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Vitamins and minerals are essential to the proper functioning and maintenance of the human body. [114] There are 20 trace elements and minerals that are essential in small quantities to body function and overall human health. [114] Iron deficiency is the most common inadequate nutrient worldwide, affecting approximately 2 billion people. [115]
Macronutrients are defined as a class of chemical compounds which humans consume in relatively large quantities compared to vitamins and minerals which provide humans with energy. Fat has a food energy content of 38 kilojoules per gram (9 kilocalories per gram) proteins and carbohydrates 17 kJ/g (4 kcal/g).
[1] [2] [3] Minerals are one of the four groups of essential nutrients; the others are vitamins, essential fatty acids, and essential amino acids. [4] The five major minerals in the human body are calcium, phosphorus, potassium, sodium, and magnesium. [2] The remaining minerals are called "trace elements".
They are an important source of protein and are considered complete proteins for human consumption, as (unlike plant proteins) they contain all the amino acids essential for the human body. [17] Some cultures and people do not consume meat or animal food products for cultural, dietary, health, ethical, or ideological reasons.
Nutrients can also be classified as essential or nonessential, with essential meaning the body cannot synthesize the nutrient on its own. [ 6 ] Nutrients are absorbed by the cells and used in metabolic biochemical reactions.
Nutrients in larger quantities than the body needs may have harmful effects. [1] Edible plants also contain thousands of compounds generally called phytochemicals which have unknown effects on disease or health including a diverse class with non-nutrient status called polyphenols which remain poorly understood as of 2024.
Other nutrients found in animal products include calories, fat, essential vitamins (including B12) and minerals (including zinc, iron, calcium, magnesium). [ 67 ] Food products produced by animals include milk produced by mammary glands , which in many cultures is drunk or processed into dairy products (cheese, butter, etc.).
The term vitamin does not include the three other groups of essential nutrients: minerals, essential fatty acids, and essential amino acids. [2] Major health organizations list thirteen vitamins: [3] [4] [5] Vitamin A (all-trans-retinols, all-trans-retinyl-esters, as well as all-trans-β-carotene and other provitamin A carotenoids) Vitamin B 1