Macro nutrients
constitute the majority of an individual’s diet, “thereby supplying
energy, and the essential nutrients that are needed for growth,
maintenance, and activity”. Macro nutrients include carbohydrates,
proteins, fats, macro minerals, and water. Carbohydrates, proteins, and
fats are interchangeable as sources of energy, with fats yielding 9
calories per gram, and protein and carbohydrates each yielding 4
calories per gram.
Micro nutrients are vitamins and trace minerals. Vitamins and trace
minerals are labeled as micro nutrients because the body only requires
them in very small amounts. Vitamins are organic substances that we
ingest with our foods, and that “act as catalysts, substances that help
to trigger other reactions in the body”. Trace minerals are inorganic
substances that once ingested play a role in a “variety of metabolic
processes, and contribute to the synthesis of such elements as glycogen,
protein, and fats.
