Diet and Health

Terms
 Diet: means the food that a person normally eats every day.
 Malnutrition: means an unbalanced intake of nutrients.
 Under-nutrition: means an insufficient intake of nutrients.
 Balanced diet: means a diet that provides the correct amount of nutrients for
the needs of an individual.
Types of Nutrients
 Macronutrients: are needed by the body in large amounts. E.g. proteins, fats
carbohydrates, and minerals.
 Micronutrients: are needed by the body in small amounts. E.g. vitamins,
essential fatty acids and trace elements.

The five main groups of nutrients

 Proteins
Functions of Protein:
o Body building or growth: replacement, repair and maintenance
o Provisions of enzymes, hormones and antibodies
o Building transporters and controlling fluid balance
The Science behind Proteins
Proteins are made up of molecules:
o Oxygen
o Hydrogen
o Carbon
o Nitrogen
Amino acids are small units of protein molecules that link in a chain.
There are at least 22 known amino acids
o 10 are essential for growth and repair in children
o 8 are essential for repair and maintenance in adults
 There are complete and incomplete proteins:
o High biological value e.g. animal products; meat, eggs, fish
o Low biological value e.g. plant products; peas, beans, lentils
Note: soya bean is a complete protein but is a plant product and gelatin are an
incomplete protein but is an animal product.
Note: Low biological foods can increase in value by combining the plant foods and
eating them together so they complement each other, providing all the essential
amino acids in sufficient quantities to support health.
Protein Requirements
o Babies and Children require lots of proteins as they are growing rapidly.
o Adolescents require protein for their rapid spurts of growth.
o Pregnant Women require protein to cater for the growing baby
o Nursing Women require protein for the production of milk during
breastfeeding.
Health Effects of Protein
o Daily Requirements: 7 grams for every 20lb
Protein Deficiencies:
o Protein Energy Malnutrition: This leads to marasmus and kwashiorkor. Lack
of protein leads to growth failure, loss of muscle mass, decreased immunity,
weakening of to the heart and respiratory system and death.
Protein Excess
o Weight Gain: High protein means high fat from animal products. Excess
calories increase risk of weight gain and obesity.
o Heart Disease: Saturated fats, trans fats and due to consumption of high
proteins increases production of LDLs leading to heart disease
o Bone loss: Calcium loss increases as protein consumption increases due to
the acids released during protein digestion.
o Low intake of Dietary Fiber: A high protein diet leads to a low plant food
diet so dietary fiber in low.
o Kidney Disease: the kidneys work harder excrete excess nitrogen into the
urine due to high protein diet.
Chemical Name of Protein
Protein name Location
Collagen Meat and fish (connective tissue)
Myosin Meat and fish (muscle tissues)
Elastin Meat (muscle fibers)
Caseinogen Milk and cheese
Lactalbumin Milk
Lactoglobulin Milk
Ovalbumin Egg white
Mucin Egg white
Lipovitellin Egg Yolk
Gluten Wheat
Gliadin Wheat
Zein Maize
Hordenin Barley

Effect of heat
o Meat (dry o moist heat): Collagen and elastin coagulate at 700C and
becomes
o Milk (boiling of baking): Lactobumin and Lactoglubin coagulate and forms
a skin on the surface.
o Cheese (dry heat):
 Fat
 Carbohydrates
 Vitamins
 Minerals