ABSTRACT
Nutrients are necessary for growth, maintenance, and reproduction of living organisms, and foods are their vehicles. Individual foodstuffs may contain a smaller or larger number of nutrients. This means that no individual food meets every physiological needs. The main categories of nutrients are carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins and minerals. 76Together, the former three are known as macronutrients. They are the major sources of energy and building materials for the organism. Vitamins and minerals are the so-called micronutrients, as they are only needed in small amounts.
