Nutrients
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NUTRIENTS
are components of food that are metabolically useful to the body.
Nutrients may be considered essential, meaning they are required in
the diet, or non-essential, meaning they are not required in the
diet. A nutrient is considered essential when the body cannot
synthesize it. Different species have different essential nutrients.
Most mammals, for example—including dogs and cats—can
synthesize Vitamin C in their liver, so Vitamin C is non-essential, and not a
required nutrient in their diets. On the other hand, mammals such as
humans, primates, and guinea pigs cannot synthesize Vitamin C because
their livers lack the necessary machinery, and therefore, Vitamin C
is an essential nutrient for those mammals.
There are six broad categories of nutrients:
Water,
Carbohydrates,
Proteins,
Fats,
Minerals,
and Vitamins.
Each category has several functions in the body. Carbohydrates, proteins,
and fat may be burned and used for energy.
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