Classes of Food…

• Nutrition is the process by which living organisms obtain food

they need to grow and repair body tissues.
• Food can be divided into 7 main classes:
(a) Carbohydrates (b) Proteins
(c) Fats (d) Fibre
(e) Water (f) Vitamins
(g) Minerals
Classes of Food…
• Functions of Each Class of Food
Classes of Carbohydrates Proteins Fats
food

Sources - Starch (nrad, rice, potato Meat, fish, egs, beans, Butter, cheese, vegetable
etc.) lentils and vegetables oils, nuts
- Cellulose (vegetables & which are rich in plant
fruits) proteins
-Glycogen (stored in liver &
muscle cells)

Functions Sources of energy for
physical activities and
keeping the body warm
- For the growth of new -Sources of energy during
cells extreme starvation
- Repair of damages - Fats underneath the skin
tissues act as an insulator and
- Required for the help to keep the body
formation of enzymes, warm
hormones, haemoglobin - Fats stored around the
and antibodies internal organs protect
them against physical
injury
-As a medium of transport
for fat-soluble vitamins (A,
D, E, & K)
Vitamins…
• Vitamins
(a) are organic compounds that are essential for maintaining
good health
(b) are required in small amounts
(c) do not provide any energy
• A deficiency in vitamins may cause deficiency diseases.
• There are 2 kinds of vitamins:
(a) Fat-soluble vitamins: vitamin A, D, E & K
(b) Water-soluble vitamins: vitamins B & C
• The main sources, functions and effects of vitamin deficiency
Vitamin Main Source Functions Deficiency diseases
A -Carrots, egg yolks, -Maintains healthy skin -Dry, scaly skin
liver, fish -For good night vision -Night blindness
B Cereals, lover, eggs, -Maintains a healthy nervous -Beri-beri (disease of the
milk, yeasts, system nervous system
vegetables -Helps in the breakdown of -Pellagra (skin disease)
carbohydrates to release energy -Anaemia
-Helps in the formation of red
blood cells
C Fruits & Vegetables -Maintains healthy skin, teeth, and -Scurvy
gums
-Heals wounds
-Increases the body’s resistance to
diseases
D Liver, eggs, dairy -Helps in the absorption of calcium -Rickets (weak bones and
products, formed in and phosphorus dental decay)
the skin under -Formation of strong teeth and
sunlight bones
E Seeds, nuts. Whole -Maintains fertility -Sterility
germ, vegetable oils, -Prevents cell damage -Poor nerve and muscle
whole grains functions
K Liver, egg yolk, -Promotes blood clotting -Prolonged bleeding
green vegetables
Minerals…
• Minerals
(a) are inorganic substances vital for maintaining
good health
(b) are needed in small amounts by the body
(c) do not provide any energy
• A deficiency in minerals may cause deficiency
diseases.
• Excess minerals are excreted through sweat and
urine
• The main sources, functions and effects of mineral deficiency
Mineral Main Source Functions Deficiency diseases
Calcium -Milk, eggs, -Build strong teeth & bones -Rickets in children
anchovies, -Helps blood clotting -Osteoporosis in adults
yoghurt, green -Form normal functioning of nerve -Prolonged bleeding
vegetables and muscle activities
Sodium Table salt, cheese, -Maintains balance of body fluid -Muscle crapms
processed food -For normal functioning of nerves

Potassium Fish, bananas, -For normal functioning of nerve -Weak muscles

meat, nuts and muscle activities -Paralysis
-Maintains balance of body fluid

Iron Liver, meat, -Needed for formation of -Anaemia

seafood, green haemoglobin in red blood cells
vegetables

Iodine Seafood, iodised -Needed to make the hormones of -Goiter (swollen neck)
sale the thyroid gland

