Nutrition and

7 Deficiency Diseases
Expected Learning Outcomes
Knowledge to be gained : • Nutrients •Balanced diet •Diseases •Microbes
Skill to be developed : • Choosing the right kind of food for a balanced diet.
A tude to be inculcated : • We should consume a balanced diet.

We need food to grow, to get energy to work, and to keep

our body healthy. Food provides energy to work and play. It
helps our body to grow and repair itself. Do we eat the same
food items all the time? No, we eat a variety of foodstuffs
every day. Food we eat has different types of nutrients.
However, not all nutrients that our body needs are present
in each food item.

NUTRIENTS Food is our basic requirement

e food we eat contains substances that make us strong and healthy. ese substances are
called nutrients. Different food items are rich in different nutrients. ere are ve main
nutrients in food, which are: Carbohydrates, Fats, Proteins, Vitamins and Minerals. All types
of nutrients are needed by our body to stay healthy.
Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates are the major source of energy. ese are present in the form of sugar and
starch. Sugarcane contains lots of sugar. Wheat/bread, roti, noodles, rice, cereals, potatoes,
sweet, fruits, etc., are the main sources of carbohydrates. Milk also contains sugar in the
form of lactose. Carbohydrates can be stored by the body. People who do more physical
activity need more carbohydrates.
Fats
Like carbohydrates, fats also give us energy. In fact, fats give more energy than
carbohydrates. Vegetable oils, milk, butter, ghee, cheese, cream and dry fruits are some
major sources of fats. Fats help to keep our body warm. Eating too much fat can be harmful.
Eating excess fatty foods can make us obese (fat). Obesity can cause diabetes and heart
diseases. Extra fat is stored in the body for future use. erefore, fats are called the energy
banks of our body.
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 Proteins
Proteins help us to grow. We need proteins for muscle-building and for repairing worn-out
tissues. Milk and its products, chicken, sh, eggs, cheese, pulses and soyabean are rich in
proteins. Growing children need more proteins. e food items rich in protein are called
body-building foods.
Vitamins
Vitamins are chemicals that our body needs to remain healthy. ough vitamins are
needed in very small quantity, yet they are necessary for us. ey protect our body
from diseases and keep our body strong and healthy. Vitamins can be obtained from
fresh fruits and vegetables.
Vitamins Sources of Food Functions

Helps in growth of skin and

A Milk, egg, sh, carrot, etc. improves eyesight.
Vegetables, milk, grapes, Helps in function of heart and
B cereals, etc. nervous system.
Amla, orange, lime, citrus Necessary for strong teeth and
C fruits, etc. bones.

D Green leafy vegetables, sunlight Helps in clotting of blood.

Sources of Carbohydrates Sources of Fats Sources of Proteins Sources of Vitamins and Minerals

Minerals
Minerals are also good nutrients and are needed in small quantities. ey help in proper
growth and development of our body. ey make our bones and teeth stronger. Calcium,
phosphorus, potassium, iron are some minerals which are needed by our body.
Ÿ Calcium and phosphorous are necessary for strong teeth and bones.
Ÿ Potassium makes the muscles work efficiently and in proper order.
Ÿ Iron is used in making blood thicker and in good quantity.

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Fresh fruits and vegetables are good sources
of minerals and vitamins. Some fruits like Do Haemoglobin is a red pigment
w ate r m e l o n , m u s k m e l o n , m a n g o , g u ava , You? present in blood. This is found
in Red Blood Cells (RBCs) of our
pomegranate, etc., also contains vitamins and Know
blood. It helps in absorbing
minerals. Spinach has iron. Milk is rich in calcium. oxygen from blood.
Milk is an example of complete food. Vitamins and
minerals are called protective foods.
Besides these nutrients water, and roughage are also necessary parts of our diet.
Water
Water is a very important part of daily food intake. Water helps to excrete the waste from
our body in the form of urine and sweat. Our body gets water not only from the water we
drink, but also from the fruits and vegetables that we eat. We should drink more than eight
glasses of water daily to remain healthy.
Roughage
Roughage is also a part of food. ey are the bres which make our digestion smooth and
easy. Raw fruits and vegetables contain roughage. We should take roughage in the form of
salad. e covering of cereals and pulses contain extra roughage. Lady nger, pumpkin,
orange, sweet lemon also contain roughage.
us, your diet should have all these nutrients in right quantities. Such a diet is called a
balanced diet.

