How do carbohydrates, proteins, and fats contribute to energy production in the body. What are the recommended daily intakes for these macronutrients. How can balancing these nutrients impact overall health and wellness.

The Fundamental Role of Carbohydrates in Energy Production

Carbohydrates are one of the six major nutrients and serve as the body’s primary source of energy. They come in various forms, including sugars, starches, and fiber. The human body prioritizes carbohydrates for cellular energy production to sustain vital life functions.

Why are carbohydrates so crucial for our bodies? They provide readily available glucose, which cells can quickly convert into usable energy. When we consume adequate amounts of carbohydrates, it allows proteins to be spared for other essential functions like growth, development, and regulatory processes within the body.

What happens if we don’t consume enough carbohydrates? In such cases, the body may resort to breaking down proteins for energy, which can potentially impact muscle mass and other important protein-dependent functions. Additionally, insufficient carbohydrate intake can lead to incomplete fat breakdown, resulting in the production of ketones and potentially causing a condition called ketosis.

Types of Carbohydrates and Their Functions

• Simple sugars: Provide quick energy
• Complex carbohydrates: Offer sustained energy release
• Fiber: Aids digestion and promotes feelings of fullness

How much carbohydrate should we consume daily? While individual needs vary, the Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend that carbohydrates make up 45-65% of total daily calorie intake for most adults.

Carbohydrate-Related Health Conditions

Understanding carbohydrate metabolism is crucial as it relates to several health conditions:

1. Diabetes mellitus: A condition where the body either doesn’t produce enough insulin or cannot use it effectively, leading to high blood glucose levels.
2. Lactose intolerance: Caused by a deficiency in the enzyme lactase, which is necessary to break down lactose in dairy products.

Proteins: Building Blocks for Growth and Energy

Proteins are unique among macronutrients due to their nitrogen content. They consist of amino acids and play a vital role in numerous bodily functions, particularly in growth and development.

How much protein do we need? The current recommended daily intake for adults is 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight, with higher requirements for children and certain active individuals. It’s important to note that, unlike carbohydrates and fats, proteins are not stored in the body, necessitating regular consumption.

Quality of Proteins

What determines the quality of a protein? The quality is based on its ability to provide the nine essential amino acids our bodies cannot produce. High-quality proteins include:

• Animal sources: Eggs, dairy, meat, poultry, and fish
• Plant source: Soy (a complete protein)

Functions of Proteins in the Body

Proteins serve multiple crucial roles:

1. Maintaining acid-base balance
2. Transporting vital substances
3. Providing energy when carbohydrates and fats are lacking
4. Building and repairing tissues
5. Supporting immune function

The Essential Role of Fats in Nutrition and Health

Fats, composed of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen, are often misunderstood but play crucial roles in our bodies. They provide energy, help form cell structures, maintain body temperature, and protect nerves.

How much fat should we consume? Nutritionists recommend that 20-35% of daily calorie intake should come from fats, with an emphasis on unsaturated fats.

Types of Fats and Their Impact on Health

• Unsaturated fats: Usually liquid at room temperature (e.g., corn oil, soybean oil, peanut oil)
• Saturated fats: Typically solid at room temperature (e.g., butter, ghee, lard, margarine)

Why is it important to choose the right types of fats? Consuming too much saturated fat can increase the risk of heart disease. Therefore, it’s crucial to focus on incorporating more unsaturated fats into our diets.

Balancing Macronutrients for Optimal Health

Achieving the right balance of carbohydrates, proteins, and fats is essential for maintaining good health and supporting bodily functions. How can we ensure we’re getting the right mix of these macronutrients?

1. Focus on whole, unprocessed foods
2. Include a variety of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins, and healthy fats in your diet
3. Pay attention to portion sizes
4. Consider your individual needs based on age, gender, activity level, and health status

By understanding the roles of these essential nutrients and making informed choices about our diets, we can support our bodies’ energy needs and overall health.

The Impact of Macronutrients on Weight Management

Understanding how carbohydrates, proteins, and fats affect our body weight is crucial for maintaining a healthy lifestyle. How do these macronutrients influence our weight?