Phosphorus Cheese, milk, -To make healthy bones and teeth -Rickets
eggs, fish -Helps in muscle contraction -Tooth decay
-Weak muscle
 Dietary Fibre…
• Dietary fibre
(a) is made up of cellulose from plant call walls
(b) cannot be digested by our digestive system
(c) is obtained from cereals, fruits, and, leafy vegetables
• Importance of dietary fibre
(a) Provide bulk to the contents in the large intestine
(b) Stimulates peristalsis, the rhythmic muscular contractions along the
alimentary canal
(c) Prevents Constipation
• Water
(a) water is very important to the body
(b) About 70% of the body is made up of water
(c) Water does not provide any energy
(d) Importance of water:
- Transport of digested food, respiratory gases and excretory products
- As a solvent for chemicals to dissolve in
- As a medium for biochemical reactions
- Needed for the production of mucus
- Helps to regulate body temperature
(e) Water is lost through urine, sweat and exhaled air
The Importance of a Balanced Diet…
• A Balanced Diet
• Diet refers to the daily food we eat.
• A balanced diet consists of all the seven classes of food taken in the right
amounts to meet the daily requirements of the body.
• A balanced diet
(a) provides energy for daily activities
(b) prevents diseases
(c) Provides nutrients needed for growth

Factors that Determine a Balanced Diet…

1. Age
• A child needs more carbohydrates and proteins than an older person for
continuous growth.
• A teenager needs plenty of carbohydrates to remain active. They also need
plenty of proteins to make new cells and plenty of calcium to make strong
bones and teeth.
2. Sex
• Men require a higher energy intake than a woman from the same age
group.
• Heat loss is faster in men than in women because men have a lower body
fat content.
Factors that Determine a Balanced Diet…
3. Physical activity and occupation
• A more active person requires more energy.
• A person who does heavy work like a farmer requires more energy than a
person who does lighter work like a clerk.
4. Body size
• A bigger-sized person needs more energy than a smaller-sized person
because smaller-sized person have a bigger surface area per unit volume.
3. State of health
• A person recovering from illness needs more of certain nutrients.
• A pregnant woman requires more energy than a woman who is not
pregnant.
4. Climate
• People living in cold countries need more energy to keep their body warm
• People living in warmer climates do not need as much energy.
Calorific Value of Food…
• Calorific value or energy value of food refers to the amount of energy
released from one gram of food.
• The calorific value of food is measured in calories (cal) or joules (J).
• 1 calorie (cal) = 4.2 joules (J)
Energy value of main food classes:
• Carbohydrates: 17kJ g-1
• Protein: 18kJ g-1
• Fat: 39kJ g-1
Planning a Balanced Diet…
Eaten in moderation, sugary
and fatty foods can form part
of healthy, balanced diet.

Milk and dairy products Meat, poultry and fish are

contain calcium, proteins and good sources of iron, zinc and
vitamins vitamin B

Vegetables are Fruits supply most of

important to every our dietary vitamin C
diet

Bread, cereals, and potatoes are the main sources of complex carbohydrate
Human Digestive System…
• Digestion is the process of breaking down large complex food molecules
into smaller and simpler molecules.
• Digestion takes place in the alimentary canal.
• There are two types of digestion:
(a) Physical digestion is the breaking down of large pieces of food into
smaller pieces using teeth and the churning actions of the alimentary
canal.
(b) Chemical digestion involves the breaking down of complex food
molecules into small soluble molecules by digestive enzymes. These
molecules are then transported by the blood circulatory system to every
cell in the body.
• Enzymes are protein that speed up biochemical reactions in the cells.
• Complex food molecules are broken down into their smaller molecules so
that these molecules can dissolve and diffuse through the wall of the small
intestine.
• End products of digestion:
(a) carbohydrates  glucose
(b) proteins  amino acids
(c) fats  fatty acids and glycerol
 Human Digestive System…
Muscles relax Sequence of the parts of
the alimentary canal
involved in food
Muscles contract digestion and absorption:

Mouth

Oesophagus

Stomach

Small Intestine

Large Intestine

Rectum

Anus

Bolus moves along oesophagus by peristalsis

 Human Digestive System…
Salivary glands –
Secretes amylase to
Teeth- cut tear break down starch.
and grind food.

