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National Nutrition Week 2015 : Better Nutrition: Key to Development

National Nutrition Week 2015 would be celebrated from Tuesday (1st of September) to the Monday (7th of September).

National Nutrition Week

National Nutrition Week is celebrated each year from 1st September to the 7th September to aware the people about important tips of their health and well-being. Through the national nutrition week campaign people from all over the world can be educated to maintain their look and feel better. 
People can be aware of their food groups and balanced diet from which they can get good nutritious things. A healthy should include the whole grains, fruits, vegetables, fat-free milk or milk products, meats, fish, nuts, seeds and etc. The objective of the National Nutrition Week is to enhance the nutritional practice awareness among people of the community through the adoptable training, timely education, seminars, different competitions, road shows and many other campaigns and to make a healthy Nation.
The one week campaign involves one day training, preparing the nutritious food with the healthy stuff, an exhibition by the students of Home Science, comment on wheat and soyabeen to let them known about nutritious value, various competitions, nutrition lecture to Mothers, road shows and seminars. The National Nutrition Week campaign has a Nutrition Week Kit which is filled with the resources to aid the family to prepare healthy food. The campaign includes the World Food Day and also added the Nude Food Day since 2010.
According to the reports it is noted that people has started the utilization of sugary drinks which is the reason to increase the weight gain and fatness in adolescents. The Department of Food Science and Nutrition Management has established a one day occasion for people to state the Nutrition awareness at 8th of September in the year 2010. The campaign includes poster competition, a cooking contest for Healthy heart food, counseling for diet, measuring the BMI, lecture on diseases and prevention of the Heart and many more.

History of National Nutrition Week

The campaign was first started by the central government in the year 1982 in order to encourage the good health and healthy living through the nutrition education as the malnutrition is the main obstruction to the National Development. To encourage the people for the same, the Food and Nutrition Board including 43 units (departments of women and child development, health and NGOs) is working all over the country to maneuver the activities.
Lactating mothers are greatly encouraged to feed their newborn baby the first milk known as the colostrums and mother milk for 6 months to provide the newborns a great level of immunity and healthy living. The Indian Dietetic Association from Bangalore has decided to conduct an awareness program for Nutrition and Diet at Bhagwan Mahaveer Jain Hospital, Millers Road, Bangalore where the diet for Heart Disease, Diabetes, Children and Women will also be covered.

Activities on National Nutrition Week

  • Through the whole week celebration of the National Nutrition Week people are promoted by various nutritional education and training programs.
  • Mass nutrition awareness campaigns are run by the governmental and nongovernmental health organizations.
  • People are motivated through the distribution of nutrition related educational and training materials.
  • People are given proper training for the preservation of nutritious materials like fruits, vegetables and other foods at home.
  • Proper training is given to the people about food analysis and standardization.
  • Various other National Nutrition Policies are run by the government in order to achieve the goal of National Nutrition Week celebration.

Objectives of the National Nutrition Week Celebration

  • To review the frequency of problems to various diet and nutrition in the communities.
  • To evaluate the appropriate techniques to prevent and control the nutritional problems through deep research.
  • To monitor the condition of the country for the diet and nutrition.
  • To perform the operational research in order to plan and implement the national nutrition programs.
  • To aware people through the orientation training about health and nutrition.

National Nutrition Week Themes

  • The theme of 2011 was “Feeding smart from the start”.
  • The theme of 2012 was “Nutrition Awareness – Key to Healthy Nation”.
  • The theme of 2013 was “Project Dinnertime – Cook. Eat. Enjoy”.
  • The theme of 2014 was “Poshak Aahar Desh ka Aadhar”.
  • The theme of 2015 is   "Better Nutrition: Key to Development."
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National Nutrition Week - 2014

National Nutrition Week is being celebrated from 1st to 7th September, 2014 and theme for this year is:

 ‘Poshak  Aahar; Desh ka Aadhar’. 

 The basic objective is to intensify awareness generation on the importance of nutrition for health which has an impact on development, productivity,  economic growth and ultimately national development.
Nutrition is an issue of survival, health and development for current and future generations.
Child born underweight have impaired immune function and increased risk of diseases such as diabetes and heart diseases later in life. Malnourished children tend to have lower IQ and I'm pared cognitive ability, thus affecting their school performance and then productivity in their later life.
During the week, issues such as appropriate diet to be taken during adolescent, pregnancy, lactation, infancy and young childhood would be discussed and awareness to be created amongst the people. He said that nutrition was a key to survival, health and development an individual and mainly constitutes the foundation of over all personality development.

Articles/ Reading Material on  Nutrition at this website is listed below :

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National Nutrtion Week- 2012

National Nutrition Week is being celebrated from 1st to 7th September, 2012 and theme for this year is:

 ‘Nutrition Awareness-Key to Healthy Nation’. 

