Metabolism is a word whose meaning encompasses everything the body does to keep human beings alive, which includes the proper function of the organs, reparation of the cells, the digestion of food and breathing. Age, gender, or even weight can be the factors that determine the metabolism rate. Besides, this set of biochemical reactions is linked closely with nutrition, such as carbohydrates, proteins, fats, etc. Proper nutrition is responsible for healthy metabolism in a large scale.
Metabolism is the technical term used when describing all of the biochemical and hormonal reactions in the body that keep the organs and cells working in optimal order. Metabolism is broken down into two sections here.
Basal metabolic rate is often called BMR for short. It is what tracks the minimum energy it takes your body to burn the maximum calories. This rate will account for 40-70% of the energy your body needs daily to live up to this rate. This percentage also depends on several factors—such as weight, age and what your lifestyle is. In other words, how active are you? When someone says they have slow metabolism—what they actually mean is—low BMR.
Without nutrition, we could not break down nutrients like DNA and RNA which are our nucleic acids. The path for these nutrients is laid out by metabolism. They are then broken down for energy. Metabolism in relation to nutrition is responsible for using nutrients to maintain important bodily functions, the amount of nutrients needed and tracking the amounts that fall below the amounts needed to sustain life.
Carbohydrates are the energy powerhouses in the body. They are pulled from the starches and sugars and cellulose we eat in our foods daily. Our metabolism will break down these nutrients and supply what we need for the day. People generally only consume around half of the daily need for these compounds. They are generally consumed from foods such as bread, cereal, rice, pasta, potatoes and wheat. Glucose is the main source of energy which is formed from metabolized starches and sugars combined. This takes place post-digestion.
Proteins are what we need to build muscle and tissues. Proteins are an integral part of each cell in the human body. It is a life giving substance by which hemoglobin is formed. This is just as important as blood. Proteins help cells carry oxygen into the blood stream as well as DNA and nitrogen. Proteins contain amino acids—8 of which the body can produce—the others are called essential amino acids that we must get from food. Essential amino acids are:
Fat produces twice the energy than proteins or carbohydrates. Fat is essential in its healthy forms. It helps to produce cell structure, it protects the vital organs with a cushion, the fat soluble vitamins we take are absorbed through fats and fat will create storage for energy when we need it. The healthy fats we need to metabolize for the aforementioned functions are unsaturated fats such as arachidonic and linoleic fats.
Minerals are responsible for the regulation of bodily functions. The minerals found in food are not used for energy in a direct sense but they play an important role in metabolic processes. There are some top minerals that will cause issues in the body when it is deficient. These are considered to be essential minerals. Essential minerals are: