The document by Dr. Komal Sharma outlines essential nutrients, their types, dietary recommendations, and the importance of a balanced diet. It discusses macronutrients like carbohydrates, proteins, and fats, along with micronutrients such as vitamins and minerals, emphasizing their roles in health and nutrient requirements. Dietary guidelines suggest specific vegetable and fruit intake while highlighting sources of dietary fiber and the significance of antioxidants in nutrition.

1. Health and Nutrition
Dr Komal Sharma BDS, MPH

2. OUTLINE
 Types of nutrients
 Major nutrients
 Carbohydrates
 Proteins
 Oils and fats
 Vitamins and minerals
 Dietry fibres
 Food Pyramid
 Balanced Diet
 RDA
 Dietry guidelines

3. Nutrients
organic and inorganic complexes contained in food.
Types: • contribute to the total
energy intake
• Consists of:
• Proteins: 7 to 15 %
• Fats: 10 to 30 %
• Carbohydrates: 65 to 80 %
Macronutrients
• vitamins and minerals
• required in small amounts
Micronutrients

5. Carbohydrates
Major sources of energy in human diets.
Can be simple (glucose, fructose) or complex (starches,
glycogen).
Simple ones found in fruits, vegetables, honey, sugar,
and milk.
Complex ones found in cereals, millets, pulses, and root
vegetables.
Resistant to digestion: cellulose (vegetables, whole
grains), gums, and pectins (vegetables, fruits, cereals).

6. Proteins
• Primary structural and functional components of every living cell.
• Approximately half of the protein in our body is in the form of muscle, with the rest found in bone,
cartilage, and skin.
• Proteins are complex molecules composed of different amino acids.
i. Essential amino acids, which cannot be synthesized in the human body, must be obtained from proteins
in the diet.
ii. Nonessential amino acids can be synthesized in the body to build proteins.
• Proteins have various functions and provide energy (4 Kcal/g).
• Animal foods like milk, meat, fish, and eggs, as well as plant foods like pulses and legumes, are
rich sources of proteins.
• Plant proteins are of lower quality due to their lower content of certain essential amino acids.
• Combining cereals, millets, and pulses can provide a better balance of amino acids, improving the
overall quality of proteins.

7. Oils and Fats
• Oils and fats like butter, ghee, and vanaspati are considered dietary visible fats.
• Fats are a concentrated source of energy, providing 9 Kcal/g.
• serve as sources of essential polyunsaturated fatty acids.
• A sufficient amount of good-quality fat in the diet is necessary, including an
appropriate proportion of polyunsaturated fatty acids to meet the requirements
of essential fatty acids.
• Adults should be cautious about limiting intake of saturated fats (butter, ghee,
and hydrogenated fats) and cholesterol (red meat, eggs, organ meat) to avoid
potential health issues like obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and
cancer.

9. VITAMINS AND
MINERALS
Vitamins:
• Required in small amounts and cannot be synthesized in the
body.
• Essential for various body processes and the maintenance of
skin, bone, nerves, eyes, brain, blood, and mucous
membranes.
• Classified as either water-soluble or fat-soluble.
• Fat-soluble vitamins include A, D, E, and K. and water-soluble
vitamins include C and the B-complex vitamins (thiamin,
riboflavin, niacin, pyridoxine, folic acid, cyanocobalamin).
• Pro-vitamin beta-carotene is converted to vitamin A in the
body.
• Fat-soluble vitamins can be stored in the body, while water-
soluble vitamins are not stored and are easily excreted in
urine.
• Vitamins B-complex and C are heat labile and can be
destroyed by heat, air, drying, cooking, and food processing.
Minerals:
• Inorganic elements found in body fluids and tissues.

10. Dietry Fibres
• Dietary fiber exhibits benefits such as laxation (faecal bulking and softening),
attenuation of blood cholesterol, and attenuation of blood glucose.
• Organic acids (e.g., butyric acid) and polyols (e.g., sorbitol) are also considered part
of fiber.
• Animal foods do not contain any fiber.
• Dietary fibers are classified based on their source (cereal, vegetable, fruits) and
solubility (soluble or insoluble), both of which are essential for health promotion.
• Fiber does not have direct metabolic effects.
• Consuming excessive amounts of fiber can decrease the absorption of valuable
micronutrients.
 A desirable daily intake of dietary fiber is about 40 grams per 2000 kcal.
 Whole grains, legumes, fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds, tubers, psyllium husk,
oat bran, wheat bran, and non-starchy vegetables contains specific amounts of
fibres

12. Balanced Diet
A balanced diet provides all required nutrients in proper proportions.
Can be achieved through a combination of the four basic food groups.
Recommended proportions for a balanced diet include 50-60% of total calories from complex
carbohydrates, 10-15% from proteins, and 20-30% from both visible and invisible fats.
A balanced diet should also include dietary fiber, antioxidants (such as vitamins C and E, beta-
carotene, riboflavin, and selenium), and phytochemicals for positive health benefits.
Spices like turmeric, ginger, garlic, cumin, and cloves are rich in antioxidants.

13. Required Daily Allowance (RDA)
Requirements refer to the
quantities of nutrients that
individuals need to obtain from
food to meet their physiological
needs.
Recommended Dietary Allowances
(RDAs) are estimates of daily
nutrient intake needed to fulfill
the requirements of individuals in
a population.
RDAs consider the bioavailability
of nutrients, which refers to the
amount absorbed and utilized by
the body from a given diet.
RDAs include a margin of safety to
account for variations between
individuals, dietary traditions,
and practices.

15. Dietry guidelines
• Consume at least 300g of vegetables daily, including 50g of green leafy
vegetables, 200g of other vegetables, and 50g of roots and tubers.
• Regularly consume 100g of fresh fruits.
• Restrict high-calorie vegetables and fruits for overweight or obese individuals.
• Include vegetables and fruits in all meals in various forms such as curries,
soups, mixed with curd, and added to pulse preparations and rice.
• Consume raw and fresh vegetables as salads.
• Include a variety of different colors to add vitality to your diet.
• Beta-carotene-rich foods like dark green, yellow, and orange vegetables and
fruits (e.g., green leafy vegetables, carrots, papaya, and mangoes) protect
against vitamin A deficiency.

24. Sources
 Indian Dietry Guidelines, NIN, ICMR
 Textbook of preventive and social medicine K Park.

25. THANK YOU