If taste were a reliable guide to a nutritious diet, candy and soda would be two food groups vital to good health-but it's not. That's why this video takes a scientific look at dietary nutrients, explaining what they are, why the body needs them, and how they work with each other to produce energy, stimulate growth, repair and maintain hard and soft tissues, and regulate bodily processes. Metabolism, energy yield from different food types, the composition and role of blood, key vitamins and minerals, dietary fiber, and recommended daily allowances are only a few of the topics covered in this detailed overview of the biochemistry of nutrition. The impact of nutritional deficiencies on short- and long-term health is also discussed. Correlates to National Science Education Standards and National Health Education Standards.

Encoded with permission for digital streaming by Infobase on May 12, 2005. Learn360 is distributed by Infobase for Films for the Humanities & Sciences, Cambridge Educational, Meridian Education, and Shopware.

How Nutrients Interact (0:56) -- Energy (6:14) -- Growth, Repair & Maintenance of Body Tissue (1:56) -- Soft Tissue-Red Blood Cells (1:40) -- Hard Tissue (3:19) -- Dietary Fiber (2:13) -- Recommended Dietary Allowances (2:35).