“How Much Do You Know About Nutrition” Series | Do you consume the seven major nutrients that maintain the body’s survival every day?

As we all know, the human body structure is composed of bones, muscles, fat, blood, skin, hair and other organs from a macroscopic perspective. From a microscopic perspective, it is composed of carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, phosphorus, sulfur, sodium, potassium, calcium and other elements. It can also be said that the body is composed of water, protein, fat, carbohydrates and minerals. The human body needs to take in seven major nutrients every day, namely protein, fat, carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals, dietary fiber and water, to maintain the body's survival needs. What foods in life can provide the various nutrients needed by the body? Let's take a look.

1. Protein is the scaffold and main substance that constitutes human tissues and organs. It plays an important role in human life activities. It can be said that without protein, there would be no life activities. Amino acids are the basic units that make up proteins. Amino acids are linked into peptide chains through dehydration condensation. Protein is a biological macromolecule composed of one or more polypeptide chains. The reference intake of protein and its main food sources: (Content in every 100 grams of edible food)

Dried seafood (g): dried cuttlefish 65.3, dried squid 60, dried scallops 55.6, dried abalone 54.1, dried sea cucumber 50.2, dried mussels 47.8, dried razor clams 46.5, dried fish fillets 46.1, etc.

Beans and bean products (g): shredded tofu 57.7, tofu skin 44.6, soybean meal 42.5, black beans 36, soybeans 35, green beans 34.5, broad beans 27, etc.

Dairy products (g): milk curd 55.1, milk tofu 53.7, cheese 25.7, cottage cheese 25.5, etc.

Meat (g): beef jerky 45.6, pork liver and gallbladder 44.2, pork tendon 35.5, beef tendon 35.2, lamb tendon 34.3, donkey meat 33.7, horse meat 30.5, roast chicken 29.6, lamb kebabs 26.4, etc.

Dried fruits (g): pumpkin seeds 36, watermelon seeds 32.7, hazelnuts 30.5, flowering beans 26.7, etc.

2. Fat is a good energy storage location in cells, mainly providing heat energy; protecting internal organs, maintaining body temperature; assisting the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins; participating in various metabolic activities of the body, etc. Reference intake of fat and main food sources: (content per 100 grams of edible food)

Oils (g): sesame oil 100, palm oil 100, chili oil 100, olive oil 99.9, peanut oil 99.9, sunflower oil 99.9, tea oil 99.9, coconut oil 99.9, etc.

Meat (g): duck fat 99.7, lard 99.6, mutton fat 99, pork 88.6, duck skin 50.2, bacon 48.8, sausage 48.3, beef jerky 40, broiler 35.4, duck egg yolk 33.8, etc.

Dried fruits (g): pine nuts 62.6, almonds 55.2, sunflower seeds 53.4, pecans 50.8, hazelnuts 50.3, pumpkin seeds 48.1, peanuts 48, watermelon seeds 46.5, pumpkin seeds 46.1, etc.

Dairy products (g): butter 98, cream 97, ghee 94.4, butter residue 43.8, milk skin 42.9, cheese 34.4, etc.

Other foods with high fat content (g): peanut butter 53, sesame paste 52.7, potato chips (fried) 48.4, chocolate 40.1, biscuits 39.7, etc.

3. Carbohydrates provide heat energy for the human body. They are the main component of the structure of living cells and the main energy source. They also have the important function of regulating cell activities. The reference intake of carbohydrates and the main food sources are: (Content per 100 grams of edible food)

Alcohol (g): Sanliang wheat (55 degrees) 100, Silk Road Spring Wine 100, Chinese Seabuckthorn Wine 100, Wulin Spring Wine (Highland Barley Wine) 100, Refined Wheat Wine 100, Shaoxing Yellow Wine (15 degrees) 100, Rose-scented Wine (15 degrees) 99.9, Five Star Beer 99.7, etc.

Sugars (g): white sugar 99.9, rock sugar 99.3, soft sugar 98.9, assorted candies 98.9, brown sugar 96.6, bubble gum 89.8, maltose 82, etc.

Drinks (g): Sour plum crystal 98.4, kiwi crystal 97.1, orange crystal 96.5, hawthorn crystal 95.9, lotus root powder 92.9, etc.

Other foods with high carbohydrate content (g): pea vermicelli 91.4, tangerine cake 89.4, sesame cake 88.2, dough flour 85, apple preserves 83.3, etc.

