Nutrients

Carbohydrates are very important for our body as they are at the same time fuel, energy storage, basic skeleton of DNA & RNA, structural element in the cell walls of bacteria and component of cell membranes. Carbohydrates are either mono-, di-, poly- or technical saccharides. Monosaccharides are composed of glucose, fructose and galactose and disaccharides of sucrose, lactose and maltose. Starch (in potatoes) is one of the polysaccharides. Our body and primarily our brain depend on glucose to function properly. It is recommended that at least 50% of the energy consumed during the day comes from carbohydrates.

Dietary fiber is one of the carbohydrates and is primarily composed of monosaccharides. They are divided into soluble and insoluble dietary fibers and are indigestible. As a result, they contribute to a quick and long-lasting feeling of satiety, promote digestion and are important for the prevention of some diseases, e.g. colon cancer or diabetes. The recommended dietary fiber intake is 30 grams per day. This requirement can be met mainly through fruits, vegetables, legumes and whole grains.

Fats: There are different types of lipids (fats). The largest gurppe are the fatty acids. On the one hand, they provide energy, but they also give structure. They can be divided into saturated, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids. In total, the proportion of fat should make up about 30 - 35 % of the energy. The requirement of omega-3 fatty acids should be about 0.5 % of the daily energy. Omega-3 fatty acids are polyunsaturated fatty acids and are particularly important for us humans at any age, as they have many preventive and performance-enhancing effects, e.g. improvement of cognitive functions in children, prevention of metabolic diseases or the development of infants. Omega-3 fatty acids should be consumed in a 1:5 ratio to omega-6 fatty acids. In Germany, too little omega-3 containing food is consumed in most cases (in Germany ratio of 1:8). The best sources of omega-3 are fatty sea fish, such as herring, salmon or mackerel. Vegetarians and vegans who do not eat fish should use flax, walnut or rapeseed oil to meet their needs.

Proteins, also called egg whites, consist of amino acids that are chained together. The functions of proteins are manifold: they are relevant for structure, transport, defense and protection as well as for control and regulation processes in the body. Healthy adults should consume about 0.8 g/kg of protein per day - for a person weighing 70 kg, this means 56 g/day. These are contained, for example, in 5000g of vegetables, 1600g of milk, 400g of sausage, 200g of meat or 150g of hard cheese.  Nowadays, protein shakes enjoy great popularity, as they are supposed to promote muscle growth. However, Germans already consume more protein in their diet than is recommended. Protein shakes are only useful if the protein requirement is increased (e.g. for competitive athletes).