Tongue – Helps Oesophagus- Tube

swallow food. connecting mouth to
stomach.

Pancreas – Secretes
pancreatic juice which Stomach – Secretes
contains enzymes to break gastric juice to break
down carbohydrates, down proteins.
proteins and fats. Hydrochloric acid
kills bacteria.
Liver- Excess amino
acids converted to urea.
Produces bile.
Small intestine –
Food substances
Gallbladder – Stores
absorbed into
bile. Bile neutralizes
blood.
stomach acid.

Duodenum – Receives Large intestine – Rectum – Stores faeces

pancreatic juice and Excess water
bile. reabsorbed into Anus – Faeces
blood. removed.
• Process of Digestion along the Alimentary Canal
Gland/ organ Secretion Contents of secretion Digestive action/ function
Salivary Saliva -Salivary amylase -Salivary amylase breaks down starch
glands into maltose.
(mouth)
Gastric Gastric -Hydrochloric acid -Stop the action of the salivary enzymes.
glands juices -Kills bacteria in the food.
(stomach) -Provides an acidic medium for the action
of enzymes in the stomach.
-Proteases -Break down proteins into polypeptides
or peptones.
-Casein -Coagulates liquid milk protein.
Liver Bile (stored -Neutralizes the acid produced by the
in the gall stomach.
bladder) -Provides an alkaline medium for the
action of the enzymes in the pancreatic
juice.
-Emulsifies fats and oil into small
globules. This increases the surface area
for the action of enzymes in the
pancreatic juice.
Pancreas Pancreatic -Pancreatic amylase -Break down starch into maltose.
juice
-Proteases -Break down proteins into polypeptides.
• Process of Digestion along the Alimentary Canal
Gland/ organ Secretion Contents of secretion Digestive action/ function
Pancreas Pancreatic -Lipase -Breaks down fats into fatty acids and
juice glycerol.
Intestinal Intestinal -Maltase -Break down maltose into glucose.
gland juice
-Protease -Breaks down polypeptides into amino
acids.
Absorption of Digested Food…
• Absorption is the diffusion of end products of digestion through the walls
of the small intestine into the blood capillaries.
• The characteristics of the walls of the small intestine adapted for
absorption:
(a) The small intestine is long (about 6 metres). This ensures that digested
food is absorbed before it reaches the large intestine.
(b) The inner surface of the ileum is covered with millions of finger-like
projections called villi (singular: villus. The villi increase the surface area
for the rapid absorption of digested end products.
(c) The walls of the small intestine have many blood capillaries to
transport digested food.
(d) The intestinal wall is very thin so that digested food can diffuse easily
into the blood capillaries.
• The digested food absorbed into the blood capillaries is then transported
to the liver.
• From the liver, the nutrients are transported to the heart to be pumped to
all parts of the body.
The inner surface of the small intestine (villi)…
Reabsorption of Water and Defacation…

Large Intestine 2. In the large

1. The bulk of intestine, water is
the undigested absorbed into the
bloodstream.
food that is not
absorbed move
along the large
intestine.

3. The undigested food

4. The process off
removing faeces from the
body is called defecation.
undergoes decay and
becomes faeces. Faeces
are stored temporarily in
the rectum before being
Anus pushed through the anus.
Healthy Eating Habits…
• Roughage or dietary fibre helps undigested food to move along the large
intestine.
• If there is lack of dietary fibre in the diet, undigested food moves very
slowly through the large intestine and too much water will be reabsorbed
into the blood.
• As a result, the faeces become hard and dry and this result in constipation.
• Practise healthy eating habits by:
(a) eating a balanced diet
(b) drinking at least 7 glasses of water a day
(c) consuming less fats, sugars, and salt
(d) eating plenty of vegetables and fruits
(e) eating in moderation
• Unhealthy eating habits may lead to many diet-related diseases:
(a) Consistently eating more than the daily requirement may lead to
obesity.
(b) Eating too much of oily food may lead to heart diseases.
(c) A high intake of salt may lead to high blood pressure.
(d) A high intake of sugar may lead to diabetes.