What Are Macronutrients? | Macros Explained

Summary

Adam Explains dives into the world of micronutrients, detailing carbohydrates, proteins, and fats. Each provides energy in the form of calories, with carbohydrates and proteins offering four calories per gram, and fats providing nine. The video explores the structure and functions of these macronutrients, from the biochemical reactions proteins catalyze to the essential fatty acids our bodies can't produce. It also addresses the ongoing debate about the health impacts of different fats, contrasting the views that saturated fats are harmful with recent findings suggesting they may not be as detrimental as once believed.

Takeaways

• 🍚 Micronutrients are nutrients required in large quantities in our diet, including carbohydrates, proteins, and fats.
• 🔋 Each macronutrient provides energy in the form of calories: carbohydrates and proteins provide 4 calories per gram, while fats provide 9 calories per gram.
• 💧 Carbohydrates are biomolecules composed of carbon, oxygen, and hydrogen, and include groups like sugars, cellulose, starch, and glycogen.
• 🍬 Monosaccharides and disaccharides are types of sugars, while oligosaccharides and polysaccharides are polymers of simple sugars.
• 🥚 Proteins are macromolecules made up of amino acid residues, with polypeptides being short chains of these residues.
• 🕒 Proteins have a lifespan in the human body ranging from minutes to years, with most lasting about one to two days before being recycled through protein turnover.
• 🔄 Proteins are essential for providing amino acids that the body cannot synthesize and are vital for growth and repair, especially for those looking to build muscle mass.
• 🥑 Fats, or triglycerides, are esters of glycerol and fatty acid chains, and are necessary for structural and metabolic functions in the human body.
• 🌱 Essential fatty acids must be consumed because the human body does not synthesize them, and fats are required for the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins.
• 🔗 Fats are categorized by their molecular structure and the number of carbon atoms, with saturated fats having no double bonds and unsaturated fats having one or more.
• ❓ The health effects of different types of fats, particularly saturated and unsaturated fats, remain a topic of debate in scientific literature.

Q & A

What are micronutrients and why are they important in our diet?

Micronutrients are nutrients required in large quantities as part of our diet. They are important because they provide energy in the form of calories, with carbohydrates, proteins, and fats being the three main micronutrients required by humans.

How many calories does each gram of carbohydrates, proteins, and fats provide?

Each gram of carbohydrates and proteins provides four calories, while each gram of fats provides nine calories.

What is a carbohydrate and what types of molecules does it include?

A carbohydrate is a biomolecule composed of carbon, oxygen, and hydrogen atoms. It includes saccharides such as cellulose, sugar, and starch, which are further divided into monosaccharides, disaccharides, oligosaccharides, and polysaccharides.

Why might someone experience significant weight loss of water weight on a low-carb diet?

Carbohydrates have a high water content, and when their intake is reduced, the body may lose water weight, which can lead to significant initial weight loss, especially in diets like the ketogenic diet.

What is the difference between monosaccharides, disaccharides, oligosaccharides, and polysaccharides?

Monosaccharides and disaccharides are simple sugars, often recognizable by names ending in 'ose'. Oligosaccharides and polysaccharides are polymers of simple sugars, with oligosaccharides having between 3 to 10 monosaccharides and polysaccharides having over 10.

What are proteins and what role do they play in the human body?

Proteins are macromolecules made up of long chains of amino acid residues. They play a crucial role in the body, acting as enzymes, facilitating metabolism, and providing essential amino acids that the body cannot synthesize.

How long do proteins typically last in the human body before being degraded?

Most proteins in the human body last around one to two days before they are degraded and recycled through a process known as protein turnover.

What are fats and what types of functions do they perform in the body?

Fats, also known as triglycerides, are esters of glycerol and fatty acid chains. They serve structural and metabolic functions, including promoting healthy cell function, protecting organs, maintaining body temperature, and maintaining healthy skin and hair.

Why is it important to consume fats as part of a human diet?

Fats are necessary because some essential fatty acids are not synthesized by the human body and must be obtained through diet. Additionally, fat-soluble vitamins require fats for digestion, absorption, and transportation.

What is the difference between saturated and unsaturated fats?

