Doctors say that complete balanced diet- an important condition for maintaining and maintaining the health and high performance of adults, and for children also necessary condition growth and development.
For normal growth, development and maintenance of vital functions, the body needs proteins, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins, water and mineral salts in the amount it needs.
Squirrels
Proteins are complex nitrogen-containing biopolymers. Proteins in the human body perform several important functions - plastic, catalytic, hormonal, specificity and transport.
The most important function of food proteins is to provide the body with plastic material. The human body is practically devoid of protein reserves. Their only source is food proteins, as a result of which they are indispensable components of the diet.
In many countries, the population is deficient in proteins. In this regard, an important task is the search for new non-traditional ways to obtain it. The protein content in the diet affects the higher nervous activity. They are also involved in the energy balance of the body, especially with high energy consumption, as well as with a lack of carbohydrates and fats.
The main source of complete proteins are animal products (meat, fish, milk), therefore, when compiling a diet, it is necessary that they make up about 60% of the total amount of proteins consumed during the day.
Inadequate protein nutrition causes protein starvation, contributes to the destruction of the body's own protein, changes in the function of the endocrine glands, nervous system, lowering the immunobiological reactivity of the organism.
Fats
Fats are a source of energy. They serve as a source of retinol and calciferol, phasphatides, palinepasticen fatty acids. They improve the taste of food. In food due to fat, 30% of the daily energy value of the diet should be provided. The need for fat varies depending on climatic conditions. In the northern climatic zones, it is defined as 35% of the total energy value of the diet, in the middle climatic zone - 30%, in the southern zone - 25%.
Dietary fats are not only sources of energy, but also supply material for the biosynthesis of lipid structures, in particular cell membranes, in the body.
Fats have the highest energy value. When burning 1 g of fat, 37.7 kJ (9 kcal) of heat is released (when burning 1 g of protein or carbohydrates, only 16.75 kJ (4 kcal)). Distinguish between animal and vegetable fats. They have different physical properties and composition. Animal fats are solids. They contain a large amount of saturated fatty acids with a high melting point. Vegetable fats, unlike animal fats, contain a significant amount of polyunsaturated fatty acids, which are essential nutritional factors.
Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates play important role in the regulation of protein metabolism. Depending on the structure of solubility, the speed of assimilation and use for glycogen formation, simple (glucose, fructose, galactose) and complex carbohydrates (starch, glycogen, fiber) are distinguished. In diets, starch accounts for about 80% of the total amount of carbohydrates consumed.
The main source of carbohydrates are vegetable products (bread, flour
products, cereals, vegetables and fruits). Reducing the amount of carbohydrates that enter the body with food leads to metabolic disorders. For example, if the body's daily energy requirement is not covered by carbohydrates (and
carbohydrates account for 50-70% of the total energy requirement), proteins will begin to be used, especially during stress, when an increased amount of the adrenal hormone - cortisol, which blocks glucose in the muscles, is released into the blood, so the muscles begin to intensively use proteins (more precisely, amino acids) as an energy source and fatty acid. Glucose enters the brain, where it is consumed in increased amounts during stressful situations. The blood is saturated with glucose - it occurs, so
called transient diabetes mellitus. With repeated stress
conditions, there are prerequisites for the transition of temporary diabetes to chronic
shape. Excess glucose, not absorbed by the muscles - its main consumer,
With the help of insulin, it turns into fat and is deposited in adipose tissue.
An excess of unused carbohydrates stored in the form of fat by the muscles inhibits the absorption of glucose, which in turn increases the concentration of carbohydrates in the blood, the utilization of which by muscle tissue is reduced. The more a person consumes sugars, the more significantly the carbohydrate-fat metabolism is disturbed, which is a prerequisite for obesity and diabetes.
Minerals and vitamins
Minerals and vitamins play a very important and at the same time a peculiar role in the life of the body. First of all, they are not used as energy materials, which is a specific feature for proteins, fats and carbohydrates. Another distinguishing feature of these nutrients is the relatively very small quantitative need for them by the body. Suffice it to say that the daily intake of all mineral elements and their compounds does not exceed 20-25 g, and the corresponding figure for vitamins is expressed even in milligrams.
Minerals maintain the desired level of osmotic pressure in the tissues. The most favorable ratio of calcium and phosphate salts is 1:1.5 or 1:2. This ratio is observed in milk and dairy products, cabbage.
Vitamins are organic compounds that are needed by the body in small amounts and ensure its normal physiological functions.
Essential vitamins. It is known that about 20 vitamins are needed for a normal human life. Below are some of them.
Vitamin C. Significant amounts are found in rose hips, black currants, cabbage, tomatoes, carrots, potatoes and other vegetables and fruits. At prolonged absence scurvy develops in the diet of vitamin C. With scurvy, people weaken, their gums become inflamed and bleed, teeth fall out, and joints swell.
With hard work and diseases, the need for vitamin C increases. Vitamin C stimulates hormonal regulation, body development processes, resistance to diseases. Vitamin C is isolated in pure form and is produced in the factory.
