Caleb Azumah Nelson

Diet and Health

In order to obtain the nourishment that we need to carry out our day to day activities we must take in food which provides with the nutrients and energy which is required for our general health and well being.

In order for proper health to be maintained, and to make sure that our strength and production is at a maximum, a balanced diet must be maintained. This diet consists of 7 different food groups:

Carbohydrates: This food group is known as the our main source of energy. This is because the bodys cells require a constant supply of glucose (used for respiration). When carbohydrates are ingested, they are broken down and converted to glucose which enters the blood stream. Carbohydrates are formed of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen and can be classified as three different groups: o Monosaccharides, the most simple carbohydrate molecules, examples of these are glucose and fructose o Disaccharides, which are formed when two monosaccahride molecules come together. Examples of these are sucrose, lactose and maltose o Polysaccharides, which are made up of many monosaccahride molecules joined together. Examples of these are starch, glycogen and cellulose When talking about the diet, carbohydrates are either sugars, or complex carbs. Examples of sugars are milk, honey and whole fruits, while complex carbs are foods such as potatoes, rice and pasta.

Proteins: This food group is used for the growth and repair of muscles and other tissues within the body. Proteins are formed of amino acids, which in turn contain carbon, hydrogen, oxygen and nitrogen. The body is able to make some amino acids via the liver (non-essential amino acids), and the rest must be taken in from our diet (essential amino acids). Protein can be found in foods such as meat, fish, eggs, some cereal products such as bread and pulses

Fats: Fats which are composed of fatty acids and glycerol, are formed of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen. They are used as a secondary energy source, and many other roles in the body, such as waterproofing, and the carriage of fat soluble vitamins such as vitamins A, D, E and K. Vitamins: These can either be water soluble or fat soluble, depending on the vitamin. They are needed for essential processes within the

Caleb Azumah Nelson body and cannot be made by the body, so must be taken in via diet. Examples are Vitamin A, B, C, D, E. Minerals: Minerals are inorganic substances which are required for the body to function normally, eg formation and strength of bones and teeth, nerve function. Examples of minerals are calcium and sodium Fibre: Dietary fibre are the edible parts of food which are indigestible. They are key to the functioning of the digestive system and can help prevent constipation. In some cases, it can also reduce blood cholesterol levels. Fibre can be found in bread and cereals. Water is vital to human life and it is essential that the right amount of this is taken in. Water enables most reactions in our body to take place, and the human body is roughly 60 % water.

Chart showing the appropriate distribution of food within a diet.

If then proportion of food is not distributed in the appropriate places, then malnutrition can occur, which can be a deficiency in certain foods, but can also be an excess of certain foods, leading to obesity. Obesity is described as a condition in which excess fat deposits affect a persons health, and is defined as when a persons BMI is 30 and over (although there can be exceptions for athletes BMI is calculated using the formula Mass in KG/(height in metres)

Food production

Plants are the basis of all food chains-herbivores are animals which make use of the biological molecules such as carbohydrates and nitrates which are produced by plants via photosynthesis. In turn, humans, which are omnivores, eat both plants and animals which mean that we obtain the nutrition which the herbivores took from the plant in the first place. In order to increase the efficiency of the food chain, the production of food must be increased. In plants, the following can be done to increase the production of plants: o Improve the growth rate of crops o Reduction of diseases and pests within crops, eg using insecticide o improving plant response to fertilisers o Improving the growth rate of crops eg adding fertilisers The following can be done in animals: o By improving the rate of growth via nutrition o improving the productivity of the animal o increasing the resistance to disease One way of improving food production is by the process of selective breeding. There are 3 separate stages to selective breeding; isolation, artificial selection and inbreeding. The main idea of selective breeding is to take a pair of plants/animals that have the certain characteristics

Caleb Azumah Nelson that you require, and this pair is allowed to reproduce. The offspring that are produced then go through the same process and after many generations, the desired characteristics will be exaggerated within the offspring. Examples of this are farmers which breed cattle for high milk yield/ meat production (desired characteristics) Another technique which has been used recently is marker assisted selection. A section of DNA is used as a marker for the desired characteristic. This means that the characteristic can be identified within the offspring very quickly, by looking for the marker. An example of this is apples that have been bred with improved disease resistance using the DNA marker. Chemicals can also be used to improve food production. Pesticides are used to kill micro organisms that effect crops and plants, and they can also be used with animals to kill things such as ticks and fleas which live on animals. Fertilisers are also used to replace minerals in the soil, which the plant uses to increase the growth and the size of the crops. Furthermore, animals which have contracted diseases can be treated with antibiotics which would reduce the spread of the disease amongst other animals, which could inhibit the reproduction of the animals

Micro organisms and food spoilage

Micro organisms can use our food to obtain nutrients to sustain them. When they digest our food, any visible signs of digestion would mean that the food is spoilt, and this can occur in four different ways: o When micro organisms begin to grow on our food such as fungi, which for example can occur as a black (caused my mucor) or bluey green (caused by penicillin) mould on bread-usually the growth has been occurring for a couple of days before it is noticed. o The process that microorganisms use to break down food is external. This means that quite often food is reduced to mush as the microorganism releases an enzyme to break down the food, in order to obtain its nutrients. o The specific Clostridum botulinum bacterium can be a killer-if the bacteria is present in food, it produces a deadly toxin, which only takes minimal amounts to dire effects. o Micro organisms such as samonella, which is found in bad chicken and eggs, can cause an infection, which attack the lining of the digestive system. If we are trying to prevent food spoilage, the processes must be undertaken while the food is still fresh. This can be done in several different ways: o By strongly heating food, which destroys the proteins in the microorgnaism, including the enzymes, which eventually kills them.