Carbohydrates provide 4 calories per gram, proteins also provide 4 calories per gram, while fats provide 9 calories per gram. This means that foods high in fat are more calorie-dense than those high in carbohydrates or proteins.

Basal Metabolic Rate and Energy Balance

What is basal metabolic rate (BMR)? BMR refers to the number of calories your body burns at rest to maintain basic life functions. Understanding your BMR can help in managing weight effectively.

The relationship between energy consumption and body weight is based on a simple principle: if you consume more calories than your body burns, you’ll gain weight. Conversely, if you consume fewer calories than you burn, you’ll lose weight.

Strategies for Healthy Weight Management

• Balance calorie intake with physical activity
• Choose nutrient-dense foods over empty calories
• Incorporate a mix of all macronutrients in your diet
• Practice portion control

The Role of Fiber in Digestive Health and Nutrition

Fiber, a type of carbohydrate, plays a unique role in our diet. Unlike other carbohydrates, fiber is not broken down and absorbed by the body. Instead, it passes through the digestive system largely intact, providing numerous health benefits.

Types of Fiber and Their Functions

There are two main types of fiber:

1. Soluble fiber: Dissolves in water and can help lower blood cholesterol and glucose levels
2. Insoluble fiber: Does not dissolve in water and helps promote regular bowel movements

How does fiber contribute to digestive health? Fiber adds bulk to the diet, promoting normal digestion and the elimination of waste materials. It also slows the rate at which the stomach empties, providing a feeling of fullness that can aid in weight management.

Recommended Fiber Intake

How much fiber should we consume daily? The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics recommends:

• 25 grams per day for adult women
• 38 grams per day for adult men

To increase your fiber intake, focus on incorporating more whole grains, fruits, vegetables, legumes, and nuts into your diet.

Understanding Amino Acids and Protein Quality

Amino acids are the building blocks of proteins, and understanding their role is crucial to grasping the concept of protein quality. There are 20 different amino acids that can be combined in various ways to form proteins.

Essential vs. Non-essential Amino Acids

What’s the difference between essential and non-essential amino acids?

• Essential amino acids: Cannot be produced by the body and must be obtained through diet
• Non-essential amino acids: Can be produced by the body

There are nine essential amino acids that adults need to obtain from their diet.

Complete vs. Incomplete Proteins

How do we define complete and incomplete proteins?

1. Complete proteins: Contain all nine essential amino acids in adequate amounts
2. Incomplete proteins: Lack one or more essential amino acids

Most animal-based proteins are complete, while many plant-based proteins are incomplete. However, by combining different plant-based protein sources, it’s possible to obtain all essential amino acids, even on a vegetarian or vegan diet.

The Role of Fats in Vitamin Absorption and Hormone Production

While often villainized, fats play crucial roles in our bodies beyond just energy provision. How do fats contribute to overall health?

Fat-Soluble Vitamins

Fats are essential for the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins: A, D, E, and K. Without adequate fat in our diets, our bodies cannot properly absorb and utilize these important nutrients.

Hormone Production

Fats are also necessary for the production of certain hormones. For example, cholesterol, a type of fat, is the precursor to steroid hormones like estrogen, testosterone, and cortisol.

Brain Health

The brain is composed of nearly 60% fat. Omega-3 fatty acids, in particular, are crucial for brain function and development. How can we ensure we’re getting enough of these beneficial fats?

• Incorporate fatty fish like salmon, mackerel, and sardines into your diet
• Use plant-based sources like flaxseeds, chia seeds, and walnuts
• Consider a high-quality fish oil or algae-based omega-3 supplement if dietary intake is low

By understanding the diverse roles of fats in our bodies, we can make informed decisions about including healthy fats in our diets to support overall health and well-being.

Chapter 10: Nutrients that Provide Energy (Carbohydrates, Fats, and Proteins) – HLT 111 – Health and the Young Child – Textbook

Chapter 10: Nutrients that Provide Energy (Carbohydrates, Fats, and Proteins)

Chapter objectives

At the conclusion of this chapter students will be able to

1. Identify the three major nutrient groups and their energy contributions
2. Define the concepts of basal metabolic rate
3.  Describe the relationship between amount of energy consumed and body weight.
4. Describe simple sugars and complex carbohydrates as sources of energy
5. Describe proteins as energy source; explain complete and incomplete proteins
6. Describe unsaturated, monosaturated and poly saturated fats as sources of energy.

