Macronutrients

Essential Basics
 Carbohydrate
 Protein
 Lipids (Fat)

 Calorie (kcal) – measurement of energy

needed to raise 1g of water 1 degree C
Carbohydrate
Carbohydrate
 4 kcal/g

 Also known as sugar or starches

 All break down in to three fundamental structures
 Glucose
 Fructose
 Galactose
 Differ only in bond orientation and length (number) or sugar units.
Disaccharides
 Three Basic -
 Maltose: Glucose-Glucose
 Sucrose: Glucose-Fructose (table sugar)
 Lactose: Glucose-Galactose (milk sugar)

 Interesting note: lactose intolerance is due to enzyme

inefficiency to digest lactose. A milk allergy is due to an
allergic reaction to a milk protein. Depending on severity,
individuals may be able to tolerate butter due to the high fat
content and low sugar or protein content.
Complex Carbohydrates
 Oligosaccharides – few sugar molecules linked
together
 Although many different kinds, many are found in
breast milk and infant formulas

 Polysaccharides – many sugars molecules

 Glycogen (sugar stored in muscles) and starches
(sugars stored in plants)
 Fiber: cellulose, hemicellulose, pectins, gums, lignan,
resistant starches
Digestion
 Digestion: mouth – the enzyme salivary amylase (holding a
cracker in your mouth for a few minutes will actually taste
sweet due to break down to shorter polysaccharide and
disaccharides)

 Stomach – inactivate salivary amylase, acids continue to break

down starch, yet there are no enzymes

 Small intestine – most of the work in carbohydrate digestion,

pancreatic amylase, then final breakdown in membranes of
intestinal cells with maltase, sucrase, lactase

 Large intestine – only fibers remain in the digestive tract, fibers

in tract attract water, bacteria in GI ferment some fibers.
Carbohydrate Metabolism
 Storing glucose as: glycogen,
 glucose is used for energy,
 glucose for protein,
 make ketone bodies from fat fragments,
 and glucose to make fat.

 Processes regulated by insulin and glucagon

enzymes.
In Foods and Diet
 Added sugars: brown sugar, confectioners sugar,
corn sweeteners, corn syrup, dextrose, granulated
sugar, high-fructose corn syrup, honey, invert sugar,
levulose, maple sugar, molasses, raw sugar,
turbinado sugar, white sugar

 Recommended intakes: in a 2000 kcal diet, 900-

1300 from carbs coming from grains, vegetables,
fruits, milks and milk products, meats/meat
alternatives (i.e. nuts)

 Sugar substitutes – can’t break the bonds to digest

and absorb the sugars for energy, also used in
much smaller amounts
Protein
Protein
 4 kcal/g
 Long chains of amino acids, 20 AA total,
9 are essential AA, and sometimes others
are conditionally essential.
Roles
 Building for growth and maintenance

 Enzymes

 Hormones

 Regulators of fluid balance and acid and bases

 Antibodies
Digestion
 Stomach –hydrochloric acids denature proteins
so enzymes can reach peptide bonds, pepsin
(enzyme) cuts proteins.

 Small intestine – several pancreatic and intestinal

enzymes break down the proteins even further.
In Foods and Diet
 Foods: high quality and complementary proteins

 Health effects and malnutrition

 Recommendation – in 2000kcal diets – 200-400

kcal, 10-20%

 Some debate over whether recommendation

should be increased to 25%
Lipids (Fats)
Lipids
 Fatty Acids
 Saturated
 Unsaturated – depends on number of double bonds
 Monounsaturated
 Polyunsaturated
 Degrees of unsaturated: firmness, stability,
hydrogenation, trans-fatty acids,

 Phospholipids – cell membrane, lecithin

 Glyceride -
 Sterols - cholesterol
Digestion
 Mouth – the enzyme, lingual lipase plays a minor
role in adults and active role in infants

 Stomach – contractions push fat contents of the

stomach under to not float on the top.

 Small intestine – cholecystokinin and bile,

hydrolysis of triglycerides
Essentials
 Cholesterol
 Chylomicrons
 VLDL
 LDL
 HDL

 Essential Fatty Acids

 Omega 3-fatty acids
 Omega 6-fatty acids
Metabolism
 9 kcal/g

 Fat can be used for energy

 Lipoprotein lipase breaks up polyglycerides

In Food and Diet
 Recommended Intake: in 2000kcal diet, 400-700
kcal from fat is 20-35%; meats and meat
alternatives, milk and milk products, invisible fat
(marble meats, oil, baked foods, cream
substances), visible fats (solid fats and butters)

 Fat replacers offer sensory and cooking qualities

of fats but non of the kcalories, i.e. olestra.

 Heart healthy fats – monounsaturated oils, nuts,

fish
Balanced Food Intake
Questions?