The Macronutrients-1: Carbohydrates and Water

You know that nutrients are essential constituents of food that must be supplied to the body in suitable amounts. There are around 40 essential nutrients which (based on their chemical structure and properties) are placed in five categories. These are carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins and minerals. Water has the unique status of a food as well as that of a macro-nutrient.

You encountered the two terms-macro nutrient and micro nutrient . Most of the weight of the food is due to carbohydrates, proteins, fats and water. These nutrients are collectively known as macro nutrients, Vitamins and minerals contribute to only a small fraction of the total weight of the food. These are termed as micro nutrients. Our body needs carbohydrates, fats, proteins and water in much greater amounts than vitamins and minerals But vitamins and minerals or  micro nutrients are as essential for the body as macro nutrients.

Entry into this world of nutrients will require a little extra effort on your part. You will be required to know the basic concepts of chemistry for understanding the nature and functions of nutrients. All the necessary basic chemical terms are explained in these units. Try to understand one term before going on to the other. Do remember that these units will lay the foundation for other units of the course. So concentrate here.

This unit will first take a look at how food is handled by the body i.e. the processes of digestion, absorption and utilization. It will then move on to a discussion on two specific macro nutrient categories-carbohydrates and water. You will learn about the nature, food sources and functions of these nutrients. In addition you will be introduced to the processes whereby the body handles carbohydrates and water.