NUTRIENTS OBTAINABLE FROM FOOD

There are six important nutrients that are obtainable from the food we eat. These nutrients are; water, carbohydrates, proteins, fats and oils, minerals and vitamins. Each of these nutrients play significant roles in the body of human beings. The functions of each will now be highlighted, starting with water.
WATER
Water is the nutrient required in the largest amount in the body of human beings. It is also the most essential compound in the body because without water human being cannot survive for a long time. Pure water is composed mainly of oxygen and hydrogen molecules. It is colorless and odorless. Pure water boils at 100 degress centigrade and freezes at 0 degree centigrade.The primary functions of water in the body are as follows:
1. It is an esential component of cells and tissues in animal body as it maintains cell turgidity.
2. It is a solvent in which food substances are dissolved and carried to various parts of the body
3. It is the medium through which waste materials are excreted from the body
4. It is a medium in which chemical reactions take place within the body. For example, during digestion, complex food substances are broken into simpler food substances through the addition of water in a process called hydrolysis
5. water helps in regulating body temperature
6. it forms a major part of the blood plasma
7. It is present in the synovial fluid which lubricates the joints and also in the aqueous humour of the eyes which aid sight.
The discussionof the importance of the remaining nutrients will continue in subsequents posts