 During the week, issues such as appropriate diet to be taken during adolescent, pregnancy, lactation, infancy and young childhood would be discussed and awareness to be created amongst the people. He said that nutrition was a key to survival, health and development an individual and mainly constitutes the foundation of over all personality development.

Articles/ Reading Material on  Nutrition at this website is listed below :


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National Nutrition Week 2011-12




National Nutrition Week is being celebrated from 1st September 2011 to 7th September 2011. The theme for National Nutrtion Week 2011-12 is 

पोषण  की सीढ़ी चढ़कर बढ़ेगी अगली पीढी - यही है सोच हमारी 
Adequate nutrition iduring infancy and early childhood is essential to ensure the health, growth and development of children to their full potential. Nearly one third  of under five deaths in India are due to under-nutrition
Optimal infant and young child feeding practices are the cornerstone of child care and development. Feeding is critical aspect of caring for infants and young children. 
Article on  nutrition at this website is listed below :


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Introducing Solids - Comlimentary Feeding

When your baby is 6 months old, it is the time that solids should be gradually introduced in addition to breastfeeding. The food given should be nutritious, adequate and not contaminated. After the age of six months breastmilk alone cannot meet the needs of growing child.
The 6-11 month period is an especially vulnerable time because infants are just learning to eat and must be fed soft food frequently and patiently. Care must be taken to ensure that these foods complement rather than replace breastmilk. For older infants and toddlers, breastmilk continues to be an important source of energy, protein ,vitamin A and vitamin C .Therefore, breastfeeding should continue upto the age of 2 years with appropriate complementary feeding after 6 months.

Early or late age of introduction of complementary food
Giving complementary food too early or too late could lead to malnutrition and other problems.
If given too early the infant may not be ready to digest the food properly and it may also reduce intake of breastmilk thereby losing out on appropriate energy intake for its growth.
Early introduction of complementary food replaces breastmilk by food which is usually less nutritious.
It increases the risk of diarrhoea and other infections.
Introduction of complementary foods too late results in an inadequate intake of energy and protein leading to poor growth, and stunting as well as iron and other nutrient deficiencies.
Energy intake can be increased by continuing breastfeeding and increasing food portion size and feeding more frequently with more energy-dense food. The diet should include cereals, staple roots, fruits, vegetables and animal products etc.

Development of infant feeding abilities
By 6 months an infant can voluntarily control suckling and swallowing, and biting movements begin. The tendency to push solids out of mouth also decreases.
By the age of nine months a child can use the lips to clear a spoon and use the tongue to move food between the teeth. At this age solids can be chewed.
This implies that from about 6 months a child can eat soft and starchy foods such as cereals. By 9 months infants can be given mashed and chopped foods.
Taste, consistency , texture and types of complementary food are important in order to ensure that child accepts solid food.
A child's first food should be based on cereal like suji or fruit like banana, thicker than breastmilk, and should be bland in taste and mashed or strained to homogenize.
Consistency of food gradually needs to be changed from liquid to semisolid and then to solid with advancing age of the child.
Initially, a baby might spit out the food.That does not mean he does not like it.

Tips You Can Use for Introducing Solid Foods
1 Relax while feeding your baby.
2 Only one food should be introduced at a time.
3 Offer homemade local family food. Avoid spices and chillies.
4 Babies who are given family food are more likely to adopt to these later. It gives babies a psychological advantage if they are fed on family foods. There is no need to cook separately, the family food can be modified in consistency, taste, spices etc.
5 Commercially processed foods are seemingly convenient but are not better than homemade foods and they are costly as well.
6 Food should be served to your child on a separate plate or in a bowl. This will give you a fairly good idea of the quantity of food your child has eaten. It also encourages your child to learn to feed himself .
7 Variety should be introduced in your child's diet to make it more appealing.
8 Your child should never be forcefed. If the child dislikes a particular food, it should be removed from his diet for some time and re-introduced at a later stage or mixed with another food that the baby likes. If your child shows a persistent dislike for that food, it should not be forced upon. No food is indispensable and some other substitute can always be given.
9 If a food makes your baby sick or he turns pale, it should not be given, as he may be allergic to that food.
10 Your child needs active feeding i.e., you or caregivers should encourage the child to eat, by talking, playing, paying attention and showing interest, love and affection.

Type of Complementary Foods
Cereals: Rice, Wheat, Jawar and millets. They form an important source of energy, iron and protein and also supply a certain amount of fat.
A thick creamy porridge made from cereals in water/milk/milk water mixture can be used to feed your child. The porridge should be thick (too thick to be given through a bottle) and concentrated but soft. Some oil or fat (or sugar) is added to help swallow and digest. Care should be taken to ensure that the porridge is not watered down or made unduly thin which will further reduce the energy content.
Legumes: Lentils, Bengal gram, red gram, horse gram, moong dal, arhar rajma, lobia, etc. They are also a good source of Vitamins and minerals in addition to proteins. When eaten with cereal staples, they are just as nutritious as animal foods (meat, fish, milk) but are much cheaper.

