The latin word “makros” (meaning large) and “nutriens” (to nourish) make up the word macronutrients, and it’s not because the nutrients themselves are large!
The reason they are called macronutrients, is because they are the nutrients required by our body in high quantities in order to be able to function properly. They perform many functions such as maintaining the body and cell structure, and providing energy.
Today, we’ll talk about macronutrients and why we need them.
What are they?
Macronutrients are a class of organic compounds that include fats, carbohydrates, and proteins. Even fiber and water are considered to be macronutrients. While they are required in large amounts by our body, they are also required in specific quantities.
Each macronutrient plays a different role in our body. Fats are needed for creating cell walls, are an important source of energy, and insulates your body from the outside world.
Carbohydrates provide fuel for your body, and an estimated 45% to 65% of your energy needs for day-to-day activities come from carbohydrates. However, they can also cause spikes in blood sugar level.
Proteins are important for tissue structure, making hormones, regulating metabolism and plays a role in the transport system.
So we can see that all of these are important, to the functioning of life itself, and are fundamental to many processes. In fact, all animals and plants have some macronutrient requirements to be able to function properly, though their needs may differ from ours.
Where can we find them?
We find macronutrients in all food - although it’s important to remember that it can also be present in unhealthy quantities in some foods. Colloquially, we call these “junk” or “unhealthy” foods. Foods such as ice creams and cakes may be high in carbohydrates (in the form of sugars) and fats, while very low in protein, whereas snacks such as chips might contain high amounts of fats and sodium, which affect the heart.
Fats
Ideally, we should try to get about 20-35% of our daily calories from fats. There are different types of fats, however, such as monounsaturated fats, polyunsaturated fats, saturated fats and trans fats. It is important to do your own research and read more about these topics to stay informed, but in general monounsaturated fats and polyunsaturated fats are considered to be “healthy” fats. Too much saturated and trans fats can cause health issues including but not limited to high cholesterol, which in turn can lead to strokes, heart attacks and vascular dementia.
Some sources of healthy fats are:
Monounsaturated fats: Olive oil, peanut butter, almonds, cashews, hazelnuts, peanuts and pistachios.
Polyunsaturated fats: Salmon, mackerel, walnuts, sesame seeds and sunflower seeds.
Fig.1 Dry fruits such as almonds, cashews, and pistachios are sources of healthy fats.Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates are sugars, and they are not bad for our health in moderation. They are classified into 4 main groups - monosaccharides, disaccharides, oligosaccharides, and polysaccharides. The classification depends mostly on the structure, as shown in fig.2.
A lot of staples serve as primary sources of carbohydrates- for example, wheat, rice, corn and all grains. Dairy products are also a good source of carbohydrates.
Carbohydrates make up the bulk of our calorie intake, and ideally we would hope that around 55% of our energy needs are met by carbohydrates, although this proportion might vary slightly from 40% to 65%.
Foods rich in carbohydrates in our daily life include breads, pasta, noodles, legumes like dried beans, sugary items such as candy, desserts, cakes, and cookies, as well as starchy vegetables like potatoes, corn, and peas.
Fig.2 Classification of carbohydratesProteins
Proteins, or amino acids, are one of the fundamental building blocks of life. They make up much of the structural and functional components of the cell, which is why they are found everywhere. While proteins can be found in all living things, they are present in different forms and proportions as to what we need. The general amount of protein in your diet depends, and varies from about 10% to 35%, but in general, is slightly lower than the amount of carbohydrates consumed. There are two general classes of proteins when talking about nutrition, essential amino acids and nonessential amino acids. The main difference is that essential amino acids must be supplied to the body through its diet, since they cannot be made by the body directly. Nonessential amino acids on the other hand, can be made by our body, thus the need for dietary supply is lesser.
Some examples of foods rich in protein include meats such as poultry (chicken, turkey, duck etc.), fish, dairy, eggs and legumes (lentils, peanuts, peanut butter, green peas, and so on).
Now that we know what the different macronutrients are, we can think about what we eat on a daily basis by qualifying them into these categories. It is important to note that no food is a superfood - no single source of food will give us all of the different categories of macronutrients, but it is important to maintain a balanced diet and keep in mind that a doctor might be able to help and recommend a specific diet if there are issues.
While not mentioned explicitly, water and fiber are also important macronutrients, so remember to drink water!