Water

Water: Essential constituent of protoplasm. 70% of body weight is water. We

require about 1.7L to 2L of water daily to replace water lost through the skin
during sweating, as urine from the kidneys, in faeces, and by evaporation from
lungs during breathing.
Functions:
• Require for all the chemical reactions.
• Helps to regulate the body temperature and cools down the body.
• As a transporting agent for digested food substances, excretory products,
hormones.
• Needed for digestion and photosynthesis.
• An essential component of lubricant fluid in joints, digestive juice and blood.
• Needed for hydrolytic reaction.
Vitamins
• Vitamins are organic compounds that have no energy
value but are essential for growth and health. They
are needed in small amounts and take part in vital
chemical reactions in the body.
• Eg. Vitamin C, Vitamin D, Vitamin A, Vitamin B
complex.
Vitamins are grouped into two categories:
• Fat-soluble vitamins are stored in the body's fatty
tissue. The four fat-soluble vitamins are vitamins A,
D, E, and K. These vitamins are absorbed more
easily by the body in the presence of dietary fat.
• There are nine water-soluble vitamins. They are not
stored in the body. Any leftover water-soluble
vitamins leave the body through the urine. Although,
the body keeps a small reserve of these vitamins,
they have to be taken on a regular basis to prevent
shortage in the body. Vitamin B12 is the only water-
soluble vitamin that can be stored in the liver for
many years.
 Vitamins

Sources Deficiency Disease

Vitamins Functions
Citrus fruits ( orange, For healthy skin and Scurvy- swollen,
Vitamin C lemon), guava, tomato, gums, bleeding gums and
banana. to heal the wound loosening of teeth.
quickly. Internal bleeding.
Milk, butter, egg , fish. For strong bones Rickets- poor teeth and
Vitamin D UV rays of the sun can and teeth. bone formation in which
convert a natural bones become soft and
substance to Vit D. may bend.
 Minerals:
Minerals are inorganic elements which have no energy value but are required for health.

Minerals Sources Functions Deficiency Disease

Milk, egg, cheese, For strong bones and Rickets- poor teeth and
Calcium ( 1 gram) cereals, soya beans, teeth. bone formation in which
spinach. For blood clotting. bones become soft and
For normal functioning may bend.
of muscles.
Liver, red meat, egg, For the formation of Anaemia- less
Iron (0.02 gram) bread, flour, dark haemoglobin in RBC. haemoglobin thus less
green vegetable. RBC, person becomes
pale and tired.
 A type of carbohydrate (cellulose) that cannot be
Dietary fibre or digested by our body but is required for proper
Roughage functioning of our digestive system. It has no
energy value. We humans, have no enzyme that
could digest cellulose, that means that roughages
enter the body from the mouth, go through the
digestive system, and out through the anus
unchanged.
Functions:
• Undigested food helps to clean bowels by forming
forces.
• It prevents constipation.
• Sources: cereals, fruits, green leafy vegetables,
dried peas, nuts, lentils, grains etc
• Prevent colon cancer
• Help weight-control and reduce the chance of
obesity
 Balanced diet
A balanced diet contains the right amount of carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins,
minerals, water and roughage to meet the daily requirements of the body.

A balanced diet is a diet that contains differing kinds of foods in certain quantities
and proportions so that the requirement for calories, proteins, minerals, vitamins
and alternative nutrients is adequate and a small provision is reserved for additional
nutrients to endure the short length of leanness. In addition, a balanced diet ought
to offer bioactive phytochemicals like dietary fiber, antioxidants and nutraceuticals
that have positive health advantages. A balanced diet should offer around 60-70% of
total calories from carbohydrates, 10-12% from proteins and 20-25% of total calories
from fat.
 Health benefits of a balanced diet
• Healthy eating increases energy, improves the way your body functions,
strengthens your immune system and prevents weight gain. The other major
benefits are:
• Meets your nutritional need. A varied, balanced diet provides the nutrients
you need to avoid nutritional deficiencies.
• Prevent and treat certain diseases. Healthful eating can prevent the risk of
developing certain diseases such as diabetes, cancer and heart disease. It is
also helpful in treating diabetes and high blood pressure.
• Following a special diet can reduce symptoms, and may help you better
manage an illness or condition.
• Feel energetic and manage your weight. A healthy diet will assist you to feel
better, provide you with more energy, and help you fight stress.
• Food is the mainstay of many social and cultural events. Apart from nutrition
properties, it helps facilitate connections between individuals.
 Daily energy needed
Energy value of food:
1 g of carbohydrate yields 16KJ of energy
1 g of protein yields 17KJ of energy
1 g of fat yields 38KJ of energy
The amount of energy needed is provided mainly by our carbohydrate and fat intake. Your dietary
requirements depend on the following factors:
• Age: The energy demand increases until we stop growing. While children are growing they need
more protein per kilogram of body weight than adults do.
• Gender: Generally, males use up more energy than females.
• Pregnant women need extra nutrients for the development of the fetus.
• Body size- more body size, more energy required for basal metabolism. (higher basal metabolic
rate)
• Climate- people in colder countries have a higher basal metabolic rate as they lose more heat.
• Health- hyperthyroidism- more metabolic rate, hypothyroidism- less metabolic rate
• Occupation- more active- more metabolic rate.
Food pyramid
Problem of world food supplies
Malnutrition results from dietary imbalance. It may be due to a deficiency or an
excess intake of nutrients over a period of time
Starvation: Starvation is an effect of malnutrition. In case of starvation the body
tends to feed on its own self. When the glucose level is decreased in the body,
the liver breaks down fats to respire for energy, when the body is out of fats, it
starts respiring proteins from the muscles to release energy, eventually the body
ends up looking like a skeleton. Starvation is usually present in countries with
famines, which is caused by poverty, large population, low amounts of food,
unsuitable climates and lack of money.
Obesity: Obesity is the opposite of starvation. It is eating too much of every
nutrient, especially carbohydrates and fats. Obesity doesn’t strike alone, it brings
with it several other diseases such as high blood pressure, cardiac diseases,
diabetes, stress on joints and bones as well as other psychological issues like low
self esteem and lack of confidence. To prevent obesity, you have to control your
carbohydrates and fats intake and exercise regularly.
Problem of world food supplies
Another consequence of malnutrition is deficiency diseases. These are results of
a certain nutrient in the diet.
• Scurvy is the deficiency disease of vitamin C. Its symptoms include bleeding
gums.
• Rickets is the deficiency disease of both Vitamin D and Calcium. Bones are
made of calcium which Vitamin D helps in depositing in the bones, if any of
both is lacking in the diet, rickets is developed.
• Anemia is the deficiency disease of iron. The amount of haemoglobin
decreases causes shortness of breath and tiredness.
• Kwashiorkor affects children whose diets are lacking in protein. It causes
weakness and tiredness.