CHECK YOURSELF
Tick (3) the correct option:
1. Our food should contain ______________ , fats, proteins, vitamins and minerals.
(a) dust (b) carbohydrates (c) germs

2. Growing children need more ______________.

(a) carbohydrates (b) fats (c) proteins

3. ______________ keep us fit and improve our ability to fight against diseases.
(a) Vitamins (b) Proteins (c) Fats

A BALANCED DIET
A balanced diet is a diet that contains sufficient
amount of different components of food like
carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins, minerals,
roughage and water needed for the healthy functioning Balanced
of our body. diet

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 DISEASES
A disease is a condition in which our body or a part of it does not function properly. We feel
restless and lose appetite. Our body feels lethargic and needs rest. Diseases make us sick and
our body stops functioning at its normal rate.
There are two types of diseases. Diseases that spread from one person to another are called
communicable or infectious diseases. The other are non-communicable or non-
infectious diseases. They do not spread from one person to another. They are also called
de ciency diseases.

Non-Communicable or De ciency Diseases

Diseases which are caused by the lack of one or more nutrients in our body are called
de ciency diseases. De ciency or lack of nutrients in our body causes malnutrition.
De ciency diseases are mainly caused by lack of vitamins and minerals in the diet. Some
de ciency diseases are: night blindness, beri-beri, scurvy, rickets and anaemia.

De ciency
of Nutrient Disease Symptom

e person becomes unable to see properly in dim

Vitamin A Night blindness light.

Muscles become too weak and person experiences

Vitamin B Beri-Beri shortness of breath during physical activity.

Vitamin C Scurvy Loose teeth and bleeding gums.

Vitamin D Rickets Bending of Bones.

Iron Anaemia Person looks pale and gets tired quickly.

Communicable Diseases
Diseases which can spread from one person to another are known as communicable
diseases.
There are tiny living organisms present everywhere in
the air, in water, in soil, in food and also inside the bodies
of animals. We cannot see them with our bare eyes. They
can be seen only through a microscope. They are called
microbes. Some of these microbes cause communicable
diseases. These disease-causing microbes are called
germs. Disease-causing microbes

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KINDS OF MICROBES
Most of the microbes do not harm us. But some microbes are
harmful as they cause many diseases. Microbes are mainly of
four types. ey are bacteria, viruses, protozoa and fungi.
Bacteria: ey are tiny organisms. ey can be round, Bacteria
twisted or rod-shaped. Bacteria are found in soil, water, inside
plants, animals and humans. ey cause diseases like
Tuberculosis (TB), Typhoid and Pneumonia.
Viruses: ey are smaller than the smallest bacteria.
Although they remain inert outside the living matter, they
become highly active and multiply vigorously once they enter Viruses
the living body. ey cause diseases like the Common cold,
Polio and Chicken-pox. Corona virus disease (COVID-19) is an
infectious disease caused by a newly discovered corona virus.
Protozoa: They are single celled organisms that live in water.
When protozoa enter into our body, they form a protective
covering called a cyst. Many protozoa live inside our body. Protozoa
They cause digestive disorders in humans. They cause malaria
and dysentery.
Fungi: ey are actually non-green plants. ey grow in dark
and damp places. As they cannot make their own food, they
depend on living or dead organisms for food. Some fungi can
cause food poisoning and skin disease like ringworm. Fungi (Mushroom)
Microbes that cause diseases are called pathogens. e diseases that spread through them
are called infectious diseases, some of which are given below:

Disease Microbe Source

Cholera bacteria food, water, ies
Typhoid bacteria food and water
Polio virus air
Malaria protozoa mosquito
Dysentery protozoa food and water
Jaundice bacteria polluted water
Digestive disorders tapeworm/roundworm food, water and soil
Dengue fever virus air

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 CHECK YOURSELF
Write T for True and F for False.
1. Diseases which can spread from one person to another are known as deficiency diseases.
2. Microbes are mainly of four types.
3. Polio is caused by viruses.
4. Fungi are green plants.

New words
Nutri on : the process of inges ng and assimila ng nutrients
Deficiency : a disease caused by the lack of some essen al elements in the diet

SUMMARY
v We eat a variety of food every day.
v Food contains nutrients which makes us strong and healthy.
v Carbohydrates are the major sources of energy.
v Eating too much fat can cause obesity.
v Proteins help us to grow.
v Minerals help in proper growth and development of our body.
v Water helps to excrete the waste from our body in the form of urine and sweat.
v Roughage are the fibres which make our digestion smooth and easy.
v Diseases make us sick and our body stops functioning at its normal rate.
v Deficiency or lack of nutrients in our body is called malnutrition.
v Microbes are mainly of four types. They are–bacteria, viruses, protozoa and fungi.