Vitamin A. According to the chemical structure, it is close to the substance carotene contained in plants (carrots, spinach, tomatoes, apricots). The conversion of carotene to vitamin A occurs in the intestinal wall and liver. Vitamin A is part of the visual pigment contained in the light-sensitive cells of the retina. Carotene and vitamin A are also found in large quantities in animal foods - butter, egg yolk, caviar, fish oil. In the absence of vitamin A in food, the cornea of the eye, skin, and respiratory tract are affected. An early manifestation of the lack of this vitamin in the body is "night blindness", i.e. inability to see in low light. Therefore, people
whose work requires intense vision, it is necessary to use additional vitamin A.
B vitamins. This group of vitamins includes several vitamins - B1, B2, B6, B12 and some others. Vitamins of group B are found in significant quantities in brewer's yeast, seed coats of rye, rice, legumes, and from animal products - in the kidneys, liver, egg yolk. The specific function of B vitamins in the body is that they form enzymes that carry out many of the most important metabolic reactions.
Vitamin B1 was the first of this group to be discovered. In the absence of this vitamin in food, damage to the nervous system develops - movement disorders, paralysis, leading to death. But, if the patient is given food that contains vitamin B1, recovery occurs.
Considering that vitamin B1 is not deposited in the body for the future, its intake with food should be regular and even.
Vitamin B6 is involved in the transformation of amino acids and in the metabolism of carbohydrates.
Vitamin B12 regulates hematopoietic function, the growth of nervous tissue.
Vitamin D (antirachytic vitamin). It is found in significant amounts in fish oil. It can be formed in the human body under the influence of ultraviolet rays. Vitamin D is anti-rachitic, participates in the exchange of calcium and phosphorus, is formed in human skin under the influence of ultraviolet rays. Absence
vitamin D causes a disease called rickets in children. The bones of rickety children contain insufficient calcium and phosphorus. This leads to a curvature of the bones of the limbs, the appearance of clearly visible thickenings on the ribs, and deformation of the chest. Such children are susceptible to various diseases. The best way to prevent and treat rickets is to eat foods containing vitamin D, as well as expose children to the sun or artificial ultraviolet radiation.
Thus, our body, in addition to nutrients, must receive the necessary vitamins with food. This ensures, especially in childhood and adolescence, normal growth, maintenance of working capacity and resistance to diseases. With excessive consumption of certain vitamins (for example, A and B), metabolic disorders (hypervitaminosis) occur.
Vitamins must be supplied both to the sick and to the healthy body constantly and in certain quantities. However, their content in foods varies and does not always meet the needs of the body. These fluctuations are associated with seasonal changes in the composition of food products, with the duration of storage of vegetables and fruits from the moment of ripening to eating.
Drinking regime
Correct drinking regimen provides normal water-salt metabolism, creates favorable conditions for the vital activity of the organism.
Random or excessive consumption of water impairs digestion; increasing the total volume of circulating blood, creates an additional burden on the cardiovascular system and kidneys, enhances the excretion of substances necessary for the body (for example, table salt) through the kidneys and sweat glands. Temporary fluid overload (for example, simultaneous intake of large amounts of water) disrupts muscle function, leads to their rapid fatigue, and sometimes causes convulsions. With insufficient water consumption, health deteriorates, body temperature rises, pulse and respiration become more frequent, working capacity decreases, etc.; dehydration can cause more severe consequences.
The minimum amount of water required by the body to maintain the water-salt balance during the day is 2-2.5 liters. For better digestion of food, it is worth setting a time frame for water consumption. You can drink 20 minutes before or 40 minutes after a meal.
Vital activity - is a set of biological processes that provide normal level vital functions that are necessary to maintain health and active life. Any deviation in this process causes a violation of the normal functioning of the whole organism.
If we talk about the life of a person, as a way of his existence, then this process occurs with constant contact with the environment. Therefore, here the concept of life also includes the daily activities of a person, good rest and etc.
Today on www.site we will talk about human life, the waste products of organisms, the substances necessary for the body to live. Since this topic is very, very capacious and cannot be fully covered in one go, let's dwell on its main parameters:
What is the vital activity of the human body?
In a complex, self-regulating, self-developing biological system called an organism, all organs are in constant interaction with each other. The processes of such interaction are carried out through the body systems: nervous, circulatory, respiratory, endocrine, etc.
His normal life activity is due to a combination of reactions to positive, or Negative influence environment on human health: mental, motor, vegetative. In this case, environmental factors can be different:
Natural factors (physical environment): barometric atmospheric pressure, gas composition of air, its humidity, as well as temperature and solar radiation.
An important influence on the life of the human body is exerted by the biological environment (plant, animal environment), as well as the social environment (domestic, economic, industrial and creative activities).
What are the waste products of organisms?
During the process of metabolism, a certain amount of organic compounds - excreta - appears in the body. These are decay products, some of which are used by cells. Most of them are removed from the body. naturally through excretory (excretory) organs.