Foods from animals like eggs, meat, and fish are all nutritious. They are rich sources of energy and provide high quality protein, vitamin B12 and iron and are easily digestible. Eggs should be initiated in a half boiled or full boiled and mashed form. Meat of all origins needs to be properly cooked, chopped very finely, pounded or mashed before it can be given to your child. However, socio-culture beliefs of vegetarianism and high cost limit their use.

Milk and Milk Products: All types of milk provide high quality protein . Milk is rich source of vitamins ,calcium but it is a poor source of iron . Animal milk products may be avoided during first year to reduce allergies, asthma especially in the families who have allergy and asthma. If your infant is recieving breastmilk ,he does not need extra milk give him other types of foods.

Oil or fat helps to increase the energy density of the food and helps in absorption and metabolism of Vitamin A. It can be used during initial cooking of the food or after it is ready, and helps in swallowing and digestion.

Sugar or jaggery (gur) is added to improve taste and to provide additional energy and minerals.

Vegetables & Fruits. Vegetables help to increase the vitamin (especially A, B and C) and minerals (especially iron) contents
of the complementary foods. The dark green or yellow vegetables are particularly good sources of vitamin A. Tubers and starchy roots like potato, sweet potato and colocasia (arbi) are rich in carbohydrates. These should be well cooked and properly mashed and are best given along with the cereals.


Fruits add to variety and taste. They can be given after mashing either alone or with cereals. The fruits like banana, mango, papaya, pear, plum, peaches are good sources of vitamin A and citrus fruits provide vitamin C besides minerals. But fruits contain no proteins and are not a good source of energy. A lot of money should not be spent on expensive fruits.

Commercially avaliable Complementary Foods
Commercially available complementary foods are convenient, but these are usually six to ten times more expensive than family foods. They do not have the variety of taste and textures, as home prepared foods and also interfere in the development of taste of home made food. Commercial food cannot compete with homemade foods or indigeneous foods in any aspect. Manufacturers of these foods mostly give misleading information about using their products when baby is 4 months old where as it should be six months.
Another major disadvantage of using commercial food is that almost all these products are milk based which is not very good to give babies during this period.
More important is the fact that your baby needs fresh foods, which other members of the family are eating. It will give higher satisfaction to your child as he is sharing the same food which others are eating.
Age related guidelines for complementary feeding
6-9 Months
¯ Continue breastfeeding and give semisolids after breastfeeding.
¯ Give home based food to your child. Mash all food.Give semi solid food.Do not over dilute.
¯ Gradually increase the amount of foods.
¯ Add a little vegetable oil for increasing energy density and green leafy vegetables for vitamins and iron.
¯ Feed 2 to 3 times in a day as your baby has a small stomach and will eat only small amounts at a time.

9 to 12 Months
¯ Continue breastfeeding.
¯ Give almost every thing cooked at home ( softened and without spices).Introduce chopped or pounded food.
¯ Gradually increase the quantity.
¯ Vegatables and seasonal fruits can be added. If you are non-vegetarian, fish and minced meat can also be added.

12 to 24 Months
¯ Continue breastfeeding.
¯ Besides variety, quantity of food is very important.Give roughly half the amount that you eat.
¯ Give about 50 gm green leafy vegetables to your child to avoid anaemia and vitamin A deficiency.
¯ Continue feeding even in case of any illness in the baby.
Taaken from: http://sktegta.com
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Common Micronutrient Deficiency Diseases


In order to provide more comprehensive and meaningful search results on our site, several reports are available for viewing and download directly. Kindly visit the main sites of the author organisations for more complete and updated information. We acknowledge our gratitude to the many people and sources whose work has been drawn freely upon. We thank them all. This information table is from the Sphere Project - Humanitarian Charter and Minimum Standards in Disaster Response


Anaemia


Micronutrient deficiency disease          Anaemia 
Nutrient deficiency                               Iron deficiency 


Clinical signs and symptoms of the disease :

  • Pale conjunctivae (inner eyelid), nailbeds, gums, tongue, lips and skin
  • Tiredness
  • Headaches
  • Breathlessness 

Populations at risk of becoming deficient 

  • Populations from regions where malaria and intestinal parasitic infestation are prevalent
  • The most at risk groups are women of child-bearing age and young children 

