FOOD AND HUMAN HEALTH

Introduction :-

  1. Nutrition is the basis of life. 
  2. Organism gets different types of nutrients from its surrounding atmosphere.
  3. These products by the process of digestion becomes part of the body and fulfills its different requirements.
  4. For maintaining good health, balance diet is required.
  5. Balance diet makes the body strong and it helps to increase the immunity power to fight against diseases and it also helps to make the mind sharp and healthy.
  6. In the absence of healthy diet, fatigue and different diseases may occur.
  7. On the basis of experiences it has been known that for the activities of life carbohydrate, protein, fat, minerals, vitamins and water should be available in sufficient quantity.
  8. Balance diet is one that contains all the essential nutrients.
  9. Deficiency or unavailability of any of the nutrient makes the diet unbalanced.

Malnutrition :- 

  1. If one or more nutrients are unavailable for a long period of time, then it is called malnutrition.
  2. The effect of malnutrition can be seen on the body in many ways.
  3. Different components of nutrition fulfill different requirements of the body. Thus it is clear that if any nutrient is absent in diet then the corresponding work done by that nutrient will not be done.
  4. One of the main reasons for malnutrition in our country is that people do not get adequate amount of balanced food.
  5. Many examples can be found where in due to bad habits, balance food is not taken up properly and the person shows the symptoms of malnutrition.
  6. The effect of malnutrition manifests both in physical and mental weaknesses.
  7. Here we will discuss some of the important side effects of malnutrition. 

Vitamin malnutrition :-

  1. Vitamins are a very minute part of the food but they are functionally very important.
  2. Clear symptoms are seen if one or more vitamin are absent in the diet. The
  3. Table given below shows different diseases and their symptoms due to the deficiency of vitamins.


Protein Malnutrition :-

  1. Due to poverty people are unable to add protein in adequate amount in their food and becomes victims of Malnutrition.
  2. Chiefly small children are affected by it.
  3. Protein is an important nutrient for pregnant women and adolescents.
  4. Deficiency of protein causes kwashiorkor disease.

kwashiorkor disease :- 

Child stomach swells, looses appetite, behaviors becomes irritative, skin becomes pale, black, dry, spotty and starts rupturing.

Marasmus :- 

In addition to protein if nutrition lack adequate amount of energy then body shrinks and becomes weak, eyes sinks deep and becomes lusterless, this condition is termed as marasmus

Mineral Malnutrition :-

  1. Different types of minerals also play an important role in the functioning of the body and their deficiency causes different type of disorders in the body.
  2. Element Iron is a part of hemoglobin and its deficiency leads to paleing of face due to anemia.
  3. Calcium makes bones strong and its deficiency makes bones weak and brittle.
  4. Due to the deficiency of Iodine the activity of the thyroid gland slows down and causes goiter.

Importance of water :-

  1. We humans are exploiting the available limited water sources in such a manner that in the near future we will have water crisis.
  2. Most of the usable water comes from rivers, lakes and underground sources. While using the water we are also polluting it. In this way we are hurting our life donor with double edged sword.
  3. It is useless to discuss about the uses of water, if you say "Water is life" then it would not be an exaggeration.
  4. Water is used for drinking, preparing food, bathing, washing utensils and clothes, agriculture and industries.
  5. Water is the only product found naturally on earth, which exists in all three states of matter, solid (ice), liquid (water) and gas (vaporous). 

Potable water should have the following properties :-

  1. Water should not have visible particles and vegetation, should not any harmful microbes.
  2. pH of water should be balanced.
  3. Water must have adequate amount of dissolved oxygen.

Importance of water for human body :-

  1. All the metabolic activities of the body is carried out by water. 
  2. You must drink more water if you do more physical work.
  3. Metabolism of body works in a proper way if adequate amount of water is drunk.
  4. Toxic elements comes out of the body by drinking 8-10 glass of water per day, and the body remains diseases free.
  5. Adequate amount of water in the body makes the body healthy and energetic, and the body does not feel tired.
  6. Water maintains adequate amount of fibers in the body that improves our immunity power and susceptibility to diseases decreases.
  7. Unnecessary fat don't get deposited in the body if abundant water is drunk.
  8. Sufficient intake of water reduces the chances of any kind of allergy to the body.
  9. In addition to that infection to lungs, asthma and intestinal diseases also do not occur. Regularly drinking lot of water also avoids the danger of calculus.
  10. Drinking of water protects us from disease like common cold

Side effects of contaminated water :-

  1. Many diseases grips us if the potable water is contaminated.
  2. These diseases are caused by the presence of pathogenic microorganism in the water, which enters into the body with water.
  3. The main pathogens are viruses, bacteria, protozoa and worms.
  4. These pathogens causes cholera, dysentery like diseases and can easily affect anyone.
  5. Contaminated water can cause many communicable diseases.
  6. It may also cause dangerous diseases like hepatitis, flu, typhoid, jaundice etc.