Caleb Azumah Nelson By pasteurising the food, which involves heating the food to 72 degrees centigrade, before quickly cooling to 4 degrees centigrade, which kills the microorganisms o By smoking the food, which means food develops a hardened dry outer surface, which are not ideal conditions for microorganisms to exist. Furthermore, smoke has anti bacterial properties. o Pickling the food means that the microorganisms are subjected to acidic conditions, and this means that enzymes within the microorganism will be denatured. o Irradiation kills the harmful microorganism as their DNA structure is disrupted o Cooling and freezing the microorganisms will not kill the microorganism, but majorly slow down the metabolic activity, as the enzymes have been slowed, which results in slow grown and reproduction Micro organisms can also be used to make food, and a great number of foods such as yoghurt and milk use bacteria and fungi to act upon them to be created. Bread is also created by using yeast, in which the bubbles make the bread rise. Microorganisms can also be used to to manufacture artificial proteins, which when created is known as a single-cell protein. One of the most known mycoproteins (protein created by fungus) is Quorn, which is used as a meat substitute in some vegetarian diets, and also some healthier diets as it does not contain animal fat or cholesterol. Advantages of using Microorganisms to make food o Production of the protein can be much faster than growing an animal/plant. o Production can be increased/decrease in compliance with supply and demand o There are no issues with animal welfare o They are healthy as they contain no animal fat or cholesterol Disadvantages of using Microorganisms to make food o People may not want to eat food that has been grown on waste o The protein has to be purified to ensure its uncontaminated, which is another added process. o The protein may not have the same taste or texture as real protein sources
o

Caleb Azumah Nelson

Page 153 Q1+2 1) The 7 nutrients that are part of a balanced diet are: Carbohydrates, Fats, Proteins, Minerals, Vitamin, Fibre and Water. 2) As if too much energy is consumed then then the excess is stored as fat within the adipose tissues, which can lead to obesity. Page 155 Q1+2 1) When an excess of salt is in your diet, it decreases the water potential of your blood, therefore more water is held in the blood. 2) It is better to have a high proportion of HDL to LDL in the blood as LDLs are said to be associated with a greated deposition on the artery walls, whereas HDLs are said to have a reduced deposition, therefore more HDLs should be wanted Page 157 Q1+2 1) Artificial selection is where humans select the individual organisms that are allowed to breed according to chosen characteristics, whereas natural selection is the natural mechanisms of evolution, where better adapted organisms can outcompete others 2) When pesticides are applied, they kill any organisms that would usually feed on the crop. This therefore allows the crop to grow to its full yield Page 159 Q1+2 1) Microorganisms such as bacteria can grow on the foods. These microorganisms can release enzymes which can slowly break down the food, in order to release its energy and nutrients, therefore resulting in the expiration of the food. 2) If food is heated, the heat denatures the enzymes and other proteins that will be found within any living microorganisms, therefore killing any microorganisms that inhabit the food already. When food is cooled, the metabolic activity of the enzyme is radically slowed resulting in slow grown and reproduction

Caleb Azumah Nelson

Page 187 Q 3, 4, 8 3) Quorn is a mycoprotein which is created by the fungus Fusarium venenatum, and is used as a meat substitute for those who are vegetarians or those who wish to have a healthier diet, as it does not contain animal fat or cholesterol. b) Lactobacillus bacteria has the capability to create Yoghurt from milk 4) Microorganisms such as bacteria can grow on the foods. These microorganisms can release enzymes which can slowly break down the food, in order to release its energy and nutrients, therefore resulting in the expiration of the food. b) If food is heated, the heat denatures the enzymes and other proteins that will be found within any living microorganisms, therefore killing any microorganisms that inhabit the food already. When food is cooled, the metabolic activity of the enzyme is radically slowed resulting in slow grown and reproduction. Food can also be irradiated-in doing this ionising radiation kills the microorganisms by denaturing the enzymes and other proteins. Also my canning or sealing in plastic packaging microbes are unable to get to the food. Furthermore, if food is stored in vacuum packaging, the mircrobes are unable to respire aerobically. 8) Advantages of using microorganisms to produce food

The production of some proteins is much faster than the production of animals Production can be increased/decreased in compliance with demand They are healthy as they contain no animal fat or cholesterol

Disadavnatages of using microorganisms to produce food

The newly made protein does not have the same taste or texture as a traditional protein The protein must be purified in order to ensure it uncontaminated The protein must be isolated when grown