Connection Between Nutrition and Disease

            Have you ever heard of the saying, “You are what you eat”?  While, you don’t actually turn in to a big doughnut, nutrition and what you eat greatly impact your well-being.  Making healthy choices in your diet affects your health today and in the future.  A healthy diet should be well rounded and contain all of the food groups in the right amounts.  The foods you pick should be a rainbow of colors.  The more colors on your plate, the better your meal is for you.

PROTEIN

Include protein in each meal.  Your body uses dietary protein to repair tissues/cells and build muscle mass (Annigan).  Protein is also used to make cells in the immune system, as well as, blood cells.  Eating too little protein or limiting essential amino acids leads to insufficient protein.  This can lead to muscle wasting, a compromised immune system, lack of energy, and liver damage (Annigan).

CARBOHYDRATES

Carbohydrates are the main fuel source for your body.  Consuming enough carbohydrates allows you to have the energy needed to complete daily tasks.  However, it is important to consume the right kinds of carbs.  Eating a large amount of carbs with a high glycemic index can increase your risk for type II diabetes (Annigan).  Some examples of high glycemic index foods include sugar, white bread, white potatoes (especially mashed), and white rice (Annigan).  These foods are quickly digested and do not contain a lot of other nutrients.  So, they provide you with a lot of sugar (energy) quickly but provide no other nutritional benefits.  This can cause weight gain and lead to several chronic conditions such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and obesity (Annigan).  Instead, try to consume more whole grains, vegetables and fruits.  These are good choices for carbohydrates because they contain fiber, as well as, many needed vitamins and nutrients (Annigan).

FIBER

Fiber is the part of a carbohydrate that cannot be digested.  While this doesn’t provide nutrients, it does a great deal to maintain digestive health.  Soluble fiber found in oats, beans, fruits, and vegetables swells as it passes through the intestine.  It slows down absorption of food.  This assists in controlling blood cholesterol and blood glucose levels (Annigan).  Insoluble fiber found in whole grains and some vegetables adds bulk to the stool.  This helps regulate bowels and prevents constipation and hemorrhoids (Annigan).  It can also reduce chances of certain bowel cancers (Annigan).

FATS

Some dietary fat is important.  However, too much or too many of the wrong kinds leads to many health problems.  Diets high in saturated fats leads to increased levels of cholesterol causing cardiovascular disease (Annigan).  Foods with a lot of excess fats can add excessive amounts of calories leading to weight gain and obesity (Annigan).

DISEASES

Obesity leads to several chronic diseases including heart disease, vascular disease, Diabetes, debilitating joint problems from carrying excess weight, depression, and increased risk for certain cancers.  However, malnutrition poses just as many problems.  Worldwide, malnutrition and specific nutrient deficiencies are the leading underlying cause of immune deficiency, leading to infections and other diseases (Kerpel-Fronius, 2004).

  http://icepoverty.pbworks.com

Annigan, J. (n.d.). How does nutrition affect the health of an organism?. Demand Media, Retrieved from http://healthyeating.sfgate.com/

Kerpel-Fronius, E. (2004). The main causes of death in malnutrition. MedLine, 25, 127-30. doi: 6433943