What is Nutrition

Nutrition is the science of foods the nutrients and other substances therein; their action, interaction, and balance in relationship to health and disease; the processes by which the organism ingests, digests, absorbs, transports, and utilizes nutrients and disposes of their end products, in addition, nutrition must be concerned with social, economic, cultural, and psychological implications of food and eating.

To live one must eat. But, we not only eat to live, what we eat also affects our ability to keep healthy, do work, to be happy and to live well. Knowledge of what to eat and in what quantities is a prerequisite to the healthy and happy life..

Nutrition is the science that deals with all the various factors of which food is composed and the way in which proper nourishment is brought about. The average nutritional requirements of groups of people are fixed and depend on such measurable characteristics such as age, sex, height, weight, degree of activity and rate of growth

Food is anything solid or liquid that has a chemical composition which enables it, when swallowed to do one or more of the following

Provide the body with the material from which it can produce heat, or any for m of energy. Provide material to allow growth, maintenance, repair or reproduction to proceed. Supply substances, which normally regulate the production of energy or the process of growth, repair or reproduction.

Nutrition is one key to developing and maintaining a state of health that is optimal for you, A poor diet coupled with a sedentary lifestyle are known to be risk factors for life- threatening chronic diseases and death: Heart disease, Stroke, Hypertension, Diabetes and some forms of Cancer.

The Meanings of Food, Nutrition, and Nutritional Care ?

Nutrients are the constituents in food that must be supplied to the body in suitable amounts. These include water, proteins and the amino acids of which the are composed, fats and fatty acids, carbohydrates, minerals, and vitamins,

Definition
State of complete physical, mental and social well-being, and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.

Nutritional Status
Nutritional Status in the condition of health of the individual as influenced by the utilization of the nutrients. It can be determined only by the correlation of information obtained through a careful medical and dietary history, a thorough physical examination, and appropriate laboratory investigation.

Nutritional Care
Nutritional Care is the application of the science and art of human nutrition in helping people select and obtain food for the primary purpose of nourishing their bodies in health or in disease throughout the life bined functions:

Malnutrition
Malnutrition is an impairment of health resulting from a deficiency; excess, or imbalance of nutrient. It includes UNDERNUTRITION, which refers to a deficiency of calories and/ or more essential nutrients, and OVER NUTRITION, which is an excess of one or more nutrients and usually of calories.

Good Nutrition: A Multidisciplinary Effort.

These requirements are met by

Application of agricultural science and technology to produce sufficient amounts of animal and plant food Harvesting and transporting of foods to processors Processing and packaging of foods

Adequate storage, transportation, and marketing facilities to make foods available at times and places where needed

Appropriate governmental controls to ensure wholesomeness and nutritive quality of the food supply

economic conditions that make it possible to procure the necessary foods at cost within the reach of all

Educational programs in nutrition within the schools and at the community level

Efficient use of food within the home,

public eating place, and institution

The perspectives of nutrition held by each of the specialists who help ensure an adequate food supply obviously would be quite different. Thus, the disciplines, of the life sciences, human behavior, economies, government, and communications are intertwined in nutrition study. The benefits of good nutrition- health, happiness, efficiency, and longevity- are sought by people all over the world. The achievement of these benefits is like a utopian dream to most of the worlds people.

Nutritional Problems

socioeconomic levels
Lack of knowledge low birth weights Anemia dental problems

Retarded growth and retarded bone development Protein-energy malnutrition

Chronic illness is a fact of life for the elderly: about 80 percent have some chronic condition. Low in come, poor nutrition and social isolation are contributing factors

Problems of Nutrient Excesses

Excessive caloric intake leads to

obesity diabetes mellitus

cardiovascular diseases
cancer

Excessive intake of fats and sugars Excessive intakes of saturated fats and cholesterol cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases Excessive and frequent intake of sugars contributes to an increase in dental caries.

Excessive intake of salt has been associated with hypertension Excessive use of refined foods low in dietary fiber, on the basis of epidemiologic, is believed to increase the incidence of gastrointestinal disorders such as diverticulosis irritable colon cancer Excessive intakes of vitamins A and D are known to be toxic

Achieving Nutritional Balance

Nutritional Balance. From the preceding discussion it becomes evident that the concept of nutritional balance is important. A good diet must fulfill these criteria

it must furnish the appropriate levels of all nutrients

to meet the physiologic and biochemical needs of the body at all stages of the life cycle

increased risk of diet related diseases

The key words in achieving the two criteria are moderation and prudence.

Nutrition and Disease Prevention

Traditionally, health care has been concerned primarily with healing the sick and helping them maintain health. Today prevention is described as unifying theme among public health professional, consumers, employers, workers, physicians, nurses, nutritionists. Thus, lowering the intake of saturated fat cholesterol,

but not everyone agrees that there is proof of less frequent premature heart attacks. High salt intake is associated with hypertension, but is has not been proven that reduce the occurrence of hypertension.

Since moderation of fat, cholesterol, and salt intake carries no health risks, and since a reduced intake of fats and sugars in likely to improve the nutrient quality of the diet, it seems prudent to adopt such measures even though final proof is not yet available. In deed, it seems irresponsible to wait for final proof or to wait for disease signs to appear before making any modifications in diet.