Topic 7 DQ 1 PSY 352
Why are the five components of food essential to health? What are the consequences when
these components are missing from a diet?
Our bodies are machines that need proper nutrition to continue working properly. All five
components of food help us grow and continue function properly. Protein helps us build and
repair cells which is very important for our bodies to grow and repair from damage. Proteins are
made of amino acids and our body needs nine amino acids from our food intake to function
properly. The first signs of not enough protein the body gives are brittle hair and nails, feeling
weak or hungry, getting sick often, mood changes or brain fog, muscle weakness, and stress
fractures. It is recommended that 0.36 grams of protein per pound of body weight (UCLA
Health, 2022). A second component of food that is essential to health is carbohydrates.
Carbohydrates come from grains, starchy fruits and vegetables like corn, green peas, potatoes,
and apples. Carbohydrates break down into sugar and provide our cells with energy especially
the brain (Mayo Clinic Staff, 2022). The brain’s primary fuel is sugar. This is because the brain
has so many nerve cells and neurons that it is the most energy demanding organ in the body
(UCLA Health, 2022). When no carbohydrates are consumed will feel tired, get headaches, have
difficulty concentrating, suffer with constipation, bad breath, joint pain, and kidney stones.
Vitamins and minerals help support the body’s processes such as vitamin D and calcium help
strengthens bones. There are 13 essential vitamins this includes A, B’s 1,2,3,5,6,7, 9, and 12, as
wells as C, D, E, and finally K these all keep the body healthy. Without minerals such as sodium,
potassium, and calcium your nerves would not be able to conduct nerve impulses. Without the
proper balance of vitamins and mineral the body would not function correctly Cleveland Clinic
(2022). Finally, there are fats. Fats is where we have energy storage, hormone production,
insulation, organ protection, and nutrient absorption (Wein, 2017). Without these fats the body
Why are the five components of food essential to health? What are the consequences when
these components are missing from a diet?
Our bodies are machines that need proper nutrition to continue working properly. All five
components of food help us grow and continue function properly. Protein helps us build and
repair cells which is very important for our bodies to grow and repair from damage. Proteins are
made of amino acids and our body needs nine amino acids from our food intake to function
properly. The first signs of not enough protein the body gives are brittle hair and nails, feeling
weak or hungry, getting sick often, mood changes or brain fog, muscle weakness, and stress
fractures. It is recommended that 0.36 grams of protein per pound of body weight (UCLA
Health, 2022). A second component of food that is essential to health is carbohydrates.
Carbohydrates come from grains, starchy fruits and vegetables like corn, green peas, potatoes,
and apples. Carbohydrates break down into sugar and provide our cells with energy especially
the brain (Mayo Clinic Staff, 2022). The brain’s primary fuel is sugar. This is because the brain
has so many nerve cells and neurons that it is the most energy demanding organ in the body
(UCLA Health, 2022). When no carbohydrates are consumed will feel tired, get headaches, have
difficulty concentrating, suffer with constipation, bad breath, joint pain, and kidney stones.
Vitamins and minerals help support the body’s processes such as vitamin D and calcium help
strengthens bones. There are 13 essential vitamins this includes A, B’s 1,2,3,5,6,7, 9, and 12, as
wells as C, D, E, and finally K these all keep the body healthy. Without minerals such as sodium,
potassium, and calcium your nerves would not be able to conduct nerve impulses. Without the
proper balance of vitamins and mineral the body would not function correctly Cleveland Clinic
(2022). Finally, there are fats. Fats is where we have energy storage, hormone production,
insulation, organ protection, and nutrient absorption (Wein, 2017). Without these fats the body