Overview

Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates are one of the six major nutrients and the main source of energy. Examples of carbohydrates include sugars, starch, and fiber in the diet. The body’s top priority is to provide enough energy for all cellular activities needed to sustain life. Carbohydrates are the preferred source of energy. If the diet does not provide adequate carbohydrates the body will draw mainly upon proteins for its energy needs.

By eating  adequate amounts of carbohydrates, proteins will be spared to be used for growth, development and regulatory functions of the body. If the diet is too low in carbohydrates, the body cannot break down fats completely, and incomplete fat break down products called ketones are produced and this may lead to Ketosis, a condition frequently encountered in diabetes mellitus, though in this case the cause is failure of the body to utilize carbohydrates rather that inadequate intake.

Fibers are carbohydrates which provide bulk in the diet. Fiber also helps to promote normal digestion and elimination of waste materials. Fibers also provide a feeling fullness by slowing the rate at which the stomach empties.

When the body does not make enough insulin or fails to use insulin correctly, glucose builds up in the bloodstream, a condition called diabetes mellitus. Another condition related to carbohydrate metabolism is called lactose intolerance.  This condition is caused by a lack of the digestive enzyme lactase, which is needed to break down lactose.  People who are lactose intolerant may experience gas, cramping, nausea and diarrhea when they consume dairy products.

Proteins

Protein is an energy-yielding nutrient composed of carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen.

Proteins differs from carbohydrates and fats because of the presence of nitrogen. They are the  building blocks of all protein molecules are amino acids.  Protein is vital to the optimal growth and development of kids. Proteins account for 50% of the dry weight of the human body. Unlike lipids and carbohydrates, proteins are not stored, so they must be consumed daily. Current recommended daily intake for adults is 0.8 grams of protein per kg of body weight (more is needed for children).

The quality of a protein is determined by its ability to provide the 9 essential amino acids.   Proteins from animal sources (eggs, dairy, meat, poultry, and fish) and one vegetable protein (soy) are all considered high-quality because they contain all of the essential amino acids in the necessary proportions. The function proteins includes,

• Maintain acid-base balance
• Maintenance of the correct level of acidity of a body fluid
• Proteins in the blood act as chemical buffers (counteract an excess of acid or base in a fluid)
• Carry vital substances
• Transport lipoproteins (protein linked with fat), iron, and other nutrients, as well as oxygen, chromosomes, and other bundles of protein to other parts of cells
• Provide energy
• Provides the cells with the energy they need to exist

If carbs and fats are lacking, the body uses protein as an energy source

Fats

Fats are made of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen. Fats supply your body with energy, form your cells, maintain body temperature, and protect your nerves.   A nutrient that provides energy and helps the body store and use vitamins is a fat.  Unsaturated Fats have at least one unsaturated bond in a place where hydrogen can be added to the molecule. Unsaturated fats are usually liquid at room temperature (corn oil, soybean oil, peanut oil).

Unsaturated fats are classified as either monounsaturated fats or polyunsaturated fats. Fats that have all the hydrogen the carbon atoms can hold are called saturated fats. Saturated fats are usually solid at room temperature (butter, ghee, lard, margarine).

Too much saturated fat in your diet can lead to heart disease. Nutritionists recommend that 20-35% of your calories come from fat, primarily unsaturated fat.

The role of nutrients and nutrient consumption

Nutrients are essential for the body

Nutrient roles

How the body absorbs nutrients

How the body absorbs nutrients

Food is not a source of nutrients in its original form and is not absorbed into the cells and blood unless first broken down into small blocks. This process-digestion-takes place in the digestive tract, where it is then absorbed by the intestines, transported in the blood stream to each organ, and then taken up into cells. Digestion and absorption begin at the mouth, where food is chewed and swallowed. From there, it moves down the esophagus (food pipe) to the stomach, where it is thoroughly broken down.

