Abalanced diet contains all the ingredients needed to maintain homeostasis. many important compounds in the body contain nitrogen atoms (n compounds), including amino acids, the bases of rna and dna, creatine, and porphyrins. despite the importance of nitrogen, the body neither stores nitrogen nor maintains reserves of n compounds. the body can synthesize the carbon chains of the n compounds but must obtain nitrogen atoms either by recycling n compounds or by absorbing nitrogen from the diet. pregnant or lactating women like justine actively synthesize n compounds. when an individual absorbs more nitrogen than he or she excretes, he or she is said to be in what state