4. Vitamins are a class of low-molecular organic compounds necessary to maintain normal physiological functions. Reference intake of vitamins and their main food sources: (Content per 100 grams of edible food)

Vitamin A (ugRE): Lamb liver 20972, beef liver 20220, chicken liver 10414, goose liver 6100, pork liver 4675, duck liver 4972, wolfberry 1625, flat spinach 1592, perilla 1232, broccoli 1202, sweet potato leaves 995, etc.

Vitamin C (mg): Rosa roxburghii 2585, sour jujube 900, jujube 243, sea buckthorn 204, Polygonum multiflorum (bamboo grass) 158, alfalfa 118, seedless candied dates 104, radish greens (white) 77, etc.

Vitamin E (mg): sesame oil 389.9, fresh yeast 250.75, sesame seeds 108.5, goose egg yolk 95.7, soybean oil 93.08, chili oil 87.24, cottonseed oil 86.45, sunflower seeds 79.09, sesame oil (sesame oil) 68.53, etc.

Carotene (micrograms): refined salt 99.9, earth salt 99.8, lake salt (green salt) 96, MSG 33, seaweed (dried) 30.6, ginger 25.1, dried shrimp 22.2, chili sauce 22, dried sea cucumber 21.6, soy sauce 20.7, etc.

5. Minerals, also known as inorganic salts, are the general term for inorganic substances in the human body. They are the general term for various elements necessary for the formation of human tissues and the maintenance of normal physiological functions. Minerals cannot be produced or synthesized by themselves. The daily intake of minerals is also basically determined, but it varies with factors such as age, gender, physical condition, environment, and work conditions. Reference intake of minerals and main food sources: (Content in every 100 grams of edible food)

Potassium (mg): Oyster mushroom 3106, Grade A Longjing tea 2812, hazel mushroom 2493, dried yellow mushroom 1953, black tea 1934, soybean powder 1890, dried seaweed 1796, dried white bamboo shoots 1754, green tea 1661, white fungus 1588, etc.

Sodium (mg): Lake salt (green salt) 92768, refined salt 39311, earth salt 39000, ginger (dregs) 9686, fish oil 9350, cured mutton 8991.6, MSG 8160, chili sauce 8027.6, soy sauce paste 7700, etc.

Iron (mg): dried sedge 283.7, dried white pearl mushroom 189.8, fragrant apricot mushroom 137.5, fungus 97.4, dried pine mushroom 86, dried seaweed 54.9, sesame paste 50.3, duck liver 50.1, mulberry 42.5, etc.

Calcium (mg): stone snail 2458, milk powder 1797, dried mustard greens 1542, sesame paste 1170, dried tofu 1019, dried shrimp 991, milk skin 818, hazelnut 815, cheese 799, black sesame 780, whole egg powder 654, etc.

6. Dietary fiber is a kind of polysaccharide, which can neither be digested and absorbed by the gastrointestinal tract nor produce energy. The main functions of dietary fiber are: anti-diarrhea effect, prevention of certain cancers, treatment of constipation, detoxification, prevention and treatment of intestinal diverticular disease, treatment of cholelithiasis, lowering blood cholesterol and triglycerides, controlling weight, etc., and lowering blood sugar in adult diabetic patients. Reference intake of dietary fiber and main food sources: (content per 100 grams of edible food)

74.4g konjac flour, 15.5g soybeans, 9.9g barley, 7.7g day lily, 6.5g buckwheat, 6.3g millet (with skin), 5.5g oats, 4.6g millet (yellow), 4.4g yellow rice, 4.4g okra (okra, okra), 4.3g sorghum rice, etc.

7. Water is a necessary substance for the normal metabolism of the human body. Under normal circumstances, the body needs to excrete about 1.5L of water every day through the skin, internal organs, lungs and kidneys to ensure that toxins are excreted from the body. Children's bodies are 80% water, the elderly's bodies are 50%~60%, and normal middle-aged people's bodies are 70% water.

Water has many important functions in the body: (1) Water is an important component of cell protoplasm; (2) Water acts as a solvent in the body, dissolving a variety of electrolytes; (3) Water plays a transport role in the body, transferring nutrients, metabolic waste and endocrine substances (such as hormones); (4) Water has high thermal conductivity and specific heat, and can act as a "heat carrier" to transfer heat between the body and the skin surface, helping the human body to regulate body temperature.

Eating small meals frequently, chewing slowly, taking in the nutrients the body needs at every meal every day, and achieving a balanced diet can make our bodies healthier.

This article was scientifically reviewed by Xin Xiaowei, nutritionist and deputy director of the Nutrition Department of the Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences.