Lecture-6

FOOD AND NUTRITION

FOOD & NUTRITION

A person is what he eats.

Food is a mixture of
substances which
when consumed
performs certain
functions in the body.

These functions are:

(1) yielding energy,
(2) building and
maintaining the body and
(3) protecting the body
and regulating the tissue
functions.

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Nutrition is the
process whereby living
organisms utilize food
for

maintenance of life,
growth,
the normal functioning of
tissues and organs,
the production of energy.

Food & Nutrition

DIET & NUTRIENTS

Diet is the total solid or liquid foods
consumed by an individual or by a
population group, either on an
average basis or during a specified
period.
Nutrients are the constituents in food
that must be supplied to the body
in suitable amounts. These include
water, proteins, fats and fatty
acids, carbohydrates, minerals and
vitamins.
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Food & Nutrition

Malnutrition
Malnutrition is a weakness or damage of health
resulting from a deficiency, excess or
imbalance of nutrients.
Three types of malnutrition are:
(1) Primary malnutrition
(2) Secondary malnutrition
(3) Protein energy malnutrition

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Food & Nutrition

Primary malnutrition
Primary malnutrition may be due to several
reasons which include (1) lack of food or means to have access to food,
(2) lack of elementary knowledge of food and
nutrition,
(3) refusal to take foods,
(4) fad foods and
(5) lack of teeth or inability to chew.

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Food & Nutrition

Secondary malnutrition
Secondary malnutrition is due to some difficulty or
alteration in the digestion, absorption or
assimilation. A number of conditions responsible for
this are (1) disorders of the gastrointestinal tract,
(2) protracted (prolonged) immobilization,
(3) fever,
(4) surgery and
(5) drug therapy.

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Food & Nutrition

Protein energy malnutrition

Protein energy malnutrition (PEM) is the most
common form of malnutrition affecting the millions of
children in the under developed countries. This
condition is rather uncommon in adults.
The important contributory factors to PEM are (1) lack of resources to buy food leading to an
inadequate food supply,
(2) a bulky diet consisting very low calories,
(3) diminished appetite because of infection and
(4) ignorance of family members about nutritive
values.
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Food & Nutrition

The Nutrients
Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates: There are
three types carbohydratessugars, starch and fibre.
Starch is stored in plant
roots, tubers or
underground stems. Fibre
helps in the formation of
bulk of the waste of
digestive system.
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Food & Nutrition

Carbohydrates (contd.)
Functions
(1) provides main source of energy;
(2) helps the body to use protein and fat efficiently;
(3) supply fibre for better digestion and (40 foods rich
in carbohydrates supply other nutrients too.

Sources
Carbohydrates mainly come from the food groups
of cereals, tubers, fruits, sweets etc.
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Food & Nutrition

Proteins
Proteins are made of amino
acids. About 20 such amino
acids are required by the
human body of which the
body cannot produce eight.
These have to be supplied
from outside and are known
as essential amino acids.
Protein from different plant
sources may be combined
in such a way that the result
is equivalent in nutrient
value to animal protein (goal
of vegetarian diet).
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Proteins (contd.)
Functions
Helps to build new cells and maintain or repair the
injured ones.
Used for energy when carbohydrates or fats are in
short supply.
Protein foods are also rich in fats, carbohydrates,
vitamins and minerals.
Takes part in defense mechanism.
Produces enzymes and coenzymes.

Sources
All animal foods (meat, poultry, milk, fish, etc.), nuts,
dried peas and beans, lentils (pea-like plant) and
plants foods (wheat, corn, rice, etc.).
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Fats or Oils
Fats or oils are made of fatty acids, triacylglycerol,
phospholipids, glycolipids, etc.

Functions
(1) supply essential fatty
acids;
(2) supply energy;
(3) carry fat soluble vitamins;
(4) give flavor to food.

Sources
meat, milk and milk products like cheese, cream, ghee,
butter, ice cream, yoghurt (dhoi), plant oils, nuts, eggs, etc.
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Vitamins (Fat soluble)

Vitamin

Functions

Vitamin A

Prevention of nutritional
blindness, loss of skin integrity.

Vitamin D

Prevention of rickets and helps

formation of strong teeth.

