Essentials of Nutritional Health: A Comprehensive Overview

Physical health is impossible without good nutrition. From conception till old age what we eat determines the nutrition we get for our physical health. It has been well documented and accepted that nutrition is vital during all the stages individual’s life cycle. Nutrition influences physical functions at every stage of their lives. Our eating habits are influenced by many factors in childhood, adolescence, and adulthood. These factors are not always easy to control, but efforts can be made to establish good eating habits.

Good eating habits lead to consumption of an adequate diet. Adequate diet provides all the nutrient required for good physical health. Physical development of an individual depends on nutrition a person gets from food. Even influence of genes is also controlled by nutrition. If related nutrients are not present genetic potential cannot be expressed. The cells in human brains are mainly composed of fats.

Fats are one of the major fuel nutrient but several of its components are required for the formation of brain cells also.

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For thinking and doing any mental function proper functioning brain cells is crucial. If diet lacks the required fatty acids and other component for making the fats needed for brain development structure and function of brain cells will be influenced. Human physical structure is built by protein molecules. Almost whole of our body from nails and skin to muscles and bones is made up of proteins. So lack of protein can affect all parts of our body. Protein is also required for healing of wounds and restoring lost cells.

People who do heavy work and have a great deal of wear and tear of cells need larger amount of proteins. For good performance and optimal development of the brain it is important to have a good supply of Protein.

Children consuming adequate diet perform well in mental tasks. Research has shown that protein intake determines intellectual functions accomplished by children. Water is important for physical health as it is required for almost all body functions. A larger proportion of body is composed of water. Water is found in almost all cells , and in blood and body fluids serves as carrier of nutrients, hormones and enzymes. Vitamin A is a very significant nutrient for the growth and upkeep of the body. Vitamin is a fat soluble vitamin that can be stored in our bodies. Stores of vitamin A can be used in case the diet is deficient but the deficiency will occur if the diet is deficient for along time. Vitamin A is essential for good vision and its deficiency cause s night blindness.

Eyes are able to see in the dark due to small particles found in the retina of the eye. These tiny particles called rods and cones. When light hits the retina it breakdowns these rods and cones, and vitamin A is required for regenerating these rods and cones. Thus it enable viewing in darkness. Vitamin A is required for good immunity also. It acts as antioxidant and prevents damage from free radicals. Vitamin A is essential in cell differentiation. Differentiation is the process through which cells are divided into different types and perform different functions. Vitamin A can be produces on our bodies by another substance called Carotenoids. Two molecules of Carotenoids combine to make one molecule of vitamin A. There are different types of carotenes. Beta carotenes are most useful.

Even if not converted to vitamin A, on their own they serve as a powerful antioxidant and support the immune system. Carotenoids may prevent certain type of cancer by reducing free radicals. Fruits and vegetables are rich in carotenoids eating fruits and vegetables frequently can help in getting sufficient amount of carotenoids. The B vitamins, such as Thiamin, Riboflavin Niacin, Pyridoxine (B6), Cyanocobalamin (B12), Folic acid and Choline, are very important for our physical health. These vitamins are important for digestive system, nervous system and metabolic processes. By promoting proper digestion these vitamins are important for regular supply of all the nutrients and good health. Ascorbic acid that is also called vitamin C also play an important role in physical health. It is needed for the formation of connective tissues and build immunity.

Adequate intake of vitamin C can prevent the occurrence of several immunity related disorders. Vitamin C also prevents damaged form free radicals by serving as an antioxidant. Citrus fruits, and many fruits and vegetables are rich in Vitamin C. As it is destroyed by heat consumption of fresh foods is important for getting enough vitamin C firm diet. Vitamin D is needed for strong bones and teeth and for several other functions. The body can make vitamin D using sunlight also but needs to be provided through food also. Vitamin D also helps to prevent rickets in children and osteomalacia in adults. In both the condition bone may be deformed because of a lack of calcium in bones. Insufficient calcium in bones make them soft and unable to bear the weight of the body.

Vitamin D helps in absorption and utilization of Calcium and thus prevents calcium deficiency. Vitamin E is a fat soluble vitamin found in many foods including what germ. It is also an antioxidant and preform several other functions also. For having proper blood cell counts vitamin E is required. Another fat soluble vitamin required by our body is Vitamin K. It is is important for proper clotting f blood. If blood does not clot quickly after an injury, the person may die due to blood loss. If body lacks vitamin K blood clotting and normal thickness of blood. If blood becomes too thin it may lead to bleeding through body outlets also. Vitamin K is found in many foods especially green leafy vegetables. Carnitine is also required for good health. It enhances the function of mitochondria by helping the fatty acids to enter the mitochondria where these are use to produce energy by Tricarboxylic Acid cycle.

For good metabolic system we need another B-vitamin called Pantothenic acid. This vitamin is found in yeast and many other foods. Folic Acid is another nutrient which is vital for the proper development even before a person is born. When mothers have not been getting enough folic acid in their diets, chances of giving birth to an infant with birth defects are increased. Choline is also a vitamin that is soluble in water. It is part of a body chemical substance called lecithin. It provides a chemical component called the methyl group for metabolism reactions. Choline is very important for development of fetus. Stem cell formation may be effected by choline deficiency. For maintaining the proper structural composition of cell membranes choline is needed.

Zinc is an extremely important nutrient but is often overlooked by health care providers when considering health benefits. Functions of enzymes are controlled by presences of many catalysts and zinc is one of them. All the living cells depend on enzymes for continuation of chemical reactions. As zinc supports chemical reactions in the cells it is important for all the cells. Fluoride help in preventing decaying of teeth bone and making strong enamel. Thyroid glands are controllers of our body functions as they control a large number of metabolic reactions. Thyroid glands do this by producing a hormone called Thyroxine. As other hormones Thyroxine is made up of protein and had Iodine as its main mineral element. Thyroxine cannot be produced if there is no Iodine.

All the body functions including growth of brain is influenced by presence of sufficient amount of iodine in our bodies. A group of researcher studies the impact of iodine supplementation on children and found that the supplemented group had better muscular coordination and better ability to see after supplmentation. The importance of copper is often not known by many health care providers. It is needed in very small amounts but their physiological role is very crucial. Collagen and elastin are connective tissues required for providing resilience and elasticity to the skin. By playing its role in producing collagen and elastin copper helps protect the skin from being injured by outside forces. Manganese is a mineral that is required for good metabolism, prevent oxidative damage and proper healing of wounds.

Manganese is used to promote the development of connective tissues, bones and skin. Sodium is essential for our life. We cannot survive if we do not have sodium in our bodies of if we do not get proper supply to replenish the sodium lost during body processes. Excess of sodium is not good but complete avoidance of sodium is life-threatening. Sodium is vital for the proper functioning of the nerves and muscles throughout the body. In normal circumstance, people usually get enough sodium from diet for the body to function properly, and efforts are not needed to assure adequate intake but considering it completely harmful could be a serious mistake. Chloride can combine with many other minerals to support physiological functions as needed.

It can combine with sodium or potassium to maintain electrolyte and water balance in human body. Proper flow of functioning of fluids and survival of body cells is not possible without the provision of required amount of chloride on our bodies through a healthy diet. Iron performs several functions in human body. One of its core function is to provide oxygen to the whole body. Hemoglobin is a substance found in red blood cells that has iron in it. Because of the presence of iron hemoglobin is able to carry and deliver oxygen to all the cells. Without appropriate levels of oxygen no part of our body including the brain can work properly. It was observed in a study that children that was done on children adopted from China that improved nutrition and psychosocial stimulation resulted in gains in height, weight, and head circumference”.