“Nutritional value or nutritive value as part of food quality is the measure of a well-balanced ratio of the essential nutrients carbohydrates, fat, protein, minerals, and vitamins in items of food or diet concerning the nutrient requirements of their consumer. Several nutritional rating systems and nutrition facts label have been implemented to rank food in terms of its nutritional value.[1][2] International and national guidelines exist to inform consumers about optimal nutrient intake from their diets.[3][4][5] On a biological scale, nutritive value of food may vary for different health conditions (leading to dietary recommendations and particular diet foods), seasonal differences,[6] age,[7] sexual differences,[8] and interspecies or taxonomic differences.[9]”* The Nutritional Value of food describes how much nutrition is available in a food which can be a simple ingredient such as potatoes or bananas and also a composed meal such as a baguette or french fries. It basically describes the nutritional intake but not the nutritional benefit of a food. *https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nutritional_value
Author: llf
FIBER – the “digestive” macronutriment
“Dietary fiber (in British English fibre) or roughage is the portion of plant-derived food that cannot be completely broken down by human digestive enzymes.[1] Dietary fibers are diverse in chemical composition, and can be grouped generally by their solubility, viscosity, and fermentability, which affect how fibers are processed in the body.[2] Dietary fiber has two main components: soluble fiber and insoluble fiber, which are components of plant-based foods, such as legumes, whole grains and cereals, vegetables, fruits, and nuts or seeds.[2][3] A diet high in regular fiber consumption is generally associated with supporting health and lowering the risk of several diseases.[2][4] Dietary fiber consists of non-starch polysaccharides and other plant components such as cellulose, resistant starch, resistant dextrins, inulin, lignins, chitins (in fungi), pectins, beta-glucans, and oligosaccharides.[1][2][3]”* Fibers are classified into soluble and insoluble. Soluble fiber dissolves in liquid and becomes like a “gel”. It provides cohesion and helps to create a homogeneous mass in our stomach. Insoluble fiber remains mostly intact and provides structure to the mass in our digestivbe track. Together it is believed that they support both pre-biotic and pro-biotic processes in our system. *https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dietary_fiber
FATS – the energy storage macronutrient
“Fats are one of the three main macronutrient groups in human diet, along with carbohydrates and proteins,[1][3] and the main components of common food products like milk, butter, tallow, lard, salt pork, and cooking oils. They are a major and dense source of food energy for many animals and play important structural and metabolic functions, in most living beings, including energy storage, waterproofing, and thermal insulation.[4] The human body can produce the fat it requires from other food ingredients, except for a few essential fatty acids that must be included in the diet. Dietary fats are also the carriers of some flavor and aroma ingredients and vitamins that are not water-soluble.[2]”* Fats are a dense source of calories and our bodies make use of this to store energy to secure longterm needs. It is the main macronutrient use additonally there other micronutriment uses such as omegas and some vitamins. *https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fat
CARBOHYDRATES – the rapid energy macronutrient
“The term is most common in biochemistry, where it is a synonym of saccharide (from Ancient Greek σάκχαρον (sákkharon) ‘sugar'[1]), a group that includes sugars, starch, and cellulose. The saccharides are divided into four chemical groups: monosaccharides, disaccharides, oligosaccharides, and polysaccharides. Monosaccharides and disaccharides, the smallest (lower molecular weight) carbohydrates, are commonly referred to as sugars.[2] While the scientific nomenclature of carbohydrates is complex, the names of the monosaccharides and disaccharides very often end in the suffix -ose, which was originally taken from the word glucose (from Ancient Greek γλεῦκος (gleûkos) ‘wine, must’), and is used for almost all sugars, e.g. fructose (fruit sugar), sucrose (cane or beet sugar), ribose, lactose (milk sugar), etc.”* Carbohydrates or “carbs” for short, are basically a rapid, sugar based energy source for our bodies. Rapid because our system can convert them to calories very efficiently depending on the complexity of the “sugar” molecule that they provide. *https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbohydrate
PROTEIN – the body building macronutrient
“Proteins are large biomolecules and macromolecules that comprise one or more long chains of amino acid residues. Proteins perform a vast array of functions within organisms, including catalysing metabolic reactions, DNA replication, responding to stimuli, providing structure to cells and organisms, and transporting molecules from one location to another. Proteins differ from one another primarily in their sequence of amino acids, which is dictated by the nucleotide sequence of their genes, and which usually results in protein folding into a specific 3D structure that determines its activity.”* Protein is the macronutrient that our bodies use to build our cells. Protein is the building block of all of our cells and is vital for our physical development and general well-being. *https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Protein
LEPTIN – the appetite hormone
“Leptin (from Greek λεπτός leptos, “thin” or “light” or “small”) is a hormone predominantly made by adipose cells and its primary role is likely to regulate long-term energy balance.[6] As one of the major signals of energy status, leptin levels influence appetite, satiety, and motivated behaviors oriented towards the maintenance of energy reserves (e.g., feeding, foraging behaviors).”* Leptin infulences the appetite in that it indicates the amount of fat stored in the body. This information assits the brain in determining how much and what type of nutriton is required to maintain sufficient reserves based on estimated needs. Leptin and Ghrelin together have a combined effect on our overall appetite and hunger feelings. *https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leptin
GHRELIN – the hunger hormone
” Ghrelin (/ˈɡrɛlɪn/; or lenomorelin, INN) is a hormone produced by enteroendocrine cells of the gastrointestinal tract, especially the stomach,[5][6] and is often called a “hunger hormone” because it increases the drive to eat.[6] Blood levels of ghrelin are highest before meals when hungry, returning to lower levels after mealtimes.[6][7] Ghrelin may help prepare for food intake[6][8] by increasing gastric motility and stimulating the secretion of gastric acid.[6] “* Chrelin influences hunger which is one of the key elements that affects our diets. It can be either positivly or negatively depending on our needs and also depending on a properly functioning endoctrine system. It shares the task of managing our food intake with another hormone called Leptin. *https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ghrelin
BFP – Body Fat Percentage
“The body fat percentage (BFP) of a human or other living being is the total mass of fat divided by total body mass, multiplied by 100; body fat includes essential body fat and storage body fat. Essential body fat is necessary to maintain life and reproductive functions. The percentage of essential body fat for women is greater than that for men, due to the demands of childbearing and other hormonal functions. Storage body fat consists of fat accumulation in adipose tissue, part of which protects internal organs in the chest and abdomen. A number of methods are available for determining body fat percentage, such as measurement with calipers or through the use of bioelectrical impedance analysis.”* There are various ways to estimate BFP and one of the simplest is to divide the circumfrence of the waist measured 3 cm above the belly button by the height. An acceptable result is 1/2 the height of the person. A result above 0.5 is indicative of having excess fat. *https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Body_fat_percentage
BMI – Body Mass Index
“Body mass index (BMI) is a value derived from the mass (weight) and height of a person. The BMI is defined as the body mass divided by the square of the body height, and is expressed in units of kg/m2, resulting from mass in kilograms and height in metres.”* It’s purpose is basically used to determine if we are underweight <20, normal weight between 20 and 25 or overweight above 25. It is a rule of thumb and does not take into consideration other factors such as how much of the weight is fat or structural such as a thin boned or heavy boned body or muscle mass which can siginifcantly impact the interpretation of the results. Someone who is very musclular will have a high BMI and it can be considered healthy for example. It is good to know ones BMI as it can be combined with other measurements such as the Body Fat Percentage BFP to determine a more accurate and personalised weight condition and to determine nutrtional and dietary plans. At the below link you can find more detailed information… *https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Body_mass_index