Vitamin E

Vitamin K
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Food Sources
Liver, egg yolk, butter, milk, fatty
fish, deep-yellow and deepgreen fruits.
Fish liver oils, fatty fish, egg,
butter, cheese, full fat milk. Skin
can produce vitamin D by the
activity of altraviolet radiations of
the sun falling on it.

Acts as antioxidant; keeps

Plant oils, whole grain cereals,
oxygen in body from destroying
eggs, meat, milk, green leafy
other nutrients; play reproductive
vegetables.
role in human being .
Green leafy vegetables, cereals,
Helps blood clotting.
legumes, milk, eggs meat and
fish.
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Vitamins (Water soluble)

Vitamin

Food Sources
Citrus fruits, tomatoes, guava,
pine apple, ripe papaya and
Vitamin C
some green leafy vegetables like
drumstick amaranth.
Whole cereals, pulses
Thiamin
(legumes), oilseeds and nuts,
(Vitamin B1)
dried beans.
Liver, whole and skim milk
Riboflavin Deficiency leads to oral and
powder, eggs, meat and fish,
(Vitamin B2) facial lesions (damage to skin) whole cereals, legumes and
green leafy vegetables.
Cobalamin Deficiency leads to deadly
All animal foods.
(Vitamin B12) anaemia.
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Functions
Severe deficiency leads to
scurvy, absorption of iron, bone
formation, electron transport
etc.
Severe deficiency leads to
beriberi; deficiency also
weaken cellular functions.

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Minerals
Minerals
Calcium

Iron
Iodine
Zinc
Fluorine
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Functions
Deficiency leads to
decrease rate of growth,
negative calcium balance,
etc.

Food Sources
Milk and milk products, sesame
seed, green leafy vegetables, small
dried fish.

Liver, meat, egg yolks, dark green

Binds with protein to make
leafy vegetables, dried fruits, whole
haemoglobin
grain and iron fortified foods.
Salt water fish, sea food, iodized
Prevents goitre.
table salt.
Helps healing, normal
Animal proteins.
reproduction, cell growth.
Prevents dental caries.
Normally present in drinking water.
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Balanced Diet

A balanced diet is
one which contains all
the
proximate
principles (protein, fat
and
carbohydrate),
minerals and vitamins
in due proportions and
at the same time
meeting
the
total
energy requirements
for maintaining health,
vitality and well-being
of a person.

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Balanced Diet (contd.)

Experts agree that

12% of your daily
intake of kilocalories
should
be
from
proteins, 30% or less
from fats, and 50%
from carbohydrates.

Lack of balanced diet

may
lead
to
malnutrition.

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What is a Vegetarian Diet?

The term vegetarian generally means a
person who does not consume animal
products; this includes land and sea animals.
Most vegetarians generally do consume
eggs and dairy products (milk products).
A vegetarian diet should contain all the
nutrients needed by person. The person
should eat a wide variety of food to make
sure nutritional requirement.
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Types of Vegetarians
(1) Lacto-vegetarians- they consume dairy
products, but no eggs. Most do consume
honey.
(2) Ovo-vegetarians- they consume eggs,
but no dairy. Most do consume honey.
(3) Lacto-ovovegetarians- they consume
eggs and dairy. Most do consume honey.
(4) Vegans- only consume plant-based foods
(no dairy, eggs or honey)
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Goal of a Vegetarian Diet

To have a lower body weight,

To have better cholesterol levels,
To live longer,
To have a lower risk of developing cancer,
To have a lower risk of developing several diseases
including diabetes, cardiovascular diseases

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Probable Questions:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

Define food, nutrition, diet and nutrients.

What is malnutrition? Classify malnutrition and discuss any one of them.
What are carbohydrates? Write functions and sources of carbohydrates.
What are proteins? Write functions and sources of proteins.
What are fats or oils? Write functions and sources of fats or oils.
What are vitamins? List the name of some fat soluble vitamins with their
functions and food sources.
7. List the name of some water soluble vitamins with their functions and
food sources.
8. What are minerals? List the name of some minerals with their functions
and food sources.
9. What is called a balanced diet? What can happen due to lack of
balanced diet?
10. What is called a vegetarian diet?
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