7 food groups

Question 1

7 food groups

Answer 1

Carbohydrates.
Fats.
Dietary Fiber.
Minerals.
Proteins.
Vitamins.
Water.

Question 2

Carbohydrates

Answer 2

Carbohydrates are the sugars, starches and fibers found in fruits, grains, vegetables and milk products. Though often maligned in trendy diets, carbohydrates — one of the basic food groups — are important to a healthy diet.

Question 3

Fat

Answer 3

Fat is a type of nutrient, and just like protein and carbohydrates, your body needs some fat for energy, to absorb vitamins, and to protect your heart and brain health.

Question 4

Dietary fiber

Answer 4

Dietary fiber is the edible parts of plants or analogous carbohydrates that are resistant to digestion and absorption in the human small intestine, with complete or partial fermentation in the large intestine. Dietary fiber includes polysaccharides, oligosaccharides, lignin, and associated plant substances.

Question 5

Minerals

Answer 5

Minerals are inorganic substances required by the body in small amounts for a variety of different functions. Minerals are involved in the formation of bones and teeth; they are essential constituents of body fluids and tissues; they are components of enzyme systems and they are involved in normal nerve function.

Question 6

A protein

Answer 6

A protein is a naturally occurring, extremely complex substance that consists of amino acid residues joined by peptide bonds. Proteins are present in all living organisms and include many essential biological compounds such as enzymes, hormones, and antibodies.

Question 7

Vitamins

Answer 7

Vitamins are organic compounds that people need in small quantities. Most vitamins need to come from food because the body either does not produce them or produces very little.

Each organism has different vitamin requirements. For example, humans need to get vitamin C from their diets — while dogs can produce all the vitamin C that they need.

For humans, vitamin D is not available in large enough quantities in food. The human body synthesizes the vitamin when exposed to sunlight, and this is the best source of vitamin D.

Different vitamins play different roles in the body, and a person requires a different amount of each vitamin to stay healthy.

Question 8

Water

Answer 8

Water is perhaps the most essential of nutrients since we can do without it for only a short time - days at the outside. This is because, without an adequate flow of urine, waste products would build up in the body, and with the absence of moisture loss it would not be possible to regulate body temperature. However, we can obtain water from a number of sources, as can be seen by reference to Figure 18. Water may be taken as a beverage and as part of food; water is produced in our body cells following the metabolism (chemical breakdown) of fat, alcohol, protein and carbohydrate. Food usually provides more than half our daily water requirement.

The more water a food contains, the less energy dense it is, that is, water-rich foods have few kilocalories (or kilojoules) per 100 grams.

The need for water is influenced by environmental conditions. For example, in a hot climate a great deal of water can be lost not only as sweat, but also in expired air.

Making water supplies hygienic has contributed greatly to human health. More recently, the addition of fluoride to water supplies deficient in it has reduced dental decay. In Australia, nutritionists are encouraging people to drink water in preference to other beverages and to drink it in adequate amounts in dry conditions and with increased physical activity. It is sensible to have four or five glasses of 200 millilitres each day; by so doing, less energy and alcohol will be consumed. With that much water you’ll be less thirsty for alcohol, coffee and other beverages and probably eat less food. Fluoride intake will be improved for many. Urine flow will increase and the risk of kidney stones decrease.