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Food and nutrients sources and diseases UPSC



Table of contents:
  • Sources of Food
  • What are the nutrients?
  • Why do we need nutrients?
  • Functions of Nutrients
  • Balance diets
  • Deficiency disease


Sources of food

  • Plants
    • Shoot system
      • Food that comes from the upper part(above the soil) of plants. For example, tomato, apple, orange, etc.
    • Root System
      • Food that comes from the root part of plants(below the soil). For example, Potato, Radish, sweet potato, etc
  • Animals




What is Nutrients?
Food is generally made of many ingredients. Ingredients contain some components that are needed by our body. These components are called nutrients. 


Major nutrients are:

  • Carbohydrates
  • Proteins
  • Fat
  • Vitamins
  • Minerals
  • Dietary fiber
  • Water


There are generally 
two types of carbohydrates in food

  • Starch
  • Sugar

Why do we need nutrients?
The energy we get from carbohydrates and fats. Fat has much more energy than carbohydrates.

Carbohydrates, fats=Energy giving nutrients

Proteins=bodybuilding food( growth + repairs of the body )
Vitamins=Protect our body against diseases.

Functions and their sources of Vitamins and Minerals:
Vitamin A:

  • Functions: Keeps our skin and eyes healthy
  • Sources: Papaya, Mango, Carrot


Vitamin B Complex:

  • Functions: strong muscles
  • Sources: Rice, wheat, liver


Vitamin C:

  • Functions: Help to fight against diseases
  • Sources: Orange, Guava, Tomato, lemon, Amla, Green Chili


Vitamin D:

  • Functions: Keeps our bones and teeth strong
  • Sources: Sunlight, milk, Butter, Fish, Egg, Liver


Vitamin E:

  • Functions: It is antioxidant, it slows down the process that damages the cell. It also helps to the proper function of many cells
  • Sources: Vegetable oils, cereals, meat, egg, vegetable


Vitamin K:

  • Functions: helping the blood clot, prevent excess bleeding
  • Sources: leafy greens, meat, egg


Iodine:

  • Functions: Iodine needed to make thyroid hormones and these hormones control the body's metabolism.  
  • Sources: Fish, milk, vegetables


Calcium:

  • Functions: Build and Keeps bones healthy
  • Sources: Milk, egg


Iron:

  • Functions: Iron is part of Hemoglobin and many proteins
  • Sources: Apple, chocolate, leafy vegetable,


Phosphorous:

  • Functions: Phosphorous work with calcium to build the bones.
  • Sources: Fish Milk, green chili


Dietary fibers or Roughage:

  • Functions: No nutrients but help in the size of stool and softness. It also helps to decrease the cholesterol level 
  • Sources: Whole grain, pulse, fresh fruits, potato


Water:

  • Functions: help to throw out waste vis urine and sweat and help our body to absorb nutrients from food.




What is a balanced diet?

For the growth and maintenance of good health, our diet should have all the nutrients that our body needs, in the right quantity, not too much of one nor too much of others.

Balance diet= Roughage +  water + right quantities of all nutrients

Too much of fat=obesity

Deficiency Diseases:

Diseases that occur due to lack of nutrients over a long period is called deficiency disease. 

For examples:
Lack of protein leads to Stunted growth, swelling face, discoloration of hairs, skin disease, etc.

The following are deficiency diseases:

Vitamin A:

  • Deficiency: Loss of vision
  • Symptoms: Poor vision, loss of vision in the dark night


Vitamin B1:

  • Deficiency: Beriberi
  • Symptoms: Weak muscles and little energy to do work.


Vitamin C:

  • Deficiency: Scurvy
  • Symptoms: Bleeding gums, wounds take a longer time to heal




Vitamin D:

  • Deficiency: Rickets
  • Symptoms: Bones become soft & bent


Calcium:

  • Deficiency: Bones and teeth decay
  • Symptoms: Weak bones and tooth decay


Iodine:

  • Deficiency: Goiter
  • Symptoms: Gland in the neck, mental disability in children


Iron:

  • Deficiency: Anemia
  • Symptoms: Weakness



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