Our bodies are built of and powered by solely what we eat and drink. Food is the source of all of the energy needed Why do humans have to eat? Is it just because we get hungry? That is not all. People get energy from food. We need energy all the time, when we run, jump, sing, and even when we sleep. We create all the energy we need by eating. The structures components that make up the human body, such as muscles, organs, and bones, are also composed of the nutrients contained in food, meaning that it is. This is why eating and taking in the nutrients that provide energy and become the components of our bodily structures is essential to for sustaining human life.

Editorial supervision: Yuki Sugishima (National Registered Dietician/ Certified Sports Dietician^*), Assistant Professor, Shigakkan University, Faculty of Wellness, Department of Nutrition

• *Joint certified by The Japan Dietetic Association and The Japan Sport Association

The roles of the five major nutrients

Nutrients are the substances found in food which drive biological activity, and are essential for the human body. They are categorized as proteins, fats, carbohydrates (sugars, dietary fiber), vitamins, and minerals, and perform the following vital functions.

1. 1Building all parts of the body such as muscle, bone, teeth, and blood
2. 2Producing energy (power and heat)
3. 3Keeping the body in good working order

Proteins:
the building blocks of the body

Proteins: the building blocks of the body

Protein is the main constituent of the body, making up the muscles, internal organs, skin, and blood, etc. If compared to a car, it would be the material from which the body and engine are made. Just like a car cannot be driven fast without a solid frame, without protein the human body cannot be kept in a healthy state. There are 20 kinds of amino acids that make up proteins, 9 of which are not synthesized in the body, and are therefore called essential amino acids. These essential amino acids must be supplemented from meals.

Fats/carbohydrates (sugars):
the body’s energy (power and heat) source

Fats/carbohydrates (sugars): the body’s energy (power and heat) source

Although consuming too much fat can lead to obesity, small amounts can provide a highly efficient energy source (9kcal per gram). Carbohydrates can be broken down further into the two categories of sugars and dietary fiber. Sugars are the carbohydrates which can be used as an energy source to move the body (such as during exercise) and are stored in the liver and muscles as glycogen. Sugars are also the main source of energy for the brain. Dietary fiber, on the other hand, is also known as the sixth major nutrient and is the indigestible portion of food that is not broken down by human digestive enzymes. It helps to increase the number of good bacteria in the digestive tract, maintain the balance of bacteria in the intestines, and as such is very beneficial for the body. Fats can be found in abundance in the fatty portion of meats and in cooking oils, and sugars can be found in ample quantities in grains, potatoes, sugar, and fruit.

Vitamins/minerals:
keeping the body in good working order

Vitamins/minerals: keeping the body in good working order

Vitamins and minerals are not used as energy, but instead aid in breaking down and building up proteins, fats, and sugars, and are an essential nutrient for keeping the body healthy and in good working order. “Vitamin” is the general term for the organic compounds (compounds containing carbon) which are mostly impossible for the body to synthesize, and a lack of these vitamins can possibly lead to various deficiency-related diseases. Vitamins can be broken down into two categories: water-soluble and fat-soluble. Fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, K) dissolve easily in fats and can lead to a vitamin overdose if consumed in large amounts. Water-soluble vitamins (B vitamins, C) dissolve easily in water and thus carry very little risk of overdose. Vitamins can be found in large amounts in fruit and vegetables.
“Mineral,” also referred to as inorganic matter, is a general term for the chemical elements which make up the human body excluding oxygen, carbon, hydrogen, and nitrogen. There are 16 different minerals which are necessary for the human body, including calcium, iron, and sodium, and they can be found in abundance in fruit, vegetables, seaweed, and milk/dairy products.

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Fats | Tervisliku toitumise informatsioon

Fat is not to be feared. In order to be healthy, one should not avoid the fats contained in food and used in its preparation, but one must choose which fats to give preference to and which ones to use as little as possible.