Preventive behaviours for a healthy family 

  • Increase Iron intake:
    • Eat iron-rich vegetables like cowpeas, spinach, millet, beans, pulses, pumpkin seeds and other greens
    • Eat meat like beef, liver, goat or chicken
    • Eat "iron helpers" such as guava, oranges, lemon or little meat to help your body use the iron
    • Try not to eat "iron blockers" like tea, coffee and milk for one hour before and one hour after eating an iron-rich meal
  • Prevent malaria:
    • Sleep under treated mosquito nets
    • Get treated for malaria immediately
  • Prevent hookworm:
    • Take de-worming tablets twice a year
    • Wear shoes to avoid hookworm
    • Dispose faeces properly
    • Wash your hands and your nails thoroughly before preparing food and eating
  • Take iron tablets as directed by a health worker:
    • Pregnant women should take one tablet of iron and folic acid every day for six months 

Goitre and Cretinism


Micronutrient deficiency disease          Goitre and Cretinism 
Nutrient deficiency                               Iodine deficiency 


Clinical signs and symptoms of the disease 

  • Goitre:
    • Grade 0: No palpable (can't feel) or visibly enlarged thyroid
    • Grade 1: A palpable but not visibly enlarged thyroid with neck in normal position
    • Grade 2: A palpably and visibly enlarged thyroid with neck in normal position 
  • Cretinism:
    • Neurological cretinism:
    • Mental deficiency
    • Deaf mutism
    • Spasticity
    • Ataxia (lack of muscular coordination)
  • Hypothyroid cretinism:
    • Dwarfism
    • Hypothyroidism 

Populations at risk of becoming deficient 

  • Populations from mountainous areas where there is limited access to seafoods and iodised salt
  • Goitre is highest in adolescence, particularly girls 

Preventive behaviours for a healthy family 

  • Purchase packaged iodized salt
  • Store packaged iodized salt faraway from heat and from moisture
  • Add salt before serving the food 

Xerohthalmia

Nutrient deficiency                     Vitamin A deficiency 
                  Bitot's Spot
            Corneal Ulcerations - Keratomalacia


Clinical signs and symptoms of the disease 

  • Night blindness
  • Eye dryness accompanied by foamy accumulations on the conjunctiva (inner eyelids), that often appear near the outer edge of the iris (Bitot's spots)
  • Eye dryness, dullness or clouding (milky appearance) of the cornea (corneal xerosis)
  • Eye softening and ulceration of the cornea (keratomalacia). This is sometimes followed by perforation of the cornea, which leads to the loss of eye contents and permanent blindness 

Populations at risk of becoming deficient 

  • Populations who have no access to fresh fruit and vegetables
  • Children suffering from measles, diarrhoea, respiratory infections, chickenpox and other severe infections are at increased risk 

Preventive behaviours for a healthy family 

  • Increase Vitamin A intake through consumption of yellow and orange fruits and vegetables
  • Mothers should take Vitamin A within 8 weeks after giving birth (200,000 IU)
  • Children from 6 to 59 months should get Vitamin A supplementation orally every six months. (6 months - 1 year; 100,000 IU, >1 year; 200,000 IU)
  • Infants should be exclusively breastfed for the first six months and continue to be breastfed up to twenty-four months 
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Malnutrition : Signs and Symptoms

Malnutrition is a broad term which refers to bothundernutrition (subnutrition) and overnutrition. Individuals are malnourished, or suffer from undernutrition if their diet does not provide them with adequate calories and protein for maintenance and growth, or they cannot fully utilize the food they eat due to illness. People are also malnourished, or suffer from overnutrition if they consume too many calories.

Malnutrition can also be defined as the insufficient, excessive or imbalanced consumption of nutrients. Several different nutritiondisorders may develop, depending on which nutrients are lacking or consumed in excess.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), malnutrition is the gravest single threat to global public health.

This text will focus more on the undernutrition aspect of malnutrition, rather than overnutrition.

Subnutrition occurs when an individual does not consume enough food. It may exist if the person has a poor diet that gives them the wrong balance of basic food groups.

Obese people, who consume more calories than they need, may suffer from the subnutrition aspect of malnutrition if their diet lacks the nutrients their body needs for good health.

Poor diet may lead to a vitamin or mineral deficiency, among other essential substances, sometimes resulting in scurvy- a condition where an individual has a vitamin C (ascorbic acid) deficiency. Though scurvy is a very rare disease, it still occurs in some patients - usually elderly people, alcoholics, or those that live on a diet devoid of fresh fruits and vegetables. Similarly, infants or children who are on special or poor diets for any number of economic or social reasons may be prone to scurvy.

According to the National Health Service (NHS), UK, it is estimated that over two million people are affected by malnutrition (subnutrition).

According to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the number of people globally who were malnourished stood at 923 million in 2007, an increase of over 80 million since the 1990-92 base period.