Saturated fats have no double bonds between carbon atoms in their chain, while unsaturated fats have one or more double bonds. Unsaturated fats can be further divided into monounsaturated fats and polyunsaturated fats.

What is the current scientific consensus on the health effects of saturated fats?

The health effects of saturated fats are still debated. While some studies suggest that reducing saturated fat intake can lower the risk of cardiovascular disease, others, such as a 2016 study in the British Medical Journal, found no association between saturated fat consumption and heart health issues.

Outlines

00:00

🍽 Macronutrients and Their Roles in Our Diet

This paragraph explains the concept of micronutrients, which are nutrients required in large quantities for our diet. It identifies the three primary micronutrients as carbohydrates, proteins, and fats, and discusses how each provides energy in the form of calories. Carbohydrates and proteins each provide four calories per gram, while fats provide nine. The paragraph further delves into the composition and classification of carbohydrates, explaining that they are biomolecules composed of carbon, oxygen, and hydrogen atoms. It also covers the different types of saccharides and their role in our diet, including monosaccharides, disaccharides, oligosaccharides, and polysaccharides. The discussion then moves to proteins, describing them as macromolecules made up of amino acid residues, with a focus on their role in metabolism and the body's inability to synthesize certain essential amino acids. Lastly, the paragraph covers fats, or triglycerides, and their importance in the diet, including their role in cell function, protection of organs, and the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins. It also touches on the debate over the health effects of different types of fats, such as saturated and unsaturated fats, and the differing opinions in scientific literature.

05:01

🔬 The Debate on Saturated Fats and Health

The second paragraph continues the discussion on fats, focusing on the debate surrounding saturated fats and their impact on heart health. It presents contrasting views from scientific studies: one suggesting that saturated fats increase the risk of cardiovascular disease, while another study published in the British Medical Journal in 2016 found no association between saturated fat consumption and heart disease or other health issues in healthy adults. The paragraph emphasizes the ongoing scientific debate and the complexity of understanding dietary fats' role in health. It concludes by reminding viewers of the importance of macronutrients and encourages them to like, comment, share, and subscribe for more content.

Keywords

💡Micronutrients

Micronutrients are nutrients required in large quantities as part of our diet. In the context of the video, micronutrients are the focus, with carbohydrates, proteins, and fats being the three micronutrients required by humans. These are essential for providing energy and maintaining bodily functions, as they are the primary sources of calories.

💡Macronutrients

Macronutrients refer to the nutrients that the body needs in large amounts. In the video, the macronutrients are carbohydrates, proteins, and fats, each providing energy in the form of calories. Understanding macronutrients is crucial for managing one's diet and health, as they are the building blocks of our nutritional intake.

💡Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates are biomolecules composed of carbon, oxygen, and hydrogen atoms, often recognized as the hydrates of carbon. They are a key macronutrient that provides energy, with each gram yielding four calories. The video discusses carbohydrates in the context of weight loss, particularly on low-carb diets like the ketogenic diet, where they are stored as glycogen in muscles and the liver.

💡Saccharides

Saccharides are a group that includes cellulose, sugar, and starch. They are related to carbohydrates and are categorized into monosaccharides, disaccharides, oligosaccharides, and polysaccharides. In the video, saccharides are mentioned to explain the variety of carbohydrate forms, with monosaccharides and disaccharides commonly referred to as sugars.

💡Proteins

Proteins are large biomolecules made up of one or more long chains of amino acid residues. They play a critical role in the growth and repair of the body, as well as in catalyzing biochemical reactions as enzymes. The video emphasizes the importance of proteins in providing essential amino acids that the body cannot synthesize on its own.

💡Fats

Fats, also known as triglycerides, are esters of glycerol and fatty acid chains. They are a necessary part of the human diet, providing essential fatty acids and aiding in the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins. The video discusses fats in terms of their structural and metabolic functions, as well as their categorization based on chain length and saturation.

💡Lipids

Lipids are a broad category that includes fats and oils. While fats are solid at room temperature, oils are liquid. The video uses the term lipids to encompass fats, emphasizing their importance in the diet and their role in various bodily functions, such as maintaining body temperature and protecting organs.

