Macronutrients
Macronutrients are inorganic substances that are found in the cells of living organisms in large quantities. The difference from micro elements is in the amount needed by the body, this threshold is 200 mg (Tórtora et al., 2019). The substance from the periodic table that a person needs at a dose of more than 200 mg per day is called a macronutrient (Schiff & Keck, 2022). It was macronutrients that were initially identified by scientists in the blood, lymph and other fluids of mammals. In total, science has identified eleven substances classified in this group: among them there are both metals and gases. Macronutrients, according to the classification of the periodic table, mainly include alkaline and alkaline-earth metals; they enter the human body with food and water.
Macronutrients in the human body play an extremely important role. Without sufficient presence of potassium, blood clotting processes are disrupted. The macronutrient chlorine is extremely important in maintaining the acid-base balance of blood and cells. Due to sodium, the processes of cell excitation and transmission of impulses also occur. Phosphorus is the most important element of cell membranes; it regulates calcium metabolism in the body. Calcium is the building material of bones: muscle contraction is impossible without calcium, and with a lack of it, muscle spasms occur, especially at night (Pointke & Pawelzik, 2022). Calcium affects the permeability of blood vessels. Magnesium is an essential element of many physiological processes. With its lack, muscle spasms or disturbances in the normal functioning of the nervous system occur.
Based on the spreadsheet in Nutrition CalcPlus, most of the macronutrients are found in fruits and vegetables. Potassium can be obtained from beans and other legumes, dried fruits and all varieties of potatoes. The sources of magnesium are cabbage and nuts, bananas, cereals, legumes, nuts, dried fruits and dark green vegetables. Sodium enters the human body from greens, black or green olives and boiled or canned corn. Sulfur is found in gooseberries, white and purple onions, legumes and apples. Nuts and cabbage have a high phosphorus content, and greens have chlorine. Most likely, this is due to the fact that plants receive a large amount of macronutrients from the soil when they grow. Then, when eaten by humans, these trace elements enter the human body, since plants are consumed mainly in raw form and they are not destroyed during heat treatment.
Vitamins
Vitamins are low—molecular, chemically diverse organic substances that take part in many reactions of cellular metabolism. Unlike proteins, fats and carbohydrates, vitamins are not structural components of the cell and are not used as an energy source. Most vitamins are not synthesized in humans and animals. However, some of them are synthesized by the intestinal microflora and tissues in minimal quantities, so the main source of vitamins is food. According to the chemical structure, vitamins are divided into vitamins of the aliphatic series, acyclic series, aromatic series, and heterocyclic series (Alagawany et al., 2021). Vitamins are unstable substances, they are easily destroyed by high temperature, the action of strong hydroxides, air oxygen, ionizing radiation and other factors.
Vitamins are biologically active substances with a small molecular weight. They are necessary for a person to maintain metabolic processes. Vitamins are involved in biochemical reactions occurring in cells and act as catalysts or coenzymes. Their role is to accelerate or maintain the reaction rate between other substances. Therefore, protein synthesis and the production of many cell components depend on their presence. The importance of vitamins in metabolism is enormous: without regular intake of vitamins into the human body, a full-fledged metabolism is impossible. Optimal metabolism is the main condition for the implementation of physiological processes and biochemical reactions. Among them are hematopoiesis, and optimal functioning of the nervous, immune, digestive, and cardiovascular systems. Vitamins also contribute to the synthesis of enzymes, hormones and protect the body from the destructive effects of toxins and radionuclides.
Vitamin A is found mainly in animal products such as liver, eggs, and butter. B vitamins are found in dairy products, buckwheat, oats, rye bread, and nuts. Vitamin C content is high in many fruits and berries, greens, and in winter a good source of it is sauerkraut. Vitamin E is found in avocado and olive oil (Alagawany et al., 2021). Thus, according to the spreadsheet in Nutrition CalcPlus, vegetables and fruits are primarily distinguished by their high vitamin content. As in the case of macronutrients, this is due to the possibility of consumption without heat treatment. Vitamins contained in animal products are most often responsible for the health of hair, bones or vision. This is due to the fact that their high content is necessary for wild life of animals that are consumed.
Minerals
Like vitamins, minerals are part of human body tissues, enzymes, and hormones. Minerals the participants of the synthesis of all components from proteins to fats, from enzymes to hormones; they enter the human body with food and water. The concentration of minerals in the body also varies. If minerals are contained in quantities measured in hundreds of milligrams per 100 g of living tissue or product, then they are called macronutrients (Tasie & Gebreyes, 2020). If the concentration is 1:100,000 or lower, then they are called trace elements (Tasie & Gebreyes, 2020). Their distribution in the body is uneven, mainly chemical elements are found in human bones.
The role of mineral substances is most clearly seen in the example of blood composition analysis. In the process of metabolism, substances are formed, acidic in their reaction, and harmful to the body. Mineral compounds are involved in their neutralization, and these same substances are part of various secrets of the body. For example, hydrochloric acid containing chlorine is the main part of gastric juice. Blood clotting is impossible without the presence of calcium. Minerals coming from food, unlike proteins, carbohydrates and fats, are not chemically processed during digestion, entering directly into the blood. Their absence in food can lead to illness and even death. At the same time, it does not matter how nutritious such food is, that is, whether proteins, carbohydrates and fats are present in it in the proper ratio. Without minerals, it will not ensure the maintenance of the vital activity of the human body.
According to the spreadsheet in Nutrition CalcPlus, nuts and seeds contain many minerals, but are especially rich in magnesium, zinc, manganese, copper, selenium and phosphorus. Most likely, such a high concentration of minerals in the fruits of the nut is caused by its wide territorial prevalence. This is connected with the need to accumulate substances of various kinds, including minerals. Shellfish, including oysters, edible clams and mussels, are concentrated sources of minerals and contain selenium, zinc, copper and iron. Such a concentration of minerals in seafood is probably due to the fact that they consume seaweed, which contains a large amount of useful substances.
References
Alagawany, M., Elnesr, S. S., Farag, M. R., Tiwari, R., Yatoo, M. I., Karthik, K., … Dhama, K. D. (2021). Nutritional significance of amino acids, vitamins and minerals as nutraceuticals in poultry production and health: A comprehensive review. Veterinary Quarterly, 41(1), 1-29.
Pointke, M., & Pawelzik, E. (2022). Plant-based alternative products: Are they healthy alternatives? Micro- and macronutrients and nutritional scoring. nutrients, 14(6), 1-22.
Schiff, W., & Keck, T. L. (2022). Nutrition for healthy living. New York, NY: McGraw Hill.
Tasie, M. M., & Gebreyes, B. G. (2020). Characterization of nutritional, antinutritional, and mineral contents of thirty-five sorghum varieties grown in Ethiopia. International Journal of Food Science, 4(2), 58-66.
Tórtora, G., Machín, L., & Ares, G. (2019). Influence of nutritional warnings and other label features on consumers’ choice: Results from an eye-tracking study. Food Research International, 119(38), 605-611.