The University of Lahore

Academic Year 2018 -2022

Department Of Chemistry

Name of Assignment: Classification of Drugs

Submitted To: Mam Sadaf Naz

Full Name: Raheel Abbas

Roll No.: 70106376 Section: “O”

Subject: Food and Drugs Date of Submission:12/12/2022

 Importance of Nutrients in human body:

Importance of Nutrients:
Nutrients are food-based chemicals that provide humans with energy. They are the
building blocks for repair and growth, and the nutrient helps control chemical
processes. There are various types of nutrients which are classified into two broad
categories, micro and macronutrients. Carbohydrates, fats and proteins fall under
macronutrients while vitamins and minerals are called micronutrients. The article also
focuses on the importance of the minerals, the importance of Vitamin D etc .

Nutrients Definition:

Nutrients are important chemical components of food required by an organism for its
growth and maintenance. The human body cannot synthesise the majority of the
nutrients on its own and is thus required to get different nutrients from different types
of food.

Types of Nutrients:

Nutrients based on the amounts required in an organism can be broadly classified into
two categories: macronutrients and micronutrients.

1. Macronutrients: (Macro == large) Those nutrients which are required by the body
of an organism in subsequently large amounts, i.e. in grams and mainly functions
to provide energy, are called macronutrients. Carbohydrates, fats and proteins
are examples of macronutrients.

2. Micronutrients: (Micro == small) Those nutrients which are required by the body
of an organism in trace or very small amounts, i.e. in micrograms or milligrams
and mainly to maintain vital functions as well as metabolic state of a body, they
are called macronutrients. Vitamins and minerals are examples of micronutrients.

Balanced Diet:
A balanced diet can be defined as a diet that includes all the important nutrients along
with water and roughage in the right amount that is needed by the body. A balanced
diet differs according to the age and medical condition of a person. For example, a child
needs more protein than an adult.
Important Nutrients and their Functions:
There are a total of seven important nutrients in food. The five main nutrients are
carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins and minerals. Water and roughage are also two
essential nutrients needed by the body. Each of these nutrients has its own functions:

1. Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates are the primary source of energy-providing nutrients for the majority of
organisms including humans. Carbohydrates are basically defined as the hydrates of
carbon. They are commonly called sugars or saccharides. Carbohydrates are found in the
form of sugars, starches and fibres found in fruits and vegetables, grains, dairy, etc.

Sources of Carbohydrate
As discussed earlier, carbohydrates are mainly found as sugars, starches and fibres in a
variety of food products.

1. Starch is the most important form of carbohydrate in our diet. We get these
usually from cereals, grains, vegetables and fruits. Potatoes are rich in starch.
2. Sucrose is a type of carbohydrate found in sugarcane and is also the commercial
sugar that we consume. Sucrose is commonly referred to as commercial sugar or
invert sugar.
3. Fructose is one of the simplest forms and the sweetest form of carbohydrates
found in fruits like mango, bananas, grapes, etc.
4. Milk contains lactose which is also known as milk sugar.
How Do We Get Energy from Carbohydrates?
Carbohydrates break down into smaller and simpler units called monosaccharides like
glucose or fructose by the digestive system of humans. These monosaccharides are
absorbed in our small intestine, i.e. ileum, mainly and enter the bloodstream. When
these carbohydrates reach the liver during circulation, excess glucose is stored as
glycogen (animal storage polysaccharide).

1. Glucose
Glucose is the ready source of energy for cells and the only source of energy for our
brain. Glucose is further broken down during cellular respiration to yield ATP in our cells.
One gram of carbohydrates provides 4.1 Kcal of energy. Since carbohydrates protect
proteins from being utilised for energy, it is called the protein-sparing action of
carbohydrates.

2. Fats
Fats are mainly simple lipids, which are made up of fatty acids and complex molecules
called glycerol. Fats contain three fatty acids, attached to a compound called glycerol,
and are chemically called triglycerides.

Sources of Fats
Some important sources of fats are as follows:

1. Oils
2. Meat
3. Bakery products like cream and cheese
4. Junk food
5. Butter
6. Ghee

Some Important Functions of Fats

1. They provide more than double the amount of energy provided by carbohydrates,
i.e. one gram of lipids provides 9.3Kcal/g.9.3Kcal/g.
2. Fats help to absorb certain vitamins required by our body, i.e. vitamins A, D, E,
and K are fat-soluble.
3. Fats are the most common stored form of energy in our body.
4. Fats stored under the skin helps to retain the body heat keeping it warm.
5. Layers of fats covered around the internal organs act as a protective layer during
accidents or injuries.

