The primary role that food serves is to provide us with nutriments. More than 90% of food is macronutrients (fats, carbohydrates, protein, and fibers) accompanied by trace amounts of micronutrients (vitamins, minerals, and active ingredients).
Fats or Carbohydrates are energy macronutrients and make up more than 70% of food and the rest is protein and fibers. Energy is what our bodies consume most per day. This means that the type and amount of energy that we consume will have a consequent effect on our bodily functions and overall well-being.
Protein is mainly used for building cells and can also be used for energy in certain cases but for all practical purposes it is dedicated to bodily building tasks which includes all types of cells such as muscles, organs, nerves, skin etc…
Fibers are mainly digestive support macronutrients and exist as both soluble and insoluble. This simply means that they dissolve in liquids or retain their shape and structure. Both are necessary and serve a different function in our digestive system. In simple terms the soluble fibers become a viscous type of gel that helps blend the food in our stomach into a homogeneous mass. The insoluble fibers will create internal structure which helps in passing the food mass through our intestinal transit. In other words, fibers help make food into a light and slippery mass. Additionally, fibers support the microbiome by helping bacteria flourish.
Micronutrients are active ingredients such as vitamins, minerals, and other essential elements that our bodies need for better functioning. It is a vast field because of its diversity, and we will examine it in more detail in an upcoming article.
*Sources of information:
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/what-are-macronutrients
https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/micronutrients-have-major-impact-on-health