Nutrition and Vitamins in the Human Body

NUTRITION AND VITAMINS IN THE HUMAN BODY 1. Explain the meaning of protein and fat in the human body a. Proteins Protein is needed to produce energy, for growth and replacement of damaged body cells, to make enzymes and hormones, and to form antibodies (immune system). Protein can come from animals which are called animal proteins and from plants which are called vegetable proteins. Foods that contain animal protein include meat, eggs, milk, fish and cheese. Meanwhile, foods that contain vegetable protein are green beans, soybeans and other nuts. Soybeans as raw materials for making tempeh and tofu are a good source of protein. b. Fat Fat is often considered the same as cholesterol, even though the two are different things. Indeed, cholesterol is a form of fat, but fat is a substance that the body needs because it provides energy, dissolves vitamins A, D, E, K, and provides essential fatty acids for the human body. Meanwhile, cholesterol is fat contained in animal fat. There are several categories of fat that you need to know, namely animal fat and vegetable fat. Animal fat comes from animals while vegetable fat comes from plants. Meanwhile, based on its chemical structure, it is divided into saturated fat and unsaturated fat. Saturated fats are usually solid at room temperature and come from animals and can be found in animal food sources, such as meat, milk, cheese, coconut oil and palm oil. Saturated fat can have a big influence in increasing cholesterol levels in our body. Excess saturated fat can increase blood cholesterol which can cause heart disease and stroke. Meanwhile, unsaturated fats are usually liquid at room temperature. The vegetable oils and fats found in seeds are unsaturated fats. Unsaturated fats are also more beneficial for the human body. 2. Explain the meaning and types of vitamins Vitamin Vitamins are a group of organic compounds that are very important for our bodies and have very varied functions. Even though it is needed in small amounts, it must be present, because vitamins are needed to regulate body functions and prevent several diseases. Vitamins can be grouped into two, namely fat-soluble vitamins and water-soluble vitamins. The fat-soluble vitamins are vitamin A, vitamin D, vitamin E and vitamin K, which only contain the elements carbon, hydrogen and oxygen. Meanwhile, water-soluble vitamins are vitamin B and vitamin C. Fat-soluble vitamins, if excessive, will not be excreted by the body but will be stored. On the other hand, water-soluble vitamins, if excessive, will not be stored, but will be excreted by the body's elimination system. As a result, vitamin intake is always needed every day. Various Vitamins There are many kinds of vitamins needed by the human body, namely: 1) Vitamin A Vitamin A is a vitamin that is useful for maintaining eye health, improving the immune system, bone growth and protecting and maintaining the beauty of the skin so that it is always smooth and smooth. Vitamin A is found in milk, eggs, liver, cereals and green and yellow vegetables such as carrots, sweet potatoes, pumpkin and fruit. 2) B vitamins Vitamin B is useful for regulating body functions, protecting healthy skin, hair and nails and helping to produce red blood cells. Sources of vitamin B are whole grains, seafood, meat, eggs, dairy products, green leafy vegetables and nuts. 3) Vitamin C The benefits of vitamin C are to form collagen, help maintain healthy body tissues such as gums and muscles, and help the body fight infection. Vitamin C is found in citrus fruits, strawberries, guava, tomatoes, pineapple and fresh vegetables. 4) Vitamin D Vitamin D is very necessary in the process of creating bones and teeth, helps the body absorb boneforming calcium and strengthens the skeleton. The source of vitamin D is food, including provitamin D. Sunlight will support the transformation of provitamin D into vitamin D on the surface of the skin. 5) Vitamin E Vitamin E is useful as an antioxidant and helps protect cells from damage and is important for the health of red blood cells. Vitamin E is found in olive oil, coconut oil, nuts, avocado, wheat, green leafy vegetables and whole grains. 6) Vitamin K The benefits of vitamin K are to help blood clot, improve bone growth and health and is useful in blood coagulation procedures during injuries. Sources of vitamin K are avocados, grapes, soybeans, eggs, tubers, whole grains, green vegetables and dairy products. 