What are the three main functions of the six essential nutrients?

What are the three main functions of the six essential nutrients?

• A. Provide Energy, Build and Repair Body Tissue, Regulate Body Processes
• B. Provide Minerals, Support Growth, Repair Cells
• C. Store Energy, Build Edible Tissue, Regulate Fluid Balance
• D. Transport Vitamins, Prevent Disease, Support Immune Function

Answer: (A)

The main idea being tested is that the six essential nutrients work in three broad ways: providing energy, building and repairing body tissue, and regulating bodily processes. Carbohydrates and fats are the primary sources of energy for the body, supplying the calories you need to fuel all activities and processes. Proteins can also supply energy if intake of carbohydrates and fats isn’t enough, but their main job is to provide amino acids for growth and repair of tissues such as muscles, skin, and organs. For building and repairing tissue, proteins are the key players because they supply the amino acids that form structural components of the body. Minerals contribute to the strength and structure of tissues (for example, calcium and phosphorus in bones), while vitamins support tissue maintenance and synthesis (such as vitamins that aid collagen formation). Water also supports tissue health by maintaining hydration and the environment in which tissues function. Regulating body processes is largely the role of vitamins and minerals, which act as cofactors and regulators in many metabolic reactions, nerve functions, and immune responses. Water helps regulate temperature and fluid balance, which are essential for normal physiology. So, the three broad functions—providing energy, building and repairing body tissue, and regulating body processes—best capture how the six essential nutrients contribute to the body's needs.

The main idea being tested is that the six essential nutrients work in three broad ways: providing energy, building and repairing body tissue, and regulating bodily processes.

Carbohydrates and fats are the primary sources of energy for the body, supplying the calories you need to fuel all activities and processes. Proteins can also supply energy if intake of carbohydrates and fats isn’t enough, but their main job is to provide amino acids for growth and repair of tissues such as muscles, skin, and organs.

For building and repairing tissue, proteins are the key players because they supply the amino acids that form structural components of the body. Minerals contribute to the strength and structure of tissues (for example, calcium and phosphorus in bones), while vitamins support tissue maintenance and synthesis (such as vitamins that aid collagen formation). Water also supports tissue health by maintaining hydration and the environment in which tissues function.

Regulating body processes is largely the role of vitamins and minerals, which act as cofactors and regulators in many metabolic reactions, nerve functions, and immune responses. Water helps regulate temperature and fluid balance, which are essential for normal physiology.

So, the three broad functions—providing energy, building and repairing body tissue, and regulating body processes—best capture how the six essential nutrients contribute to the body's needs.