The World Health Organization (WHO) says that malnutrition is by far the largest contributor to child mortality globally, currently present in half of all cases. Underweight births and inter-uterine growth restrictions are responsible for about 2.2 million child deaths annually in the world. Deficiencies in vitamin A or zinc cause 1 million deaths each year.

WHO adds that malnutrition during childhood usually results in worse health and lower educational achievements during adulthood. Malnourished children tend to become adults who have smaller babies.

While malnutrition used to be seen as something which complicated such diseases as measles, pneumonia and diarrhea, it often works the other way round - malnutrition can cause diseases to occur.

Globally, as well as in developed, industrialized countries, the following groups of people are at highest risk of malnutrition (subnutrition):
  • Elderly people, especially those who are hospitalized or in long-term institutional careIndividuals who are socially isolated
  • People on low incomes (poor people)
  • People with chronic eating disorders, such as bulimia or anorexia nervosa
  • People convalescing after a serious illness or condition
According to Medilexicon's medical dictionary:

  • Malnutrition is "Faulty nutrition resulting from malabsorption, poor diet, or overeating."
  • Undernutrition is "A form of malnutrition resulting from a reduced supply of food or from inability to digest, assimilate, and use the necessary nutrients."
What are the signs and symptoms of malnutrition?
A symptom is something the patient feels and reports, while a sign is something other people, such as the doctor detect. For example, pain may be a symptom while a rash may be a sign. Signs and symptoms of malnutrition (subnutrition) include:
  • Loss of fat (adipose tissue)
  • Breathing difficulties, a higher risk of respiratory failure
  • Depression
  • Higher risk of complications after surgery
  • Higher risk of hypothermia - abnormally low body temperature
  • The total number of some types of white blood cells falls; consequently, the immune system is weakened, increasing the risk of infections.
  • Higher susceptibility to feeling cold
  • Longer healing times for wounds
  • Longer recover times from infections
  • Longer recovery from illnesses
  • Lower sex drive
  • Problems with fertility
  • Reduced muscle mass
  • Reduced tissue mass
  • Tiredness, fatigue, or apathy
  • IrritabilityIn more severe cases:
  • Skin may become thin, dry, inelastic, pale, and cold
  • Eventually, as fat in the face is lost, the cheeks look hollow and the eyes sunken
  • Hair becomes dry and sparse, falling out easily
  • Sometimes, severe malnutrition may lead to unresponsiveness (stupor)
  • If calorie deficiency continues for long enough, there may be heart, liver and respiratory failure
  • Total starvation is said to be fatal within 8 to 12 weeks (no calorie consumption at all)
Children - children who are severely malnourished typically experience slow behavioral development, even mental retardation may occur. Even when treated, undernutrition may have long-term effects in children, with impairments in mental function and digestive problems persisting; in some cases for the rest of their lives. Adults whose severe undernourishment started during adulthood, usually make a full recovery when treated.
What are the causes of malnutrition?
Malnutrition, the result of a lack of essential nutrients, resulting in poorer health, may be caused by a number of conditions or circumstances. In many developing countries long-term (chronic) malnutrition is widespread - simply because people do not have enough food to eat.

In more wealthy industrialized nations malnutrition is usually caused by:
  • Poor diet - if a person does not eat enough food, or if what they eat does not provide them with the nutrients they require for good health, they suffer from malnutrition. Poor diet may be caused by one of several different factors. If the patient develops dysphagia (swallowing difficulties) because of an illness, or when recovering from an illness, they may not be able to consume enough of the right nutrients.
  • Mental health problems - some patients with mental health conditions, such as depression, may develop eating habits which lead to malnutrition. Patients with anorexia nervosa or bulimia may develop malnutrition because they are ingesting too little food.
  • Mobility problems - people with mobility problems may suffer from malnutrition, simply because they either cannot get out enough to buy foods, or find preparing them too arduous.
  • Digestive disorders and stomach conditions - some people may eat properly, but their bodies cannot absorb the nutrients they need for good health. Examples include patients with Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis. Such patients may need to have part of the small intestine removed (ileostomy). Individuals who suffer from Celiac disease have a genetic disorder that makes them intolerant to gluten. Patients with Celiac disease have a higher risk of damage to the lining of their intestines, resulting in poorer food absorption. Patients who experience serious bouts of diarrhea and/or vomiting may lose vital nutrients and are at higher risk of suffering from malnutrition.
  • Alcoholism - an alcoholic is a person who suffers from alcoholism - the body is dependent on alcohol. Alcoholism is a chronic (long-term) disease. Individuals who suffer from alcoholism can develop gastritis, or pancreas damage. These problems also seriously undermine the body's ability to digest food, absorb certain vitamins, and produce hormones which regulate metabolism. Alcohol contains calories, reducing the patient's feeling of hunger, so he/she consequently may not eat enough proper food to supply the body with essential nutrients.
In poorer, developing nations malnutrition is commonly caused by:
  • Food shortages - in poorer developing nations food shortages are mainly caused by a lack of technology needed for higher yields found in modern agriculture, such as nitrogen fertilizers, pesticides and irrigation. Food shortages are a significant cause of malnutrition in many parts of the world.
  • Food prices and food distribution - it is ironic that approximately 80% of malnourished children live in developing nations that actually produce food surpluses (Food and Agriculture Organization). Some leading economists say that famine is closely linked to high food prices and problems with food distribution.
  • Lack of breastfeeding - experts say that lack of breastfeeding, especially in the developing world, leads to malnutrition in infants and children. In some parts of the world mothers still believe that bottle feeding is better for the child. Another reason for lack of breastfeeding, mainly in the developing world, is that mothers abandon it because they do not know how to get their baby to latch on properly, or suffer pain and discomfort.
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Nutrition: What is Nutrition and Nutrients

