We are always told to consume nutritious diet to lead a healthy and robust life. Whenever it comes to nutritious food we are always asked to have lots of plants, animals and dairy products. Let's find out why so...!!!
First of all we need to know what is nutrition?
Macronutrients- Macronutrients are required daily in large quantities include protein, fats, carbohydrates some minerals, and water.
- Nutrition is the process of consuming, absorbing and using nutrients needed by our body for growth, development and maintenance of life. Nutrients is the substances that nourishes our body. For being nutritious one must follow a healthy diet including lots of green and leafy vegetables, fruits, egg, meat, milk products and plenty of water. A healthy diet helps to people to lead reduced diseased lifestyle. By consuming the foods mentioned above one can reduce the risk of heart disease, diabetes, increased cholesterol, fats and reduce many more health disturbing elements from our body.
According to dietary guidelines for Americans 2020-2025, 9th edition the core elements that make up a healthy dietary pattern include:
Vegetables of all types and colors including beans and legumes.
Fruits especially whole fruit
Grains atleast half of which is whole grain
Dairy products including fat free or low fat milk, yogurt.
Protein foods- eggs, soyabean, lean meat, seafoods etc.
Oils- vegetable oils, seafood oils, seed oils etc.
Problems due to over intake of nutritional foods
If people consume too much food, obesity may result. If they consume large amounts of certain nutrients, harmful effects (toxicity), acidity, digestion related problems may occur. If people do not consume enough nutrients, malnutrition may develop.
Now let us talk briefly about the composition of foods
Generally nutrients are divided into 2 classes:
Macronutrients and micronutrients.
Micronutrients- Micronutrients are required daily in small quantities—in milligrams. They include vitamins and certain minerals that enable the body to use macronutrients.
Water is required in amounts of 1 milliliter for each calorie of energy expended or about 2.6 quarts (2,500 milliliters) a day. The requirement for water can be met by the water naturally contained in many foods and by drinking fruit or vegetable juices and caffeine-free coffee or tea as well as water. Alcoholic beverages and caffeinated coffee, tea, and sodas may make people urinate more, so they are less useful.
Foods consumed in the daily diet contain as many as 100,000 substances. But only 300 are classified as nutrients, and only 45 are classified as essential nutrients:
Vitamins
Minerals
Some amino acids (components of protein)
Some fatty acids (components of fats)
Essential nutrients cannot be synthesized by the body and must be consumed in the diet. Foods contain many other useful components, including fiber. Foods contain additives as well(such as preservatives, emulsifiers, antioxidant, artificial colour), which improve the production, processing, storage, and packaging of foods. These additives can reduce the quality of the food and excessive intake of these can cause severe health issues.
In conclusion, nutrition has helped in aiding health conditions for the living, yet a big section of society is not reached out for proper food supplies. As technological advancement has increased, the process of food production has also increased so we should be able to reach out those who are dying due to the lack of basic nutritious food. Its our responsibility to make healthy and nutritious food available to each and everyone equally.
References-
1. www.msdmanuals.com
2. www.researchgate.net
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