Despite the fact that when people talk about fats, they use the terms “fats” and “lipids”, in fact they are not exactly the same thing. Lipids include simple lipids or triglycerides, complex lipids (such as phospholipids), and cholesterides or cyclic lipids. The term “fats” is used primarily in relation to triglycerides, consisting of three molecules of fatty acids and glycerol. In the daily diet, fats make up 95–98% lipids. That is why the term “ fats” is used in the sense of food energy.

Fats are made up of fatty acids. Dietary fats contain three types of fatty acids:

• saturated fatty acids;
• monounsaturated fatty acids;
• polyunsaturated fatty acids.

Saturated fatty acids predominate in animal fats such as lard or butter. At room temperature, animal fats are usually in a solid state.

Mono- and polyunsaturated fatty acids are overwhelmingly present in vegetable fats such as rapeseed oil. The human body is not able to synthesize two polyunsaturated fatty acids (essential acids) – linoleic (omega-6 fatty acid) and linolenic (omega-3 fatty acid), so they must be obtained from food. The content of these three types of fatty acids in different fats varies.

The body needs fats because:

• they are a concentrated source of energy for the human body. 1 gram of fat provides about 9 kilocalories of energy,
• they are involved in the processes of growth and regulation of other life activities,
• they are sources of essential polyunsaturated fatty acids,
• they supply the human body with fat-soluble vitamins and are needed for their absorption and transportation in the body,
• phospholipids are part of all tissues and cells, most of them in nerve tissues and brain cells,
• the fatty layer that forms around the organs protects them from bruises,
• they are needed to remove bile into the intestines, otherwise it accumulates in the gallbladder, and there is a risk of gallstones,
• they are needed to remove bile into the intestines, otherwise In this case, it accumulates in the gallbladder, and there is a danger of the formation of gallstones.

Dietary fats are essential because they carry the flavor of food and create a feeling of satiety. Food without fat has a less pronounced taste and smell.

Fat recommendations

According to Estonian dietary recommendations, dietary fats (e.g. vegetable oil, butter, meat and dairy products) should account for 25-35% of the energy intake of an adult and a child from 2 years, and:

• saturated fatty acids – up to 10%;
• monounsaturated fatty acids – 10-20%;
• polyunsaturated fatty acids – 5-10%, incl. essential fatty acids (omega-3-unsaturated) – at least 1% of energy;
• The amount of energy obtained from trans fatty acids should not exceed 1% for a long time (ie no more than 2 g per day with a daily energy intake of 2000 kcal). It is recommended to get them with food as little as possible.

A person with a daily energy requirement of 2000 kcal per day should consume: from 0.25 × 2000 kcal / 9 kcal = 55 g to 0. 35 × 2000 kcal / 9 kcal = 78 g of fat. With a daily energy requirement of 2500 kcal, the recommended daily amount of fat is 70-97 g, at 3000 kcal – 85-117 g.

Dietary fats should not provide less than 20% of dietary energy, because otherwise there may be problems with the amount of essential fatty acids and the receipt of fat-soluble vitamins. In the case of a lack of fat, the development of the whole organism can be inhibited and resistance to environmental influences can decrease. On the other hand, since fats provide too much energy, it is very easy to over-energize when eating too fatty foods. If energy intake and expenditure are not balanced, it can be stored as fat in adipose tissues, leading to overweight or obesity.

Sources of fats in food are those spread on bread and used in cooking, i.e. added, dietary fats, as well as fats contained in foodstuffs. To assess the amount of fat, you need to monitor both visible and hidden fat. The amount of the latter is difficult to estimate, since this fat is not visible. Therefore, it is important to read the composition of the product on the packaging and monitor the fat content. Hidden fat can, for example, be present in cheeses, sausages, rolls. It is recommended that the amount of fat spread on bread or used in cooking should not exceed half the daily amount of fat.

If the recommended daily energy intake is 2000 kcal, the daily fat intake should average about 65 grams; if 2500 kcal is recommended, then approximately 85 grams.

If the recommended daily energy intake is 2000 kcal and the amount of fat is 65 grams, then: Added dietary fat can be about 6-7 servings in total, which means about:

• 10-20 grams of seeds, nuts, almonds and
• 25-30 grams butter or vegetable oil (1 teaspoon approximately 5 g, 1 tablespoon approximately 15 g)
• and about 25-30 grams is left over from food’s hidden fats.