3. Explain the reasons why vegetables cannot be cooked too long Vegetables are food ingredients that come from plants with a high water content. Some vegetables can be consumed directly without being processed, but some vegetables need to be boiled, steamed, grilled, sautéed or fried to add flavor. Vegetables in general contain lots of nutrients, for example vitamin A, vitamin E, vitamin C, potassium, folic acid and dietary fiber. One vegetable and another vegetable have different nutritional content. Here are some examples of vitamins in vegetables and their functions: • Vitamin A: maintains eye health. Vitamin A is contained in spinach, mustard greens, kale, broccoli and lettuce. • Vitamin B complex: maintains growth and development as well as body function. Vitamin B complex can be found in asparagus, parsley, mustard greens and broccoli. • Vitamin C: maintains body health by preventing various diseases and fighting cancer cells. Vitamin C can be found in broccoli, green peppers, spinach, edamame, and bok choy. • Vitamin E: maintains healthy skin so that the skin becomes soft, well-groomed and radiant. Vitamin E can be found in spinach, broccoli, or asparagus. • Vitamin K: helps the blood clotting process and maintains bone health. Vitamin K can be found in spinach, cabbage, cucumber, or broccoli. Vegetables contain a lot of nutrients, if vegetables are boiled for too long it will destroy the nutrients contained in them. In vegetables, there are nutrients called water-soluble vitamins, so the longer the vegetables are boiled, the more vitamins will dissolve and be wasted in the water, unless the boiled water is used, for example, as soup stock. Apart from destroying nutrients, boiling for too long will cause the taste and texture of vegetables to become less delicious. Vegetables that are cooked for too long will cause the texture to become soft and not fresh. 4. Explain the functions of vitamin A in the body Vitamin A that comes from animals is called retinoid, while that comes from plants is called beta carotene. The functions of vitamin A for the body include: 1) Vision Health Vitamin A plays a role in preventing macular degeneration which causes blindness due to age. 2) Increases Human Body Endurance Vitamin A contains antioxidants which play an important role in warding off free radicals. Free radicals cause various degenerative diseases. This also includes preventing and treating inflammation in the body. Vitamin A also helps reduce the risk of allergies to certain foods. 3) Maintain healthy skin and cell growth Vitamin A plays a role in wound healing and the growth of skin cells. Vitamin A can cure acne and improve overall skin health. It can also treat wrinkles and fine lines on the skin, because it can help increase collagen production which is important for healthy skin. Apart from skin, vitamin A is also useful for maintaining healthy hair. 4) Prevent cancer The daily requirement for vitamin A is an average of 600 g per day. Consuming too many vitamins can also cause excess vitamins or hypervitaminosis. Including excess vitamin A which can increase the risk of bone loss (osteoporosis) and reduce bone strength, thereby increasing the risk of bone fractures. 5. Explain the function of nutrition labels on food packaging Packaged foods have a nutrition label printed on the packaging. A nutrition label is information about the nutritional value contained in a food or drink product. Nutrition labels can be used as a guide to living a healthy life. We can determine which food or drink products are healthier and suit our needs or body condition by checking the nutritional labels of packaged foods. The most common ingredients contained are monounsaturated fat, calcium (Ca), fiber, carbohydrates, sugar, salt, vitamins, iron, protein and other minerals. We can consume these ingredients in certain amounts, because some are needed in high amounts for the body and some need to be limited in quantity. Examples that we can choose that have high levels are unsaturated fats, calcium, fiber, vitamins, iron, protein. Meanwhile, what needs to be limited is carbohydrates/sugar, saturated fat, salt. The benefits of nutritional content have their respective functions, including: • Protein: builds tissue and cells. Calcium: healthy bones • Zinc: hormone formation • Selenium: forms antioxidants • Iron: an important component of hemoglobin, the part of red blood cells that transports oxygen