The nutrients of the body play an important role in our health. Understanding these nutrients and what they do is essential for a healthy life.
Our bodies consist of a large variety of organic factors that allow us to function throughout the day, and one of the most important factors is nutrition. The nutrients of the body have specific responsibilities and assist in our strength, mobility, recovery, and many other abilities. Understanding the body’s nutrients and why we have them is important for improving your health and comprehending how the body works.
What Defines a Nutrient?
Nutrients are various substances that give our body nourishment. This nourishment allows our bodies to grow while ensuring we feel healthy. We can ingest nutrients in the food we eat or as supplements. They are a valuable resource for living organisms and are necessary for healthy living and survival.
Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates, or carbs for short, are an essential energy source for the body and provide us with the calories we need to feel healthy. This nutrient does various things, such as aiding digestion, providing energy reserves to the body, and even assisting in the consistency of bowel movements. Carbs are an essential part of nutrition for fitness training as they give us the energy to work out and prevent low blood sugars from occurring after physical activity.
Vitamins and Minerals
Vitamins are an organic compound that people need for strength and recovery within the body. The body may produce some vitamins, but most of these compounds come from the foods we eat.
Our bodies use minerals to perform many different functions. For example, iron increases the production of hemoglobin for the red blood cells to use to carry oxygen through the body, and bones need calcium to remain strong and durable. Examples of other vitamins and minerals include:
- Vitamin D: retains calcium and phosphorous for better bone health
- Magnesium: increasing energy production
- Vitamin C: provides antioxidants
- Potassium: provides fluid retention to keep our joints lubricated
- Zinc: improves healing and cell growth
Electrolytes are also an important part of the body since they contain minerals that will carry an electric charge to energize it, which is essential for preventing dehydration. Dehydration affects our daily lives in various ways, and electrolytes help by allowing us to sweat without our bodies losing function from the lack of fluids.
Protein
Our bodies have dozens of muscles that allow us to perform feats of strength and help us move. Protein is an essential nutrient of the body that assists in the structure and development of muscles. When we have a large amount of protein in the body, we convert them into amino acids, which build more proteins for muscles, the immune system, and DNA. Protein will come from various meat and non-meat food items.
The human body has numerous aspects and features that create a functioning organism. Understanding the body’s nutrition, how it affects and, and why we need it is essential for improvement and will help us become healthier individuals.
Dianne Pajo is a Certified Personal Trainer based out of the Chicagoland area with a passion for music, combat sports, and animals. She enjoys competing in amateur boxing and kickboxing, but in her other leisure time, you can find her performing music around the city. She is also a dog mom of 2.