How to reduce your intake of fats, especially saturated fatty acids, and increase your intake of unsaturated fatty acids:

• Choose low-fat dairy products (yogurt, cottage cheese, cheese).
• Choose low-fat meats such as skinless chicken or lean cuts of meat.
• Remove visible fat whenever possible.
• Eat fish several times a week, from where you will get polyunsaturated fatty acids.
• Boiling is better than frying, steaming is better than baking.
• When making sandwiches, use less oil spread.
• Use vegetable oils in moderation, they are good sources of unsaturated fatty acids.
• Rapeseed oil is good for frying, extra virgin olive oil is good for salads.
• Instead of sour cream and cream, use natural yogurt (no additives) or milk in salads and other dishes.
• If you are going to eat something fatty (like pork sauce), it is better to choose boiled rice as a side dish than fried potatoes.
• When shopping for ready-to-eat food, read the label to find similar foods that are lower in saturated fatty acids.
• Avoid foods with hidden fat, which are low in essential vitamins and minerals. We are talking about sausages, buns, cookies, pies, chocolate.
• Reduce the number of pieces of meat in the dish, eat more vegetables instead.
• If fat becomes too low, add nuts, almonds and seeds to the menu.

Most of the saturated fatty acids come from the visible or hidden fat of meat products (for example, sausages, sausages, bacon) and very fatty dairy products (cream, full-fat cheeses, butter), as well as from various types of baked goods.

Intake of mono- and polyunsaturated fatty acids must total at least 2/3 of total fat. Polyunsaturated fatty acids (Omega-3, or alpha-linolenic acid and Omega-6, or linoleic) are called essential because the human body cannot synthesize them on its own and must receive them with food.

Among the polyunsaturated fatty acids, it is important to increase the intake of essential fatty acids Omega-3 , which should provide at least 1% of the energy received from food.

200–250 mg per day of omega-3 unsaturated fatty acids is associated with a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease. Since omega-6-fatty acids predominate among polyunsaturated fatty acids in our food, it is important to increase the intake of omega-3 fatty acids, which can be obtained by eating oily sea fish and seafood, rapeseed and linseed oil. It is important that the ratio between omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids be 1:1, or at most 2:1, while in the food we eat it is approximately 20:1. The abundance of omega-6 fatty acids in food is associated with an increased risk of many diseases, in particular, atherosclerosis of the heart vessels, osteoporosis, asthma, sudden death syndrome, eczema.

Sources of mono- and polyunsaturated fatty acids are:

• fish,
• nuts and seeds,
• vegetable oils (except palm and coconut).

It is recommended that dietary fatty acids be at least 60% plant-derived (flaxseed oil, hempseed oil, rapeseed oil, walnut oil, walnuts themselves, pistachios, pecans, almonds, flaxseeds), the rest mainly from fish and only then from poultry.

Cholesterol

Cholesterol is necessary for human life because it is required for the synthesis of bile acids, steroid hormones (including sex hormones) and vitamin D in the body. It is also an extremely important component of the composition of cells.

Cholesterol is of animal origin and is not found in vegetable fats. Three-quarters of the cholesterol necessary for life, the body synthesizes on its own, the rest, about 150-200 mg, we must get from food. Long-term daily dietary intake of cholesterol should be less than 300 mg. Egg yolks, offal, fatty meats and dairy products, chicken skin and pork skin are rich in cholesterol. Short-term excessive amounts of dietary cholesterol are not dangerous, but the same cannot be said for the constant excessive consumption of foods rich in cholesterol and saturated fatty acids. Eating enough fiber will help maintain normal blood cholesterol levels. You need to eat enough grain products, as well as vegetables and fruits.

Dietary cholesterol has relatively little effect on total blood cholesterol levels. To a much greater extent, the production of excess cholesterol is facilitated by excessive dietary energy and the receipt of small amounts of lecithin and fiber from food. Lecithin is found in chicken yolks, milk and soy products, and it is necessary to tidy up cholesterol metabolism. The lack of lecithin in the body leads to disorders of fat metabolism: accelerated obesity, increased cholesterol levels, impaired memory and ability to concentrate.