💡Saturated Fats

Saturated fats are fats in which the carbon atoms in the fatty acid chains have no double bonds. The video discusses the debate surrounding saturated fats and their impact on cardiovascular health, contrasting the views that they should be reduced in the diet with findings that suggest they are not harmful.

💡Unsaturated Fats

Unsaturated fats are fats with one or more double bonds between the carbon atoms in the chains. They can be further divided into monounsaturated fats and polyunsaturated fats. The video suggests that unsaturated fats, particularly monounsaturated fats, are favored over saturated fats for cardiovascular health.

💡Trans Fats

Trans fats are a type of unsaturated fat that is rare in nature and has been found to increase the risk of cardiovascular disease. In the video, trans fats are mentioned as a contrasting example to other unsaturated fats, highlighting the complexity of dietary fat recommendations.

💡Protein Turnover

Protein turnover refers to the process by which proteins in the body are degraded and then recycled. The video mentions that most proteins in human cells last about one to two days before being degraded, illustrating the dynamic nature of protein metabolism and the need for continuous protein intake.

💡Adipose Tissue

Adipose tissue, also known as fat cells, is where the body stores excess energy in the form of fat. The video explains that when more calories are consumed than needed, the body stores the surplus in adipose tissue, linking this process to the broader discussion of energy balance and weight management.

Highlights

Micronutrients are required in large quantities as part of our diet, including carbohydrates, proteins, and fats.

Each macronutrient provides energy in the form of calories: carbohydrates and proteins at 4 calories per gram, fats at 9 calories per gram.

Carbohydrates are biomolecules composed of carbon, oxygen, and hydrogen atoms, with a 2:1 hydrogen to oxygen ratio.

The term 'carbohydrate' is derived from 'hydrates of carbon', reflecting their chemical structure.

Saccharides include cellulose, sugar, and starch, and are categorized into monosaccharides, disaccharides, oligosaccharides, and polysaccharides.

Proteins are macromolecules made up of amino acid residues, with a polypeptide chain of at least 20-30 residues.

Proteins serve as enzymes, catalyzing biochemical reactions crucial to human metabolism.

Proteins provide essential amino acids not synthesized within the body and are vital for growth and repair.

Fats, or triglycerides, are esters of glycerol and fatty acid chains, often grouped under lipids.

Fats have both structural and metabolic functions and are necessary for the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins.

Fats are categorized by their fatty acid chain length: short, medium, long, and very long chain fatty acids.

Saturated fats have no double bonds between carbon atoms, while unsaturated fats have one or more double bonds.

Unsaturated fats are further divided into monounsaturated fats and polyunsaturated fats, with health advice favoring monounsaturated fats.

Trans fats, a form of unsaturated fats, have been linked to an increased risk of cardiovascular disease.

The health impact of dietary saturated fats on heart health is a topic of debate within scientific literature.

A 2016 study in the British Medical Journal found no association between dietary saturated fat and heart disease.

Excess calories consumed are stored as energy in fat cells, also known as adipose tissue.

