The nutrients

In this section, we briefly examine the main nutrients present in plant foods, describing their functions. In the sections dedicated to the various food groups, it will be indicated what are the rich nutrients in the specific foods.

There is also a deeper discussion for each nutrient.

Carbohydrates are the major component of any balanced diet and are the primary source of ready energy . They are divided into simple carbohydrates (or just "sugars") and complex carbohydrates. Complex carbohydrates are absorbed slowly by the intestine and therefore maintain blood sugar levels stable for a longer time. Regarding their volume, they supply few calories, so you can rapidly reach a feeling of satiety, which is useful in order to avoid exceeding with the calories consumed. Carbohydrates can contribute up to 60-65% of the total calories of a balanced diet.
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The proteins, often referred to as the "building blocks" of the body, have different functions: hormonal, immune response, structural, transportation. They consist of a chain of simpler elements, amino acids, which are of 20 different types. Of these 20, 8 are called "essential" because they must be introduced with food, our body is unable to "build” them from precursors. All 8 essential amino acids are well represented in the different plant foods. In a balanced diet proteins must represent no more than 10-15% of the total daily energy.
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Fats (also known as lipids), are primarily of energy importance, but also have structural and regulatory roles within the organism. In the diet of an adult they should represent 20-35% of the total energy. They include polyunsaturated, monounsaturated, and saturated fats, trans fats and hydrogenated oils, and cholesterol also belongs to the family of fats.
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Fiber helps reduce blood cholesterol levels and the risk of heart disease and certain types of cancer (colon, breast, prostate). It is crucial to the proper functioning of the intestines, helping to prevent diverticulosis and constipation. Fiber also helps to reach the feeling of satiety earlier, thus helping to control body weight.
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Vitamins are essential to the body, since they are involved in many metabolic processes. With the exclusion of vitamin D, vitamins are nutrients defined as essential, as they must be introduced with the diet, and it is not possible for our bodies produce them from other substances.
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Vitamins have multiple functions, as described below.

Beta-carotene (vitamin A) is involved in the health of skin, mucous membranes and the eye, is a powerful antioxidant that helps prevent certain cancers, and fights infections.

B vitamins (thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, pyridoxine and folic acid) are important for energetic metabolic processes, the nervous system and the formation of tissues; folic acid promotes the production of red blood cells. The consumption of high amounts of folic acid (from plant foods and supplements) is recommended for women who are pregnant or are planning becoming pregnant, to prevent the development of spina bifida and other neural tube defects, and anencephaly in the fetus.

Vitamina B12 presides over cell replication and the integrity and peripheral and central nervous system.
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Vitamina C is involved in wound healing, in the health of teeth and joints, and is an antioxidant that also benefits non-heme iron absorption.

Vitamina D regulates calcium-phosphorus metabolism and is formed by the action of sunlight (UV radiation) on the skin. Only 10% maximum is obtained from diet, and then only from non-vegan diets.
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Vitamin E is a powerful antioxidant: it protects the tissues and other nutrients such as beta-carotene and essential fatty acids from oxidation.

Vitamin K intervenes in the coagulation process and is important for bone health.

The minerals are essential nutrients which perform multiple functions within the body (structural, biochemical), some of which are not yet fully known.
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Calcium is a mineral necessary for the formation of teeth and the skeleton, involved in the clotting process, in muscle contraction and nerve conduction. The calcium in foods helps to maintain bone mass, but it is controversial today to what extent the amounts consumed help reduce the risk of osteoporosis.
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Iron is essential for the transport of oxygen by red blood cells and muscle formation. Iron deficiency anemia is common in omnivores and vegetarians, especially in women of childbearing age and in athletes, categories that can satisfy their need for iron by performing, when necessary (i.e., ONLY if there is clearly anemia ), a simple trick: to add vitamin C rich foods to the meal, so as to enhance the absorption of non-heme iron. The body is however able to absorb a greater amount as needed.
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Iodine is essential for the correct functioning of the thyroid glands. The recommendations for the general population, and thus, vegetarians included, indicate to consume iodized salt (you only need 1 teaspoon per day).

Magnesium is a mineral that enters into the skeletal structure and which intervenes in the energy metabolism of the muscle; selenium is a mineral useful to the immune system for its antioxidant action; the zinc It is an important mineral for the immune system, the integrity of the skin and is used in many metabolic reactions; potassium serves to maintain normal pressure levels and reduce them in high blood pressure patients and preserves the bone mineral content.

Phytochemicals are substances produced naturally by plants carrying various beneficial effects: deactivation of carcinogenic substances, suppression of the growth of malignant tumor cells and fighting the processes that cause atherosclerosis-related diseases. They can confer protection against infections, diabetes, hypertension and cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases.
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