basis for categorization.

According to another definition only energy-rich substances are called nutrients that are broken down in the body to the lower-energy materials and serve mainly the energy supply of the body. Minerals and vitamins then do not count as nutrients.

In commercially available food packaging, there is often an identification of the nutritional value in the form of a nutritional table. Their specific energy content is given there as calorific value.

Plant

→ Main article: nutrient ( plant)

In soil science and agricultural science in the discipline of Plant Nutrition ( Phytotrophologie ) the plants nutrients for the required chemical elements are labeled. Carbon, oxygen and hydrogen in the form of carbon dioxide and water virtually unlimited supply, all other items are included as minerals mainly in the form of dissolved inorganic compounds and ions. These are classified according to the content of the dry mass of the plants or the daily needs: Macro elements or main nutrients and microelements or trace elements.

Animals

In animal nutrition, with the special case of human nutrition, a distinction is made between macro nutrients ( carbohydrates, fats, proteins) and micronutrients (vitamins, minerals).

Many nutrients can be produced with consumption of energy from other, others have to be taken with food, these are called essential nutrients.

Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates are the main cause of the rapid energy supply to the animal organism. They are not essential and can be synthesized in gluconeogenesis. Short-term glucose stored as glycogen in the liver and in the muscle tissue. If the supply of tissues with carbohydrates is greater than their consumption, the excess is converted into fat and stored. The energy release is normally done in the non- oxidative glycolysis and oxidative citric acid cycle. The energy density of carbohydrates is about 17.2 kJ / g (4.1 kcal / g).

Non- digestible carbohydrates play a vital role as dietary fiber.

Many plants are specifically grown as a carbohydrate source. The most important carbohydrates in the diet are:

  • Strength of all kinds of cereals and cereal products (bread, pasta), potatoes, beans
  • Cellulose from grasses, among other things, for ruminants by bacterial degradation in the rumen usable as animal feed, for humans it is indigestible ( fiber )
  • Sucrose from sugar cane and sugar beet
  • Fructose from fruit and honey
  • Glucose from honey and as part of other sugar
  • Lactose from milk and milk products

Fats

Liquid fatty oils and solid fats are having too carbohydrates and proteins is about twice as high calorific value of about 39 kJ / g ( 9.3 kcal / g ) is a good source of energy and together with glycogen is an important energy store in the body. For energy a fat molecule into glycerol and three fatty acids is cleaved, the latter are degraded via the β - oxidation and further inserted into the citric acid cycle. Two Polyunsaturated fatty acids can not be manufactured by the body and must be consumed in the diet. The best known examples are the omega - 3 and omega -6 fatty acids. Important sources of edible fats are numerous crop plants and animals.

Vegetable oils:

  • Rape oil
  • Sunflower oil
  • Linseed oil
  • Palm oil
  • Olive oil
  • Coconut oil
  • Peanut oil

Animal fats:

  • Tran of whales and seals
  • Fats of bovine cattle and sheep
  • Lard of pigs and geese
  • Butter and ghee
  • Fatty fish such as herring, sardine and anchovy, salmon, mackerel, and eel

Proteins

Proteins ( proteins) are converted mainly in the constructive metabolism to endogenous substances. In addition to structural proteins, such as in muscles here are also enzymes mentioned. These are the first proteins in the basic building blocks, the amino acids, split and then put together to form new proteins, the efficiency of this conversion is described with the biological value. Many amino acids can be synthesized from other, others have to be included as essential amino acids in the diet. Proteins are also used to produce energy and fed into the citric acid cycle, one gram as carbohydrates also supplies about 17.2 kJ (4.1 kcal) energy.

Proteins are sourced from a wide variety of foods such as crops, animal or dairy products.

  • Meat
  • Fish
  • Eggs
  • Milk products
  • Legumes such as lentils, beans, peas or soya bean
  • Potatoes ( only 2%, but very many essential amino acids)

Minerals

  • Set elements
  • Trace elements

Vitamins

→ Main article: Vitamins

Water

→ Main article: Water

Dietary element Atlantic mackerel
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