The two most important determinants of good health are what we eat and how active we are. We all know that exercising daily will have huge impacts on your health and overall well-being. Nutrition’s connection to good health lies in the fact that it plays a role in promoting optimal growth in people of all ages and preventing many chronic diseases. The good news is that the increased interest in health, fitness and, nutrition shown by Americans has been associated with long-term decreasing trends for heart disease, cancer, and stroke (the three leading causes of death) that continued in 2005. (Wardlaw & Smith, 2011).
The six classes of nutrients are carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, vitamins, minerals, and water. Essential nutrients are nutrients that, when left out of a diet, leads to signs of poor health. The body either can’t produce this nutrient or can’t produce enough of it to meet its needs (Wardlaw & Smith, 2011). Nutrients come from a variety of sources to include fruits, vegetables, meats, and dairy products to name a few. Nutrients give us essential vitamins and minerals, energy and provide maintenance to tissues and other organs. Good nutrition allows us to function mentally and physically.
Vitamins have a variety of chemical structures and can contain the elements carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen, phosphorus, sulfur, and others. The main function of vitamins