Nutrients that are vital to maintain good health and prevent disease including proteins, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins, minerals, and water

• A. Diet
• B. MyPlate
• C. Edema
• D. Essential Nutrients

Answer: (D)

Essential nutrients are the substances the body must obtain from food because it cannot make them in adequate amounts on its own. The list of nutrients—proteins (providing essential amino acids), fats (including essential fatty acids), carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals, and water—fits this idea because each plays a vital role in health and disease prevention and must come from the diet in sufficient amounts. Water is indispensable for hydration and bodily functions, vitamins and minerals support countless metabolic processes, and amino acids from proteins provide the building blocks the body cannot always supply. Carbohydrates and fats serve as important energy sources, but the concept of essential nutrients centers on nutrients required from the diet to prevent deficiency and maintain health. The other options describe a general pattern of eating (diet), a dietary guideline (MyPlate), or a medical condition (edema), none of which capture this specific idea.