Nutrition, nourishment, or aliment, is the supply of materials - food - required by organisms and cells to stay alive. In science and human medicine, nutrition is the science or practice of consuming and utilizing foods.

In hospitals, nutrition may refer to the food requirements of patients, including nutritional solutions delivered via an IV (intravenous) or IG (intragastric) tube.

Nutritional science studies how the body breaks food down (catabolism) and repairs and creates cells and tissue (anabolism) - catabolism and anabolism = metabolism. Nutritional science also examines how the body responds to food. In other words, "nutritional science investigates the metabolic and physiological responses of the body to diet".

As molecular biology, biochemistry and genetics advance, nutrition has become more focused on the steps of biochemical sequences through which substances inside us and other living organisms are transformed from one form to another - metabolism and metabolic pathways.

Nutrition also focuses on how diseases, conditions and problems can be prevented or lessened with a healthy diet.

Nutrition also involves identifying how certain diseases, conditions or problems may be caused by dietary factors, such as poor diet (malnutrition), food allergies, metabolic diseases, etc.


The human body requires seven major types of nutrients

A nutrient is a source of nourishment, an ingredient in a food, e.g. protein,carbohydrate, fat, vitamin, mineral, fiber and water. Macronutrients are nutrients we need in relatively large quantities. Micronutrients are nutrients we need in relatively small quantities.

Energy macronutrients - these provide energy, which is measured either in kilocalories (kcal) or Joules. 1 kcal = 4185.8 joules.




  • Carbohydrates - 4 kcal per gram
    • Molecules consist of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen atoms. Carbohydrates include monosaccharides (glucose, fructose, glactose), sisaccharides, and polysaccharides (starch). 
    • Nutritionally, polysaccharides are more favored for humans because they are more complex molecular sugar chains and take longer to break down - the more complex a sugar molecule is the longer it takes to break down and absorb into the bloodstream, and the less it spikes blood sugar levels. Spikes in blood sugar levels are linked to heart and vascular diseases.

