Components of food

What is Nutrients?

Food is generally made of many ingredients. Ingredients contain some components that are needed by our body. These components are called nutrients. 

Major nutrients are:

• Carbohydrates
• Proteins
• Fat
• Vitamins
• Minerals
• Dietary fiber
• Water

There are generally two types of carbohydrates in food

• Starch
• Sugar

Test to see if the food contains carbohydrates?

if (colour change(Food + Dilute Iodine solution)==blue back)
then
It indicates tested food has Starch or Carbohydrates'

Test to see if the food contains Protein in fats?

Take a food item and crush it, if oily patch found in the crushed food, then it indicates food has fats.

Test to see if the food contains Protein in food

if(Colour change(food item + solution of copper sulphate + caustic soda)==Violet colour)
then
It indicates tested food has Protein

Why do we need nutrients?

The energy we get from carbohydrates and fats. Fat has much more energy than carbohydrates.

Carbohydrates, fats=Energy giving nutrients

Proteins=bodybuilding food( growth + repairs of the body )
Vitamines=Protect our body against diseases.

Functions and their sources of Vitamins and Minerals:

Vitamin A:

• Functions: Keeps our skin and eyes healthy
• Sources: Papaya, Mango, Carrot

Vitamin B Complex:

• Functions: strong muscles
• Sources: Rice, wheat, liver

Vitamin C:

• Functions: Help to fight against diseases
• Sources: Orange, Guava, Tomato, lemon, Amla, Green Chilli

Vitamin D:

• Functions: Keeps our bones and teeth strong
• Sources: Sunlight, milk, Butter, Fish, Egg, Liver

Vitamin E:

• Functions: It is antioxidant, it slows down the process that damages the cell. It also helps to the proper function of many cells
• Sources: Vegetable oils, cereals, meat, egg, vegetable

Vitamin K:

• Functions: helping the blood clot, prevent excess bleeding
• Sources: leafy greens, meat, egg

Iodine:

• Functions: Iodine needed to make thyroid hormones and these hormones control the body's metabolism.  
• Sources: Fish, milk, vegetables

Calcium:

• Functions: Build and Keeps bones healthy
• Sources: Milk, egg

Iron:

• Functions: Iron is part of Hemoglobin and many proteins
• Sources: Apple, chocolate, leafy vegetable,

Phosphorous:

• Functions: Phosphorous work with calcium to build the bones.
• Sources: Fish Milk, green chili

Dietary fibers or Roughage:

• Functions: No nutrients but help in the size of stool and softness. It also helps to decrease the cholesterol level 
• Sources: Whole grain, pulse, fresh fruits, potato

Water:

• Functions: help to throw out waste vis urine and sweat and help our body to absorb nutrients from food.

What is a balanced diet?

For the growth and maintenance of good health, our diet should have all the nutrients that our body needs, in the right quantity, not too much of one nor too much of others.

Balance diet= Roughage +  water + right quantities of all nutrients

Too much of fat=obesity

Deficiency Diseases:

Diseases that occur due to lack of nutrients over a long period is called deficiency disease. 

For examples:
Lack of protein leads to Stunted growth, swelling face, discoloration of hairs, skin disease, etc.

The following are deficiency diseases:

Vitamin A:

• Deficiency: Loss of vision
• Symptoms: Poor vision, loss of vision in dark night

Vitamin B1:

• Deficiency: Beriberi
• Symptoms: Weak muscles and little energy to do work.

Vitamin C:

• Deficiency: Scurvy
• Symptoms: Bleeding gums, wounds take longer time to heal

Vitamin D:

• Deficiency: Rickets
• Symptoms: Bones become soft & bent

Calcium:

• Deficiency: Bones and teeth decay
• Symptoms: Weak bones and tooth decay

Iodine:

• Deficiency: Goiter
• Symptoms: Glant in the neck, mental disability in children

Iron:

• Deficiency: Anaemia
• Symptoms: Weakness

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