But it should be noted that different types of organisms have different excretory organs adapted to their environment. Such a variety in the structure of the excretory organs causes the appearance of differences in the amount and types of excreted waste products.
For example, in protozoa, including sponges and coelenterates, the process of purification from decay products occurs through their diffusion through the membrane. To remove excess fluid, protozoa use contractile vacuoles.
excretory processes in developed species animals are much more complex. They are associated with the activation of their metabolic processes, other vital processes.
Well, the human excretory organs include: the kidneys, the gastrointestinal tract, as well as the lungs and skin.
Common excretions for most developed organisms are ammonia and urea. Getting into the environment, waste products become a source of nutrition and energy for other types of living organisms.
Thus, there is a well-known process of circulation of substances in nature.
But, as we noted earlier, not all metabolic products are completely removed from the body. Some are necessary for its cells and are part of them.
What substances are necessary for the life of an organism?
Throughout life, in the human body there are continuous metabolic processes produces and consumes a large amount of energy. The source of important substances necessary for this is useful, nutrients, most of which we get along with the food we eat.
Therefore, a complete, healthy, balanced diet is the most important factor preservation of health, prevention of diseases, normal performance of an adult. For a child's body, this is, moreover, a necessary condition normal development and growth.
With food, a person receives necessary substances for life. For a normal existence, we need proteins, fats, carbohydrates. Without these basic components, a person will not be able to function normally. They should come in a ratio of 1:1:4. Foods rich in proteins should be in optimal combination with vegetable, animal fats, combined with carbohydrates.
Also, with food, a person receives water, vitamins and mineral salts.
Let's dwell on this in more detail:
Water - makes up about 70% of the total body weight. Without it, vital activity is impossible, since it provides salt metabolism. It must be remembered that even the purest drinking water contains a balanced amount of trace elements necessary for life: fluorine, boron, iodine, strontium, etc. Excess of their amount negatively affects health.
Vitamins, mineral salts - their importance for normal life hard to overestimate. In their absence, the body will simply die. Human health suffers from a deficiency of these useful substances, as metabolism is disturbed, and various organs malfunction. Basically, a person receives vitamins and microelements from the food they consume. But some of them produce microorganisms that live in our body.
Salt is an important, necessary element that also comes with food. Both its deficiency and excess are very harmful. Daily rate consumption for an adult - no more than 5 g. However, the majority exceed this norm by almost twice, consuming 10-20 g of salt per day. Such unreasonable behavior provokes the development of hypertension, atherosclerosis.
As you can see, the vital activity of organisms is a complex but interesting process. It depends on many factors, both internal and external. Favorable, normal conditions environment, healthy, active lifestyle and proper nutrition necessary for a healthy and successful life of every person.
The main nutrients are divided into carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins and mineral salts.
Squirrels- most important substances. They are the main component of a living organism. Their deficiency seriously affects the health of both children and adults. Proteins enter the body by being absorbed by the intestinal walls from food, and then they are transported into the blood. The main sources of protein are animal products: eggs, fish, meat, milk. Although in vegetable products, proteins are also present in decent quantities. These are potatoes, cabbage, buckwheat, millet.
Fats- the main source of energy for the implementation of all types of human activity. Due to the presence of fats in food, its taste improves, the ease of digestibility increases, and a person quickly develops a feeling of fullness. Fats, like proteins, are of both plant and animal origin. The most healthy fats are those found in cheese, sour cream, cottage cheese, milk.
Carbohydrates are a symbiosis of various types of sugars, starch and fiber, useful for a living organism. Vegetable carbohydrates in food most present in bread, flour, potatoes, barley or oatmeal, vegetables, fruits, berries. The highest concentration of animal carbohydrates is found in milk.
The most significant mineral salts intended for the positive functioning of the body are sodium, calcium, chlorine, phosphorus, magnesium and iron salts. Calcium and phosphorus are the basis of bones. Calcium and magnesium are also important for normal operation heart, and phosphorus is necessary for the regulation of the central nervous system. Iron is responsible for the formation of hemoglobin. At the same time, a lack or excess of sodium chloride (or common salt known to all of us) is bad for human health. The daily norm of table salt is not more than 15 g.
vitamins. Their absence, deficiency or excessive excess can have an extremely negative impact on health. To date, all vitamins known to us are divided into: water-soluble (vitamin C and B vitamins) and fat-soluble (group A vitamins and D vitamins).
Vitamin C helps a person to resist various types of respiratory and viral infections. This vitamin is in large numbers present in potatoes, cabbage, green onions, tomatoes, as well as in various types of vegetables and fruits. Rich in vitamin C blackcurrant, tangerine, lemon, antonovka, wild rose.
B vitamins: B1, B2, PP.
B1 is important for the nervous system.
B2 facilitates the digestion of food and is indispensable for normal physical development.
PP (nicotinic acid) improves the functioning of the stomach and intestines.
Group A vitamins participate in the work of the organs of vision, help fight various types infections.
D vitamins formed in a living organism under the influence of solar ultraviolet. They are responsible for proper development human skeletal system and prevent the development of cancerous tumors.