  • Proteins - 4 kcal per gram
    • Molecules contain nitrogen, carbon, hydrogen and oxygen. Simple proteins, called monomers, are used to create complicated proteins, called polymers, which build and repair tissue. When used as a fuel the protein needs to break down, as it breaks down it gets rid of nitrogen, which has to be eliminated by the kidneys.
  • Fats - 9 kcal per gram
    • Molecules consist of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen atoms. Fats are triglycerides - three molecules of fatty acid combined with a molecule of the alcohol glycerol. Fatty acids are simple compounds (monomers) while triglycerides are complex molecules (polymers). For more details on dietary fat, go to What is fat? How much fat should I eat?
Other macronutrients. 
These do not provide energy
    • Fiber
      • Fiber consists mostly of carbohydrates. However because of its limited absorption by the body, not much of the sugars and starches get into the blood stream. Fiber is a crucial part of essential human nutrition. 
    • Water
      • About 70% of the non-fat mass of the human body is water. Nobody is completely sure how much water the human body needs - claims vary from between one to seven liters per day to avoid dehydration. We do know that water requirements are very closely linked to body size, age, environmental temperatures, physical activity, different states of health, and dietary habits. Somebody who consumes a lot of salt will require more water than another person of the same height, age and weight, exposed to the same levels of outside temperatures, and similar levels of physical exertion who consumes less salt. Most blanket claims that 'the more water you drink the healthier your are' are not backed with scientific evidence. The variables that influence water requirements are so vast that accurate advice on water intake would only be valid after evaluating each person individually.
    Micronutrients
    • Minerals
      • Dietary minerals are the other chemical elements our bodies need, apart from carbon, hydrogen, oxygen and nitrogen. The term "minerals" is misleading, and would be more relevant if called "ions" or "dietary ions" (it is a pity they are not called so). People whose intake of foods is varied and well thought out - those with a well balanced diet - will in most cases obtain all their minerals from what they eat. Minerals are often artificially added to some foods to make up for potential dietary shortages and subsequent health problems. The best example of this is iodized salt - iodine is added to prevent iodine deficiency, which even today affects about two billion people and causes mental retardation and thyroid gland problems. Iodine deficiency remains a serious public health problem in over half the planet. 
      • Experts say that 16 key minerals are essential for human biochemical processes by serving structural and functional roles, as well as electrolytes: 
      • Potassium
        • What it does - a systemic (affects entire body) electrolyte, essential in co-regulating ATP (an important carrier of energy in cells in the body, also key in making RNA) with sodium. 
        • Deficiency - hypokalemia (can profoundly affect the nervous system and heart). 
        • Excess - hyperkalemia (can also profoundly affect the nervous system and heart). 
      • Chloride
        • What it does - key for hydrochloric acid production in the stomach, also important for cellular pump functions. 
        • Deficiency - hypochleremia (low salt levels, which if severe can be very dangerous for health). 
        • Excess - hyperchloremia (usually no symptoms, linked to excessive fluid loss). 
      • Sodium
        • What it does - a systemic electrolyte, and essential in regulating ATP with potassium. 
        • Deficiency - hyponatremia (cause cells to malfunction; extremely low sodium can be fatal). 
        • Excess - hypernatremia (can also cause cells to malfunction, extremely high levels can be fatal). 
      • Calcium
        • What it does - important for muscle, heart and digestive health. Builds bone, assists in the synthesis and function of blood cells. 
        • Deficiency - hypocalcaemia (muscle cramps, abdominal cramps, spasms, and hyperactive deep tendon reflexes). 
        • Excess - hypercalcaemia (muscle weakness, constipation, undermined conduction of electrical impulses in the heart, calcium stones in urinary tract, impaired kidney function, and impaired absorption of iron leading to iron deficiency). 
      • Phosphorus
        • What it does - component of bones and energy processing. 
        • Deficiency - hypophosphatemia, an example is rickets. 
        • Excess - hyperphosphatemia, often a result of kidney failure. 
      • Magnesium
        • What it does - processes ATP and required for good bones. 
        • Deficiency - hypomagnesemia (irritability of the nervous system with spasms of the hands and feet, muscular twitching and cramps, and larynx spasms). 
        • Excess - hypermagnesemia (nausea, vomiting, impaired breathing, low blood pressure). Very rare, and may occur if patient has renal problems. 
      • Zinc
        • What it does - required by several enzymes. 
        • Deficiency - short stature, anemia, increased pigmentation of skin, enlarged liver and spleen, impaired gonadal function, impaired wound healing, and immune deficiency. 
        • Excess - suppresses copper and iron absorption. 
      • Iron
        • What it does - required for proteins and enzymes, especially hemoglobin. 
        • Deficiency - anemia. 
        • Excess - iron overload disorder; iron deposits can form in organs, particularly the heart. 
      • Manganese
        • What it does - a cofactor in enzyme functions. 
        • Deficiency - wobbliness, fainting, hearing loss, weak tendons and ligaments. Less commonly, can be cause of diabetes. 
        • Excess - interferes with the absorption of dietary iron. 
      • Copper
        • What it does - component of many redox (reduction and oxidation) enzymes. 
        • Deficiency - anemia or pancytopenia (reduction in the number of red and white blood cells, as well as platelets) and a neurodegeneration. 
        • Excess - can interfere with body's formation of blood cellular components; in severe cases convulsions, palsy, and insensibility and eventually death (similar to arsenic poisoning). 
      • Iodine
        • What it does - required for the biosynthesis of thyroxine (a form of thyroid hormone). 
        • Deficiency - developmental delays, among other problems. 
        • Excess - can affect functioning of thyroid gland. 
      • Selenium
        • What it does - cofactor essential to activity of antioxidant enzymes. 
        • Deficiency - Keshan disease (myocardial necrosis leading to weakening of the heart), Kashing-Beck disease (atrophy degeneration and necrosis of cartilage tissue). 
        • Excess - garlic-smelling breath, gastrointestinal disorders, hair loss, sloughing of nails, fatigue, irritability, and neurological damage. 
      • Molybdenum
        • What it does - vital part of three important enzyme systems, xanthine oxidase, aldehyde oxidase, and sulfite oxidase. It has a vital role in uric acid formation and iron utilization, in carbohydrate metabolism, and sulfite detoxification. 
        • Deficiency - may affect metabolism and blood counts, but as this deficiency is often alongside other mineral deficiencies, such as copper, it is hard to say which one was the cause of the health problem. 
        • Excess - there is very little data on toxicity, therefore excess is probably not an issue.
    • Vitamins
      • These are organic compounds we require in tiny amounts. An organic compound is any molecule that contains carbon. It is called a vitamin when our bodies cannot synthesize (produce) enough or any of it. So we have to obtain it from our food. Vitamins are classified by what they do biologically - their biological and chemical activity - and not their structure.