Trans fatty acids are relatively rare in nature (for example, in milk fat), but they can be formed during the hydrogenation of liquid vegetable oils, i.e. when they harden. In terms of biological effects, trans fatty acids are close to saturated fatty acids.

Regulation 2019/649 of the European Union establishes a possible maximum limit for the content of industrial trans-fatty acids in foods. This is a maximum of 2 g of trans fatty acids per 100 g of fat in the product. If a person eats a varied diet as recommended (i.e. if the share of total fat in energy intake does not exceed 35%, i.e. a maximum of 80 grams of fat per day at 2000 kcal), the amount of trans fatty acids he receives will not harm his body .

Please note that:

• extra virgin olive oil has a greenish or yellowish tint and is called Virgin or Extra Virgin. During cold pressing, the oil is purified only by filtration, so the beneficial biologically active substances contained in it are not destroyed. Cold-pressed oil is good in salads and for cooking cold dishes. Cold-pressed oil is not suitable for frying because it contains many chemical compounds that can become harmful when exposed to high temperatures;
• light yellow, almost tasteless and odorless refined oil suitable for salads and frying. For frying, use a minimum amount of oil and avoid high temperatures (when the oil is already smoking) so that carcinogenic (cancer-promoting) compounds are not formed;
• before frying, it is recommended to heat the frying pan and oil, because if frying at a low temperature, the food absorbs more fat;
• at the end of frying, the remaining oil must be carefully removed from the pan, because a thin oil layer quickly rancid;
• It is undesirable to use oil that has already been heated up for re-frying.

What should I pay attention to when marking?

Before buying a product, it is recommended to read what is written in its label, on the basis of which you can make an informed choice. In Estonia, the presence of hydrogenated (hardened) vegetable fats in the composition of the product must be indicated. Based on this, the consumer can choose whether to buy the product or not.

In the case of products that contain the indication “dessert” or “toode taimsetest rasvadest” (“vegetable fat product”), it is recommended to take a closer look at the labeling, as there is reason to believe that hydrogenated vegetable fat. As part of dairy products that are called “cheese”, “milk”, “yogurt”, “cream”, etc., it is forbidden to use components that replace milk, for example, replace milk fat with vegetable fat.

Table. Best sources of various fatty acids

Proteins | Tervisliku toitumise informatsioon

Proteins make up approximately 15–20% of a person’s body weight, which, with a weight of 70 kg, gives about 12 kg. The main tasks of proteins are to ensure the growth, construction and development of the body. Almost all enzymes and some hormones have a protein composition. Proteins are actively involved in the production of antibodies and ensure the strength and activity of the immune system, and are also involved in the transport of many compounds.

Proteins are made up of amino acids, divided into essential ones, which must be obtained from food, and nonessential ones, which the body is able to synthesize on its own. The essential amino acids for humans are isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, threonine, tryptophan, valine, and histidine. The essential amino acids for humans are alanine, asparagine, aspartic acid, cysteine, glutamine, glutamic acid, glycine, proline, serine, and tyrosine. Different foods contain different combinations and amounts of amino acids.

Animal proteins (egg, milk, fish and meat proteins) contain more essential amino acids than plant proteins. Unfortunately, the sources of many essential animal proteins are too high in fat. Proteins contained in soy, rice, nuts and seeds also have a fairly good amino acid composition.

Some essential amino acids are missing in some proteins (eg cereal proteins). Their deficiency can be compensated for with a small amount of animal proteins, for example, cook semolina porridge with milk, add cheese to pasta, etc.

Proteins perform many functions in the body:

• they are necessary for the growth and construction of body cells,
• almost all enzymes and some hormones have a protein composition,
• actively participate in the production of antibodies and ensure the strength and activity of the immune system,
• participate in the transport of many compounds,
• provide food energy: 1 g = 4 kcal.

It is recommended to cover 10-20% of your daily energy requirement with protein. A person with an energy requirement of 2000 kcal per day should consume: from 0.