Exercise
A. Give one word for each of the following:
1. Food that has all the nutrients in the right proportion. _______________
2. Diseases caused by infection. _______________
3. De ciency or lack of nutrients in our food. _______________
4. Diseases that pass from a sick person to a healthy person. _______________

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B. Select the best alternative for each of the following:
1. Cholera is spread through:
(i) mosquitoes (ii) mosquitoes and house ies
(iii) contaminated food and water (iv) air
2. Which of the following diseases is spread through eas?
(i) Cholera (ii) Night-blindness
(iii) Beri-beri (iv) Plague
3. Infectious diseases are caused by:
(i) germs (ii) sunlight
(iii) water (iv) none of these
C. Answer the following questions:
1. Why should we eat a balanced diet?
2. Name two diseases caused by bacteria.
3. Why is regular exercise essential for staying healthy?
4. What is meant by microbes?
D. Fill in the blanks:
1. Resistance against certain diseases can be developed by taking _____________.
2. ________________ diseases are caused by germs.
3. Spray ________________ to kill mosquitoes.
4. Food rich in ________________helps the body to grow and repair.
5. ________________ remain stored in our body for later use.
6. Vitamins and minerals are ________________ needed by our body.
E. Match the following:
1. Cholera (a) Virus
2. Polio (b) Bacteria
3. Typhoid (c) Protozoa
4. Malaria (d) Virus
5. Dengue (e) Bacteria
F. What will happen if:
1. we do not take all the nutrients in our food?
2. we rst cut the vegetables and then wash them?
3. we do not take protein in our food?
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 4. we do not take fruits and vegetables?
5. we do not keep our surroundings clean?
G. True or False:
1. Proteins are energy giving nutrients. _________
2. Common cold is a communicable disease. _________
3. Fats provide a lot of energy. _________
4. Sunlight is a natural source of Vitamin D. _________
5. Vegetables must be washed after they have been peeled and cut. _________
H. Answer the following questions in your own words:
1. What are de ciency diseases?
2. What diseases are caused by viruses?
3. Name some water-borne diseases caused by bacteria.
4. Name three diseases for which vaccines are available.
5. What is a balanced diet?
6. How do minerals help us?
7. What are non-communicable diseases?
8. Write a short note on how diseases spread through food.

Activity Time
A. Make a colourful chart of all nutrients, their sources and their importance in our daily
diet.
B. Make a chart showing Do's and Don'ts for preventing the spread of communicable
diseases.
C. Just like a rainbow has different colours, we should also
include fruits and vegetables of different colours in our
diet. Foods of similar colour tend to have similar
nutrients.
Fruit and vegetables fall into ve different colour
categories: red, purple/blue, orange, green and
white/brown. By eating food items of each
colour every day, we can consume a balanced
diet.
Make a fruit and vegetable colour chart. Take a sheet and draw a table as shown below.
Under each heading, write the names of fruits and vegetables of that colour (One
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 example has been provided for each colour category). Decorate the chart beautifully.
Encourage your parents to include different coloured food items in your tiffin.

Red Purple/Blue Orange/Yellow Green Brown/White

White

1. Tomato 1. Brinjal 1. Mango 1. Spinach 1. Cauli ower

Be a young
Researcher
We all have experienced the effects of coronavirus disease or COVID-19 in our lives. In
2020, we had to attend classes online. Most of your parents were also working from
home. We had to wear a mask whenever we went out and also, we had to maintain social
distancing. We also were extra vigilant about cleanliness and kept our body and
environment sanitized.
From newspapers or from the Internet, collect all the information you can regarding
COVID-19 and note down what all precautions where taken by us to protect ourselves.

Subject Link : Mathematics

You have learnt about balanced diet in this Chapter. A balanced diet means having all the
nutrients in required proportions. In Maths also, we use the concept of “balanced”.
A few mathematical statements are given below. Calculate both sides and if they are not
equal, make them equal by adding or subtracting the required number.

1. 109 + 478 – 220 = 645 – 117 + 45 +/– __________

2. (537 x 2) + 819 – 105 = 1788 = 1800/6 + 789 – 201 +/– __________

3. 423.5 x 10 + 310.2 – 109.2 +/– __________ = 225.5 x 8 + 120.8 + 236.2

4. 567.6 x 5 + 654 – 1182/3 +/– __________ = 987 + 23 – 401 + 644.4/3

FOOTNOTE
Emphasise on adopting healthy habits. Tell children that precaution is the best method for staying away from diseases.

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