      • Vitamins are classified as water soluble (they can dissolve in water) or fat soluble (they can dissolve in fat). For humans there are 4 fat-soluble (A, D, E, and K) and 9 water-soluble (8 B vitamins and vitamin C) vitamins - a total of 13.
      • Water soluble vitamins need to be consumed more regularly because they are eliminated faster and are not readily stored. Urinary output is a good predictor of water soluble vitamin consumption. Several water-soluble vitamins are manufactured by bacteria.
      • Fat soluble vitamins are absorbed through the intestines with the help of fats (lipids). They are more likely to accumulate in the body because they are harder to eliminate quickly. Excess levels of fat soluble vitamins are more likely than with water-soluble vitamins - this condition is called hypervitaminosis. Patients with cystic fibrosis need to have their levels of fat-soluble vitamins closely monitored.
      • We know that most vitamins have many different reactions, which means they have several different functions. Below is a list of vitamins, and some details we know about them:
      • Vitamin A
        • chemical names - retinol, retinoids and carotenoids.
        • Solubility - fat.
        • Deficiency disease - Night-blindness.
        • Overdose disease - Keratomalacia (degeneration of the cornea).
      • Vitamin B1
        • chemical name - thiamine.
        • Solubility - water.
        • Deficiency disease - beriberi, Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome.
        • Overdose disease - rare hypersensitive reactions resembling anaphylactic shock when overdose is due to injection. Drowsiness.


      • Vitamin B2
        • chemical name - riboflavin
        • Solubility - water
        • Deficiency disease - ariboflanisosis (mouth lesions, seborrhea, and vascularization of the cornea).
        • Overdose disease - no known complications. Excess is excreted in urine.
      • Vitamin B3
        • chemical name - niacin.
        • Solubility - water.
        • Deficiency disease - pellagra.
        • Overdose disease - liver damage, skin problems, and gastrointestinal complaints, plus other problems.
      • Vitamin B5
        • chemical name -pantothenic acid.
        • Solubility - water.
        • Deficiency disease - paresthesia (tingling, pricking, or numbness of the skin with no apparent long-term physical effect).
        • Overdose disease - none reported.
      • Vitamin B6
        • chemical name - pyridoxamine, pyridoxal.
        • Solubility - water.
        • Deficiency disease - anemia, peripheral neuropathy.
        • Overdose disease - nerve damage, proprioception is impaired (ability to sense stimuli within your own body is undermined).
      • Vitamin B7
        • chemical name - biotin.
        • Solubility - water.
        • Deficiency disease - dermatitis, enteritis.
        • Overdose disease - none reported.
      • Vitamin B9
        • chemical name - folinic acid.
        • Solubility - water.
        • Deficiency disease - birth defects during pregnancy, such as neural tube.
        • Overdose disease - seizure threshold possibly diminished.
      • Vitamin B12
        • chemical name - cyanocobalamin, hydroxycobalamin, methylcobalamin.
        • Solubility - water.
        • Deficiency disease - megaloblastic anemia (red blood cells without nucleus).
        • Overdose disease - none reported.
      • Vitamin C
        • chemical name - ascorbic acid.
        • Solubility - water.
        • Deficiency disease - scurvy, which can lead to a large number of complications.
        • Overdose disease - vitamin C megadosage - diarrhea, nausea, skin irritation, burning upon urination, depletion of the mineral copper, and higher risk of kidney stones.
      • Vitamin D
        • chemical name - ergocalciferol, cholecalciferol.
        • Solubility - fat.
        • Deficiency disease - rickets, osteomalacia (softening of bone), recent studies indicate higher risk of some cancers.
        • Overdose disease - hypervitaminosis D (headache, weakness, disturbed digestion, increased blood pressure, and tissue calcification).
      • Vitamin E
        • chemical name - tocotrienols.
        • Solubility - fat.
        • Deficiency disease - very rare, may include hemolytic anemia in newborn babies.
        • Overdose disease - one study reported higher risk of congestive heart failure.
      • Vitamin K
        • chemical name - phylloquinone, menaquinones.
        • Solubility - fat.
        • Deficiency disease - greater tendency to bleed.
        • Overdose disease - may undermine effects of warfarin.Most foods contain a combination of some, or all of the seven nutrient classes. We require some nutrients regularly, and others less frequently. Poor health may be the result of either not enough or too much of a nutrient, or some nutrients - an imbalance.
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