Nutriment

A nutrient or nutrient is a chemical product that comes from the cell and that it needs to carry out its vital functions. It is taken by the cell and transformed into a cellular constituent through a metabolic process of biosynthesis called anabolism, or it is degraded to obtain other molecules, energy, and nutrients.

We call food all the substances that living beings need to carry out their vital functions. Food contains nutrients that are substances with a direct or indirect role in cell activities that no other substance can perform.

Nutrients are any element or chemical compound necessary for the metabolism of a living being. That is, nutrients are some of the substances contained in food that actively participate in metabolic reactions to maintain all the functions of the organism.

From the point of view of botany and ecology, the basic nutrients are oxygen, water and the minerals necessary for plant life, which through photosynthesis incorporate living matter, thus constituting the base of the food chain, since these plants are going to serve as food for animals. But, after harvesting, the plant takes with it the nutrients it extracted to grow. For the soil to recover optimally, the use of fertilizers is essential; natural or synthetic products that replenish the nutrients that plants need to grow again. Granulated Urea is the fertilizer that best replenishes nitrogen to the soil.

Living things that are not photosynthetic, such as animals, fungi, and many protists, feed on plants and other animals, either living or decaying. For these beings, nutrients are the organic and inorganic compounds contained in food and which, according to their chemical nature, are classified into the following types of substances:

• Proteins
• Glucids
• Lipids
• Vitamins
• Sales minerals
• Water

Separate mention must be made with dietary fiber, since it is strictly not a nutrient. It certainly forms part of some foods (vegetables), performs functions of physiological interest (contributes to intestinal motility, can regulate plasma lipoprotein levels or modifies postprandial glycemia), but its constituents do not actively participate in metabolic processes necessary for the organism..

Nutrient classification

According to importance

Depending on their participation in the metabolic reactions of the organism as a whole, nutrients can be:

Non-essential nutrients

Those that are not vital for the organism and that, under certain conditions, are synthesized through precursor molecules (generally, essential nutrients). Therefore, the organism does not need the regular contribution of the same as long as it obtains the precursor substances from its environment. These are produced by the metabolism of the organism.

Essential Nutrients

They are essential for living beings. That is, they are the substances that inevitably have to be obtained from the environment. For humans, these include essential fatty acids, essential amino acids, some vitamins, and certain minerals. Oxygen and water are also essential for human survival, but are not generally considered nutrients when consumed in isolation.

According to your quantity

Based on the amount needed for plants and organisms, they are classified into two:

Macronutrients (carbohydrates, proteins and fats)

They are required in large daily quantities (usually in the order of hectograms). These nutrients participate as substrates in metabolic processes.

Micronutrients (minerals and vitamins)

Required in small amounts (usually in amounts less than milligrams). These nutrients participate in metabolism as regulators of energy processes, but not as substrates.

According to its function

Although the same nutrient can perform several functions, they can be classified as:

Energy

Those that serve as a metabolic substrate to obtain energy, so that the organism can carry out the necessary functions. For example, fats (lipids), amino acids, carbohydrates and carbohydrates.

Plastic or structural

Those that form the structure of the organism. They also allow their growth. For example, proteins, carbohydrates, certain lipids (cholesterol), and some mineral elements such as calcium, phosphorus, etc.

Regulators

Those that control the chemical reactions of metabolism. Regulatory nutrients are vitamins and some minerals (sodium, potassium, etc).

Substances that provide energy

Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates are sugars made up of monosaccharides. Carbohydrates are classified by the number of sugar units: monosaccharides (such as glucose, fructose, and galactose), disaccharides (such as sucrose, lactose, and maltose), and polysaccharides (such as starch, glycogen, and cellulose).). Carbohydrates provide energy for longer than fats.

Protein

Proteins are organic compounds consisting of amino acids linked by peptide bonds. The body cannot make some of the amino acids (called essential amino acids). Proteins create enzymes, keratin, energy, antibodies, increase the immune system and help cell growth and development. In nutrition, proteins are broken down by pepsin to free amino acids during digestion.

Fats

Fats consist of a glycerin molecule with three fatty acids attached to it. Fatty acids are a long, linear, unbranched hydrocarbon chain, connected by only single bonds (saturated fatty acids) or by single and double bonds (unsaturated fatty acids).

Fats are necessary to maintain proper function of cell membranes, to insulate the viscera against shock, to keep body temperature stable, and to keep hair and skin healthy. The body does not make certain fatty acids (called essential fatty acids) and the diet must supply them.

Fats have an energy content of 9 kcal/g (37.7 kJ/g); proteins and carbohydrates have 4 kcal/g (16.7 kJ/g). Ethanol has an energy content of 7 kcal/g (29.3 kJ/g).

Lipids

They regulate body temperature through insulation, and provide energy to our body.

Nutrients and plants

The chemical elements consumed in the greatest amounts by plants are carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen. These are present in the environment in the form of water and carbon dioxide; energy is provided by sunlight. Nitrogen, phosphorous, potassium, and sulfur are also needed in relatively large quantities. Together, all of these are the elemental macronutrients for plants.

Usually these are obtained from inorganic sources (for example carbon dioxide, water, nitrate, phosphate and sulfate) or organic compounds (for example carbohydrates, lipids and proteins), although the diatomic molecules of nitrogen and oxygen are frequently used. Other chemical elements are also necessary to carry out various processes and build structures.

An oversupply of plant nutrients in the environment can cause excessive growth of plants and algae. This process is called eutrophication and can cause a balance in population numbers and other nutrients that can be harmful to certain species. For example, an algae bloom can deplete the oxygen available for fish to respire. Causes include water pollution from farm wastewater (containing excess fertilizer). Nitrogen and phosphorous are commonly the limiting factor in growth and therefore most likely to trigger eutrophication when artificially introduced.