Transcripts

welcome to Adam explains ROI breakdown

tough topics and give you the facts

before we begin if I could take this

time to request that you like comment

and subscribe if you enjoy this video

but without further ado let's get into

it micronutrients are nutrients that are

required in large quantities as part of

our diet the three micronutrients

required by humans are carbohydrates

proteins and fats energy is provided by

each macronutrient in the form of

calories the approximate amount of

calories each macronutrient provides per

gram is as follows carbohydrates four

calories per gram proteins four calories

per gram and fats 9 calories per gram

carbohydrates a carbohydrate is a

biomolecule that is made of carbon

oxygen and hydrogen atoms the hydrogen

and oxygen atoms have a ratio of two to

one much the same as water albeit with a

few exceptions which may explain the

significant weight loss of water weight

on low carb diets such as the ketogenic

diet within the first few weeks

technically speaking carbohydrates or

the hydrates of carbon hence the name

the term carbohydrate is synonymous with

saccharide a group that includes

cellulose sugar and starch the

saccharides are split into four main

groups monosaccharides disaccharides

oligosaccharides and polysaccharides

monosaccharides and disaccharides are

commonly referred to as sugars and they

are usually recognizable by names with

the suffix o's example glucose

oligosaccharides and polysaccharides are

typically polymers of simple sugars like

monosaccharides the amount of which is

between 3 to 10 monosaccharides for

oligosaccharides and over 10

monosaccharides for polysaccharides

polysaccharides are what make up your

glycogen or stored carbohydrates in your

muscles and liver proteins proteins or

macromolecules AKA large biomolecules

made up of one or more long chains of

amino acid residues a protein is made up

of at least one long polypeptide a

linear chain of amino acid residues

short polypeptides containing less than

20 to 30 residues are considered as

peptides or oligopeptides and not as

proteins once a protein is formed it

will exist for a period of time ranging

from minutes to years but most proteins

in human

sells last around about one to two days

before becoming degraded and ultimately

recycled through a process known as

protein turnover many proteins act as

enzymes that catalyze biochemical

reactions as such they are incredibly

important to metabolism in humans

proteins are fundamental in the diet to

provide the essential amino acids that

cannot be otherwise synthesized from

within the body itself protein is

commonly known for its role in the

growth and repair of our bodies and

those looking to build muscle mass often

favor higher amounts of proteins in

their diet for this very reason fats

fats also known as triglycerides are all

esters of the alcohol glycerol and fatty

acid chains fat's in the wider sense or

commonly synonymous and placed under the

broad umbrella of lipids however in the

strictest sense fats are lipids that are

solid at room temperature whereas oils

are lipids that are liquid at room

temperature whilst fats have been overly

demonized fats and take structural and

metabolic functions and as such they are

a necessary part of the human diet this

is due to the fact that some essential

fatty acids are not synthesized by the

human body

so consumption is important fat soluble

vitamins such as a D E and K can only be

digested absorbed and transported in

conjunction with fats fats play a

fundamental role in promoting healthy

cell function protecting organs against

shock maintaining body temperature and

maintaining healthy skin and hair fats

tend to be described based on their

length SCF a short chain fatty-acids mcf

a medium chain fatty acids LCF a long

chain fatty acids v LCF a very long

chain fatty acids that being said most

fats in the food that we are made up of

medium chain fatty acids and long-chain

fatty acids whether the source is

vegetable or animal in nature fats and

oils are categorized depending on their

molecular structure in particular the

number of bonding carbon atoms saturated

fats have no double bonds between the

carbons in the chain

whereas unsaturated fats have one or

more double bonds between the carbon

atoms those with multiple double carbon

bonds are referred to as polyunsaturated

fats unsaturated fats can be split into

sis fats and trans fat

the latter of which is very rare in

nature studies tend to favor sis

unsaturated fats over saturated fats in

regards to cardiovascular health with

Hooper Italian 2015 stating lifestyle

advice to all those at risk of

cardiovascular disease and to lower risk

population groups should continue to

include permanent reduction of dietary

saturated fats and partial replacement

by and saturated fats it should be

stressed that this is sis and saturated

fats because trans fats a form of

unsaturated fats has been found to

increase the risk of cardiovascular

disease that being said science wouldn't

be science without its contradictions

despite Hooper at Sal's findings in 2015

an article published in the British

Medical Journal in 2016 found that

dietary saturated fat was of no

consequence to the health of one's heart

despite popular belief amongst doctors

and the public the conceptual model of

dietary saturated fats clogging a pipe

is just plain wrong a landmark systemic

review and meta-analysis of

observational studies showed no

association between saturated fat

consumption and all cause mortality

coronary heart disease coronary heart

disease mortality ischemic stroke or

type 2 diabetes in healthy adults

similarly in the secondary prevention of

coronary heart disease there is no

benefit from reducing fat including

saturated fats on myocardial infarction

cardiovascular or all cause mortality so

as you can see the healthiness or

unhealthiness of fats is still somewhat

up for debate amongst the scientific

literature when you consume more

calories than you need your body will

store the excess energy in your fat

cells which are also known as your

adipose tissue so there you have it the

main human macronutrients carbohydrates

protein and fats thanks very much for

watching please don't forget to Like

comment share and subscribe I've been

Adam Adam explains in our see you guys

again next time