A Healthy Diet

A HEALTHY DIET
A healthy diet is essential for good health and nutrition. It protects you
against many chronic non communicable diseases, such as heart
disease, diabetes and cancer. Eating a variety of foods and
consuming less salt, sugars and saturated and industrially-produced
trans-fats, are essential for healthy diet.
Vitamin and mineral supplements from a bottle simply can't match all the biologically
active compounds teeming in a well-stocked pantry.
By focusing on the big picture, it's easy to get plenty of the vitamins, minerals, and other
micronutrients you need to keep you healthy and prevent disease. Here are some tips.
Fiber. It's the part of plant foods that we can't digest. Eating foods high in fiber helps
reduce total and LDL ("bad") cholesterol, improve blood sugar control, and prevent
constipation. High-fiber foods also help with weight loss by making you feel full.
There are lots of high-fiber foods to choose from:
 brown rice
 bulgur (cracked wheat)
 barley
 oats
 nuts
 beans and lentils
 apples
 blueberries
 carrots
Vitamins and minerals. Vitamins are organic substances found in plants and animals.
Minerals are inorganic elements from the earth (soil and water). Both are essential for
normal growth and optimal health.
Here's a list of vitamins and minerals that are crucial for good health, plus the best food
sources of each:
Vitamin Deficiency Diseases
Vitamin is a micronutrient that is not prepared by the body in sufficient amounts. This is
the reason why it is necessary to take in from outside sources for the normal functioning
of the body. Inadequate intake of vitamins results in vitamin deficiency diseases.
Types of Vitamins Deficiency Diseases
A (Retinol) Night blindness
B1 (Thiamine) Beri-beri
Retarded growth, bad skin

B2 (Riboflavin)
B12 (Cyanocobalamin)
Anaemia
C (Ascorbic acid) Scurvy
Rickets
D (Calciferol)
K (Phylloquinone)
Excessive bleeding due to injury
Types of Minerals Deficiency Diseases
Brittle bones, excessive bleeding

Calcium
Phosphorus
Bad teeth and bones
Anaemia
Iron
Iodine
Goitre, enlarged thyroid gland
Copper Low appetite, retarded growth
The water-soluble vitamins include:

Vitamin C and Vitamin B complex (thiamine, riboflavin, niacin,
pantothenic acid, pyridoxine, biotin, folate, and cobalamin)
Vitamin C, or ascorbic acid, is a water-soluble vitamin. This means

that it dissolves in water and is delivered to the body's tissues but is
not well stored, so it must be taken daily through food or supplements.
Vitamins A, D, E, and K are called the fat-soluble vitamins, because they
are soluble in organic solvents and are absorbed and transported in a
manner similar to that of fats.
Following is the list of some of the vitamins and the deficiency diseases caused by
them:
Vitamin A
It is an important micronutrient that is obtained from different food sources such as
carrots, spinach, milk, egg, liver and fish. It is required for normal vision, reproduction,
growth and healthy immune system of an individual.
Most children below five years of age suffer from xerophthalmia, a serious eye disorder,
in which the child is at risk of becoming blind. Vitamin A deficiency in a pregnant woman
can lead to complications during pregnancy and childbirth.
Vitamin B
Vitamin B can be of different types, such as Vitamin B1, B2, B12 etc. The deficiency
diseases depend on the type of Vitamin B that a person is lacking.
Vitamin B1: Deficiency of vitamin B1 causes beriberi, which results in weak muscles
and severe weight loss. Acute deficiency can lead to paralysis and cardiac failure.
Vitamin B6: Lack of vitamin B6 causes deficiency diseases such as anaemia and
certain skin disorders such as cracks around the mouth. It can also lead to depression
and nervous breakdowns.
Vitamin B12: Lack of vitamin B12 causes pernicious anaemia. Other diseases related
to B12 deficiency are muscle and nerve paralysis, extreme fatigue, dementia and
depression.
Vitamin C
Deficiency of vitamin C can cause scurvy, a disease that is characterised by bleeding
gums, skin spots and swelling in joints. It also affects the immune system and can even
be fatal in acute conditions.
Also Read: Scurvy
Vitamin D
Vitamin D deficiency causes rickets, which leads to the weakening of bones, especially
near the joints. It can also lead to the decay of teeth.
Vitamin K
Vitamin K is important for blood coagulation. Its deficiency is common in infants and
leads to excessive bleeding due to the inability to form blood clots.
Also Read: Food Deficiency
Mineral Deficiency Diseases

Minerals are inorganic nutrients that include trace elements such as copper, zinc,
iodine, and iron, along with the micronutrients such as calcium, potassium, magnesium
and sodium.
Following is the list of a few minerals along with the deficiency diseases associated with
them:
Iodine
Iodine is the most important element required for the brain development of the
developing fetus. It is responsible for a number of other functions such as the
production of hormones. Salt is an important source of iodine in many countries. The
deficiency of iodine leads to goitre.
Iron
Iron, in the form of haemoglobin, carries oxygen from the lungs to different tissues of the
body. Iron deficiency causes anaemia, a condition in which the blood is unable to carry
the required oxygen to the tissues, which also results in death. Around 40-60% of
infants in developing countries suffer from mental impairment due to iron deficiency.
Red meat, spinach, poultry, etc. are some of the iron-rich foods.
Prevention of Deficiency Diseases

The deficiency diseases can be prevented in the following manner:
 Eating simple, wholesome food such as groundnut, soybean, pulses, etc.

 Prolonged cooking and undercooked food lose their nutritional value. Keeping cut vegetables
and fruits for a longer period also destroys their nutritional value. Avoiding this can prevent
deficiency diseases.
 Fermentation and sprouting retain and increase the nutritional value of food.

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A HEALTHY DIET

Types of Vitamins Deficiency Diseases

A (Retinol) Night blindness

Retarded growth, bad skin

C (Ascorbic acid) Scurvy

Types of Minerals Deficiency Diseases

Brittle bones, excessive bleeding

Copper Low appetite, retarded growth

The water-soluble vitamins include:

Vitamin C, or ascorbic acid, is a water-soluble vitamin. This means

Also Read: Scurvy

Also Read: Food Deficiency

Mineral Deficiency Diseases

Prevention of Deficiency Diseases

 Eating simple, wholesome food such as groundnut, soybean, pulses, etc.

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