BASIC SCIENCE

FAMILY HEALTH PART II (NUTRITION)

JSS1

Hi, welcome to Exampadi! Our topic today is Family Health part 2

in this video, we will;

1. Explore Food and Nutrition.

2. Highlight the importance of a balanced diet.

3. Enumerate the classes and sources of food.

Family health is a state where the family is a resource for its members'

day-to-day living and health. Therefore, it is incomplete without

discussing the terms ‘food’ and ‘nutrition.’

Food is a composite mixture of various ingredients that are consumed

for nutrition.

On the other hand, nutrition connotes a dynamic process in which the

human body utilizes swallowed food for nourishment.

All plants and creatures need food to survive.

NUTRITION

Nutrition is a basic human need and a prerequisite for a healthy life.

It takes food and converts it into energy and other vital nutrients required for life.

Nutrition is also the biochemical and physiological process by which an organism uses

food to support its life. It provides organisms with nutrients, which can be metabolized

to create energy and chemical structures.

It is a critical part of health and development, and a proper diet is essential from a very

early age for growth, development, and active life.

FOOD

Food is one of the essential things for a living, which provides energy and

development, sustains life, and promotes growth.

Food plays a significant role in promoting health and preventing disease. An

organism consumes and digests essential components to maintain health,

including carbs, proteins, fats, minerals, and vitamins.

Importance of Food

The importance of food is as follows;

1. Food keeps us alive and gives us energy.

2. It helps to build the body and repair worn-out tissues.

3. Food helps to boost immunity.

4. Food plays a vital role in the promotion of health and the prevention

of disease.

5. Food gives strength to the body to accommodate medicine safely and

metabolize them after its action in the body.

The two primary sources of food are plants and animals. One of these two

sources provides all of the food that we eat.

Plants as a Source of Food

We obtain a large portion of our food from plants, trees, crops, bushes, leaves,

and occasionally roots. Fruits and vegetables are the most readily apparent

examples of the foods we obtain from plants.

Crops are another example of plant-based food. These are the seeds of the

crop plants, such as rice, wheat, maize, millet, barley, etc. They are harvested

once we groom them. The majority of the processed foods we eat, like wheat,

bread, biscuits, etc., come from crop plants.

Other examples of foods that come from plants include:

•Fruits: Mangoes, apples, oranges, bananas

•leaves: kale, spinach, coriander, Lettuce

•Root: Turnips, potatoes, and carrots Seeds: Rice, wheat, corn, and nuts

(peanuts, almonds)

Animals as a Source of Food

Our nourishment does not all come from plants. Animals, primarily cattle,

provide a significant amount of our food. Cattle are farm animals raised

primarily to be killed for human consumption.

These are a few examples of such meat and its sources:

•Chicken (poultry)

•Pork or bacon that comes from pigs

•Lambs’ meat, or mutton,

•Beef from cows and buffaloes and venison from deer

Seafood includes fish and other sea life such as crabs, lobsters, oysters, etc.

CLASSES OF FOOD

Food can be grouped according to the nutrients they contain and the functions

they perform. These include:

1. Carbohydrates are the primary food groups that are essential to a healthy life.

Sources: Rice, Cassava, wheat, maize, millet, potato, etc.

The functions of carbohydrates are as follows;

i) It gives the human body the energy to carry out voluntary activities such as

walking, jumping, etc.

ii) It helps to maintain body temperature, metabolic activity, and growth

support.

2. Protein:

Sources: Meat, Fish, beans, groundnut, milk, egg, melon, etc.

The functions of proteins are;

(i) Proteins in repairing worn-out tissues.

(ii) It promotes growth.

(iii) It gives us energy when carbohydrates are lacking in the body.

iv) Proteins help in the growth of hair and the development of the

brain.

v) Protein in the form of enzymes and hormones is required for a wide

range of vital metabolic processes in the body.

3. Fats and oils: Fats can be characterized as solid or semi-solid triglycerides

Sources: Palm oil, groundnut oil, margarine, butter

The functions of fats and oil are;

(i) It acts as an insulator and prevents heat loss.

(ii) It forms part of the cell membrane.

(iii) It cushions body organs.

iv) Fats serve as an essential wellspring of energy.

v) It lowers the risk of arthritis, Alzheimer’s disease, and cancer.

4. Vitamins: Vitamins are imperative for warding off infection and remaining

solid

Source: Leafy vegetables, fruits (like oranges, pawpaw, etc.), egg, liver, palm

oil.
The functions of vitamins are as follows

(i) Promotes healthy body and growth in children.

(ii) Prevent diseases

iii) Vitamins offer assistance for the recuperation of the body.

5. Mineral salts are fundamental for the functions of some parts of the body.

The functions of mineral salts are;

i)It Aids the formation of bones, teeth, blood, meat, and liver.

ii) Minerals salts control digestion.

iii) They help reinforce bones and assist with nerve signal transmission,

keeping up with good circulatory strain, muscle withdrawal, and unwinding.

6. Water: Water is totally essential for the adequate functioning of each

framework in the human body.

Sources: Rain, spring, river, well, etc.

Functions

(ii) It aids digestion and prevents dehydration.

iii) Water serves as a protector and an ointment.

iv) It helps in absorption.

v) It regulates body temperature and reproduction.

BALANCED DIET

A balanced diet, also known as a healthy diet, consists of various types of

food and provides adequate nutrients for good health.

It also contains the proper quantities and proportions of the required

nutrients to maintain good health.

Importance of a balanced diet

1. Balanced diet keeps us healthy.

2. Healthy diet prevents malnutrition.

3. It helps to protect the body from diseases.

Remember, we are what we eat, so it is essential to eat healthily.

We have come to the end of this lesson.

Attempt the following questions to test your knowledge of the topic.

1. Explain the following terms nutrition, food, and balanced diet.

2. Enumerate the classes of food and discuss three of their functions.

3. Outline three importance of food and a balanced diet.