Macronutrients Crucial Body Power

Macronutrients are crucial nutrients for your body to absorb. They are used for the storage of fats, energy for your muscles, helps children to develop properly, balances out your fluids, immune system, hormones, and used to form RNA, DNA, and ATP.

3 Essential Macronutrients

Your body utilizes three essential macronutrients in large amounts - fat, proteins, and carbohydrates - for your body to function properly by using their amino acids, and fatty acids, and to provide the body with energy (Streit). 

Fat

Fats store fat soluble vitamins and nutrients inside the liver and fatty tissues and contain essential fatty acids such as cholesterol, and triglycerides, to help keep your body warm and protect organs (Dutchen). Triglycerides are packaged into chylomicrons for transport through the bloodstream, activating lipoprotein lipase once they reach fat and muscle tissues, which means they break them down to be absorbed by muscles for energy and fat for storage (Biointeractive). The heart, lungs, brain, stomach, and muscles need the energy to perform functions such as breathing, digestion, thinking, and moving (Family Health Team). 

Protein

Proteins are made up of amino acids that are needed for the tissues and organs inside the body to function properly and they do the greatest amount of work inside the cells (Medline Plus). If people do not eat enough calories throughout the day, your body will use protein for the energy it needs, denying its true purpose of helping the body to function properly (Hermann). Protein is very important for children because it helps them during development stages, and for both adults and kids for fluid balance, vision, hormones, enzymes, and immune system response (Brazier). 

Carbohydrates

Your body breaks down carbohydrates into simple sugars (glucose) to be used by cells for energy, which is why it is important to get carbohydrates from natural sources instead of processed foods because it takes longer for the natural sources to break them down, helping you feel less hungry and provide lasting energy (American Heart Association). Glucose is mostly used for energy, however it can be broken down to be used to form RNA, DNA, and ATP (Libretexts).  ATP (adenosine triphosphate) is used by the body for crucial bodily functions. The brain uses the most ATP for neurotransmissions. Simple movements by your muscles in your arms for hand raising, could not happen without ATP. 

Conclusion

Needlessly to say eating healthy proteins, fats, and carbohydrates will do wonders for your body. They are essential for your body to function which is why your body craves them. The unhealthy versions help out very little and will do more harm than good, especially over the long term. 

Works Cited

Streit, Lizzie. “What Are Macronutrients? All You Need to Know.” Healthline, 1 Nov. 2021, www.healthline.com/nutrition/what-are-macronutrients.

Dutchen, Stephanie. “What Do Fats Do in the Body?” Www.nigms.nih.gov, 15 Dec. 2010, www.nigms.nih.gov/education/Inside-Life-Science/Pages/what-do-fats-do-in-the-body.aspx.

Biointeractive. “How the Body Uses Fat.” HHMI BioInteractive, www.biointeractive.org/classroom-resources/how-body-uses-fat. Accessed 17 Mar. 2023.

Family Health Team. “Where Does Body Fat Go When You Lose Weight?” Health Essentials from Cleveland Clinic, Health Essentials from Cleveland Clinic, 17 Jan. 2019, health.clevelandclinic.org/where-does-body-fat-go-when-you-lose-weight/.

Medline Plus. “What Are Proteins and What Do They Do?” Medlineplus.gov, 26 Mar. 2021, medlineplus.gov/genetics/understanding/howgeneswork/protein/.

Hermann, Janice. “Protein and the Body - Oklahoma State University.” Extension.okstate.edu, 1 Apr. 2021, extension.okstate.edu/fact-sheets/protein-and-the-body.html.

Brazier, Yvette. “Protein: Sources, Deficiency, and Requirements.” Medical News Today, 10 Dec. 2020, www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/196279.

American Heart Association. “Carbohydrates.” Www.heart.org, 16 Apr. 2018, www.heart.org/en/healthy-living/healthy-eating/eat-smart/nutrition-basics/carbohydrates.

Libretexts. “3.4: The Functions of Carbohydrates in the Body.” Medicine LibreTexts, 14 June 2017, med.libretexts.org/Courses/American_Public_University/APUS%3A_An_Introduction_to_Nutrition_(Byerley)/APUS%3A_An_Introduction_to_Nutrition_1st_Edition/03%3A_Carbohydrates/3.04%3A_The_Functions_of_Carbohydrates_in_the_Body.