Dracunculiasis :-

  1. Dracunculiasis was once a serious problem in Rajasthan.
  2. A worm Dracunculiases medinensis is the causing agent.
  3. The female always lays its eggs inside water out of the hosts (Human) body.
  4. This disease spread to other people if the contaminated water is used for drinking.
  5. No patient of dracunculiasis has been found after the year 2000, because of the efforts made by Naru abolition program. "

Effort for save water from contaminated :-

  1. To stop its re-emergence and to rescue from water born diseases drinking water should be filtered, boiled and cooled before use.
  2. Bathing, washing clothes in rivers, ponds should be prohibited 
  3. The water reservoirs should be cleaned frequently because "Healthy tomorrow is where, there is healthy water”

Obesity :-

Obesity is that condition when excessive body fat gets accumulated in the body to the extent that it starts to have harmful effect on health. This could reduce the potential age.

Body Mass Index (BMI) :- 

  1. Body Mass Index is the ratio of human weight and height.
  2. When the BMI is between 25 to 30 Kg/m2 it is pre obesity stage
  3. When the BMI is over 30 kg/m2 than it is obesity.
  4. Obesity is associated with many diseases such as, heart disease, diabetes mellitus, sleep apnea, many types of cancer and osteoarthritis.
  5. There are many reasons for obesity the important ones are- Obesity and weight gain is due to the imbalance between intake of energy and its use.
  6. Eating high fatty food, Junk food, and synthetic food, less exercise, hypothyroidism, sedentary life style, without proper physical work, fat starts to accumulate in the body.

Blood pressure :- 

  1. Pressure exerted on the walls of the blood vessels by blood flowing in it is called Blood pressure.
  2. Arteries are those blood vessels which carries blood from the heart to all the tissues and organs in the body.
  3. Blood pressure of a person is expressed in systolic/ diastolic like 120/80.

Systolic :- 

  1. Systolic is the above number that shows pressure of arteries when the heart contracts and pumps the blood into arteries.
  2. The systolic blood pressure of a normal person is between 90 to 120 mm mercury level

Diastolic :- 

  1. Diastolic is the number below that shows the pressure of arteries when the heart relaxes and its muscles becomes loose.
  2. The diastolic blood pressure of a normal person is between 60 to 80 mm mercury level.
  3. The equipment used for measuring blood pressure is called sphygmomanometer.
  4. Stephon in 1733 measured the blood pressure of horses for the first time
  5. Coplan had defined blood pressure for first time 

Type of blood pressure :-

Low Blood Pressure :-

  1. It is when the blood pressure in your arteries and veins is abnormally low.
  2. When the blood pressure is extremely low then the oxygen and the nourishing food don't reach the important organs like heart, brain and kidneys, thus these organs stops working properly and can damage the organs permanently.

High Blood Pressure :-

  1. It is due to excessive pressure in arteries.
  2. It is caused by anxiety, anger, jealousy, confusion, eating more food than needed.
  3. Consumption of white sugar, spices, oil , ghee, pickle, sweets, meat, tea, cigarette, alcohol sedentary life and absence of exercise.
  4. Timely diagnosis of high blood pressure is important.
  5. Such patients should eat food containing potassium, like fresh fruits, packed food stuff should be avoided, amount of calcium and magnesium in food should be balanced.
  6. Eat more food item that contain fibers, saturated fats (Meat and vegetable ghee) should be reduced.
  7. In addition exercise regularly, walking for 30 minutes is the best exercise. Yoga, meditation pranayama should be done daily. smoking and drinking alcohol should be avoided.

Intoxicant and Human Health :-

  1. Many people start using narcotic substances for illusion of pleasure but slowly they gets addicted to these substances and starts using these intoxicants in more amount.
  2. Every intoxicant has its harmful side effect on the human body and makes the person, a permanent patient.
  3. Some Of the intoxicants in common use in the society and their harmful side effects are given below.

Gutkha :-

  1. It is prepared from betel nut pieces, kattha, lime, synthetic scent and thin metal sheets, tobacco is also mixed in some Gutkha.
  2. With the expansion of the pouch culture it is available in every village and molder.
  3. Ladies and children are also using it openly.
  4. Use of Gutkha not only causes economic loss but also harms physically.
  5. Muscles Of the jaws become hard and the jaws will not open properly, this is due to a disease called sub mucous fibrosis.
  6. Synthetic products present in Gutkha contain many carcinogenic substances

Alcohol :-

  1. Alcohol is manufactured in many ways, but the main component in all is ethyl alcohol (C2H5OH).
  2. Its percentage is different in different types of alcohol.
  3. The trend of consuming alcohol is increasing day by day and its side effects are emerging.