Some Myth about Fats

1. All fats are considered unhealthy, which is not correct. Fats are essential
macronutrients required by our bodies.
 2. Cutting down on fats leads to weight loss. Again it’s a false belief, eating the right
amount of unsaturated fats can make our body feel full, thus helping us to lose
weight.
3. Eating only fat-free food keeps us healthy as we know now fats, help in regulating
heat in our body, maintaining immunity, etc. It is important to add fats to your
diet.
4. Some fat-free products contain high amounts of other components such as sugar
that may harm us more.

3. Proteins
The term Protein is derived from the word “proteios”, meaning “holding the first
place” or “primary”. Proteins are made up of many smaller units called amino acids,
which are attached to one another to form long chains. The amino acids are linked to
each other by a peptide bond or amide linkage. The sequence of amino acids determines
each protein’s structure and its specific function.

Sources of Proteins
Some important sources of proteins are as follows:

1. Fish
2. Meat
3. Egg
4. Mushroom
5. Paneer
6. Soyabean
7. Spirulina
8. Casein (milk protein) is the main source of protein for infants.

Some Important Functions of Proteins

1. Proteins are the basic component of cell membranes.
2. They are called bodybuilding nutrients as they help in the growth and repair of
body cells.
3. Proteins are also part of important molecules like haemoglobin in blood,
antibodies, enzymes and hormones that are very important in our body.
4. They are the last macronutrients utilised by a starving body for energy. Its
calorific value of food is 4Kcal/g.4Kcal/g.
Why Should Children and Pregnant Women include More Protein in their Diet?
Proteins are important for the proper growth and development of the body. Growing
children or pregnant women need a lot of protein to support the growth and
maintenance of muscles, bones, organs, and other body cells.

Apart from these, people with serious injuries and aged people should also add a good
amount of protein to their diet. This helps in healing the wounds faster and prevents
muscle loss in old age.
4. Vitamins
Vitamins is the term derived from a Latin word called ‘Vitamine’, ‘Vita’ means life and
‘amine’ as vitamins were presumed as amino acids. Vitamins are required in small
quantities in our body and are called protective nutrients.

Types of Vitamins
There are a total of 1313 essential vitamins. These vitamins are classified into two types,
water-soluble and fat-soluble, based on their solubility.
1. Water-soluble Vitamins: Vitamins that dissolve in water fall under this category. There
are nine water-soluble vitamins in our food namely
Vitamin B1,B1, Vitamin B2,B2, Vitamin B3,B3, Vitamin B5,B5, Vitamin B6,B6, Vitamin B7,
B7, Vitamin B9,B9, Vitamin B12B12 and Vitamin CC.

2. Fat-soluble Vitamins: Vitamins that dissolve in liquid fats are called fat-soluble
vitamins. There are only four of these, Vitamin A,A, Vitamin D,D, Vitamin EE and
Vitamin K.K.

Following are some important functions and sources of different vitamins :

6. Water
Water does not provide any nutrition to the body, so why is it so important?

Two third (approximately 7070) of the human body consists of water. Even though water
doesn’t have any nutritional value, it is very important for the proper functioning of all
internal organs as it serves to provide nutrients to cells as the main transporting system
of our body. Our body cannot function in the absence of water as it is required for all the
processes and metabolic activities.
For example, water plays an important role in the process of digestion, absorption,
circulation, excretion, etc.

7. Roughage
Roughage is also known as dietary fibres. They are very important components of food
that are needed by our body. Like water, roughage also does not have any nutritional
value. Rather these are materials that cannot be digested by the body. Then you might
think why these can be important to us? Here is your answer.
Since roughage is indigestible, it can hold more amount of water and help in the process
of digestion. Also, they add bulk to the food and allows better excretion of waste
materials from the body. Eating foods that are rich in roughage helps to prevent
constipation too.

Sources of Roughage
Green leafy vegetables, peels of many fruits and vegetables, whole grains and pulses are
some rich sources of roughage.
Importance of nutrients in our body:
We all know that we cannot survive without eating food. Have you ever imagined why is
that so? Why do our bodies need food? Why is it important for us to eat food regularly?
Can’t we just eat once and get over it? If you have all these doubts in your mind, then
you have reached the right place.

1. Nutrients provide energy that is needed by our bodies throughout our lives. This
is because not just our physical activity, even all metabolic activities in our body,
require a continuous supply of energy. This is why we have to eat food at least
three times a day to keep our body, super energetic all the time.
2. Nutrients like vitamins and minerals also help in building a strong immune system
to fight against diseases.
Nowadays, we hear everyone talk about boosting immunity to fight against covid -19.
Nutrients provide us with the power to fight against any disease.