Essential Nutrients

• A nutrient is a chemical substance found in foods that is used in the human body
• There are six classes of nutrients – carbohydrates, proteins, lipids, vitamins, minerals and water
• Essential nutrients are those that cannot be synthesised by the body and must be ingested as part of the diet
• Non-essential nutrients can be made by the body or have a replacement nutrient which serves the same dietary purpose
• Carbohydrates are not considered essential nutrients as human diets can obtain energy from other sources without ill effect
• Malnutrition is a health condition caused by a deficiency, imbalance or excess of nutrients in the diet
• Malnutrition can be caused by an improper dietary intake of nutrients – e.g. overnutrition (too much) or undernutrition (not enough)
• Malnutrition can be caused by the inadequate utilisation of nutrients by the body – e.g. due to illness or disease
• The different forms of malnutrition include stunted growth, wasting, and obesity