Following are the harmful side effects of using alcohol :-

  1. After drinking alcohol it reaches liver through blood. Liver converts excess alcohol into acetaldehyde, which is poisonous. control and coordination of the body is affected
  2. By the consumption of alcohol, which reduces work efficiency, probability of accident also increases.
  3. Consumption of alcohol reduces memory power, affect the nervous system.
  4. Alcohol causes fatty liver disease, which has an effect on the synthesis of protein and carbohydrates.
  5. Due to its use the economic condition of a person falls and it also hurts the persons social status

Tobacco :-

  1. It is obtained from the leaves of the plant Nicotina tabaccum, which belong to the family Solanaceae
  2. Leave contain 1 - 8% of alkaloid named nicotine
  3. Tobacco is used in many ways. Majority of people chew it with pan, (Betel leaf). Gutkha lime, sane inhale its powder or use it like paste to rub teeth and gums.
  4. Tobacco is used in bidi cigarette. cigar, chilam. hukkas or in other ways.

Following are the losses of tobacco use :-

  1. Chances of mouth. tongue. throat cancer increases by the regular use of tobacco. 
  2. Nicotine present in tobacco thickens the wags of arteries. due to which the blood pressure and heartbeat Increases.
  3. The rate of embryo development slows down if tobacco is used by pregnant women during period.
  4. Carbon mono oxide in the cigarette's smoke damages red blood cells and affects the transporting capability of the blood. 
  5. The side effects of cigarette, bidi etc. are seen only On the user but are also seen in people sitting besides the user because the nicotine containing smoke in the air reaches their lungs.

Opium :-

  1. It is obtained from the fruits of the plant Papaver somniferum.
  2. Opium is the dried latex obtained from the opium's capsule.
  3. The latex contains about 30 types of alkaloids, among them morphine, codine, nicotine, somniferine and papaverine are main.
  4. Morphine and codine are used to make painkiller medicines that's why it is cultivated.
  5. people use opium and its toxic product heroine to get the feeling of peace and happiness.
  6. Offering opium is a common custom in the rural areas on occasion of mourning or happiness.
  7. mothers in rural areas gives opium to their small children for sleeping. Whatever the reason may be, use of opium makes a person addicted.
  8. Initially less quantity is taken but gradually the person is forced to increase its quantity.
  9. people are addicted to drinking boiled opium dried capsule (fruit).
  10. A person continues to remain sick because of his decreased immunity power, ultimately the person dies untimely.

Other Intoxicant substances :-

  1. Cocaine, cannabis, charas, hemp, hasis, LSD (lysergic acid diethyl amide) etc. are also intoxicants in trend.
  2. Young people start to use these for many reasons or get caught in this.
  3. Distance from family, increased criminal tendency, physical and mental weakness are the harmful side effects of using these product.

Adulteration of food product :-

  1. During the manufacturing of the cold drinks phosphoric acid is mixed in it, which directly affects the teeth. it has the capacity to even dissolve the iron.
  2. The chemical ethylene glycol mixed in it does not allow the water to freeze even at zero degree. commonly it is called as “Sweet poison”
  3. Boric, erithorbic and benzoic acid collectively increases the acidity of cold drinks. which causes burn in stomach, indigestion sensation in brain, irritability and acidity. It also hinders the development of bones.
  4. 0.4 PPS lead is mixed in cold drink which is hazardous for brain, liver and muscles.
  5. Caffeine mixed in it causes Insomnia and headache.
  6. Now a day milk too has also become a sample of adulteration inspite of being healthy.
  7. It has more ill effect than benefits. People are drinking urea, detergent. soda, poster colour, oil in the name of milk.
  8. The condition of edible Oil and ghee in the market is also very bad. Seeds of argimone. cheap palm oil are mixed in mustard oil.
  9. It is common practice to mix vegetable ghee in native ghee, brick powder in chili powder. artificial green colour on fennel, lead chromate and yellow soil in turmeric, Sulphur in chili and coriander, papaya seeds are mixed in black pepper. 
  10. for fresh appearance, and bright color in fruits and vegetables, lead and copper solution is sprayed and silver nitrate is sprayed on cauliflower for whiteness.
  11. Khansari dal is mixed in gram and tur dal, corn flour in gram flour.
  12. pulses and rice are artificially polished. Such colors are used in sweets which can lead to cancer and can bring deformities.
  13. Fake mava is coming into market.
  14. With reference to safe food the main law in India is prevention of food adulteration act of 1954.
  15. The rule 65 of this law regulates the adulteration of insecticides and adulteration in food products.