Health and Fitness

Fats have always been associated with calories. Dietary fats play a vital role in your health and they should be included in your diet but within the recommended limit. Fats are high energy foods that provide 9 kcal of energy per gram of fat  in contrast to carbohydrates or proteins that provide only 4 kcal of energy. Proteins are largely spared from being used by the body to supply energy, as long as fat is present. Besides supplying energy, fats serve as mode of transport for the fat soluble vitamins A, D, E and K. Fats support vital organs of the body like the heart, kidneys and the intestine. Fat is present underneath the skin which acts as an insulator against cold. But above all, the food becomes more palatable with the use of fat.

Fats are linked with weight gain and obesity. The US dietary guidelines restricted the intake of fats in diet as not more than 30 % of the total calorie intake for both adults and children. The reason was to prevent them from becoming obese, possible heart and other diseases. But it was seen that children having a low fat and low cholesterol diet failed to grow properly and on the contrary they became more prone to heart diseases. Children need a high amount of fat in their diet throughout for their proper growth and development of muscles, bones and brain.

Diets rich in EFAs reduce the chance of heart disease. Animal fats help to provide vitamin D and A and omega fatty acids that are required for the assimilation of protein, development of immunity to fight against infections, development of brain and vision, also the development of sexual functions and fertility is influenced by fat.

Eat Fiber block Fat

Fiber is the indigestible portion of all plants, its found in their cell walls and fiber provides the structural support to the plant. Dietary fiber comes from plant foods like grains, beans, fruits and vegetables. Animal products do not contain this dietary fiber. Most of the fiber rich foods are found to contain soluble and insoluble forms of fiber. Fibers, mainly the soluble fibers are medically potent as cholesterol reducers and help regulate blood sugar. While the insoluble forms of fiber are potent laxatives.

According to health experts diets consisting of more fiber help weight loss. The reasons fiberous foods fight against fat are,

• Fiber controls the intake of sugar and fat
• Fiber helps to regulate the level of blood sugar
• Fiber has a fat binding property

Most dietary fibers have zero calories in them. They have low sugar and fat content. So when you fill your stomach with fiber rich foods, there will be less space for fatty foods. As a  high fiber diet requires longer for food breakdown you do not feel hungry. The fibers bind to the fat you eat and help to remove them from your body before they are stored on your body as fat. Less Nutrients are absorbed from the food into your bloodstream as fiber slows down the production of insulin after a meal. Cholesterol is produced in our body by the liver. Food also provides a smaller portion of it. But as fat is blocked in the intestine by the fiber, most of the cholesterol does not get absorbed. Even the fat soluble vitamins are blocked by the fiber along with the fat.

Fluorine is an element that is most abundantly found in nature. Being highly reactive it is only found in a combined form and not in elemental gaseous form. Fluorine is very essential for our body as it maintains the proper mineralization of the bones and helps to form the enamel of our teeth. A major part of the element, about 96 per cent, is found in the bones and teeth of the human body.

Dietary sources

Drinking water is the main source of fluorine to humans. The level of fluorine in drinking water varies from 0.5 mg/L to 2 mg /L. In the fluorosis-endemic areas the level may be as high as 3 mg/L to 12 mg/L. Many foods also contain trace amount of fluorine. But a few foods like sea fish, tea, and cheese have a rich content of fluorine in them.

Dietary deficiency/ excess

Proper balance of fluorine intake is very necessary as it is like a two edged sword. Deficiency of fluorine can cause dental caries whereas, in excess of the daily recommended dose of fluorine may lead to a condition of the bones and teeth called fluorosis. However, fluoride is the most effective means that can prevent dental caries in human.

Requirement

 In the areas where water intake is more the recommended level of fluorine in water is 0.5 to 0.8 mg/L. In the temperate climates the accepted level is 1 to 2 mg/L, as the water intake is low in these areas.

Vitamins what they do and why you need them

All the vitamins with an explanation of why you need them, recommended amounts and deficiency symptoms.

Vitamin A For healthy eyesight amongst other things.
Vitamin B1 Thiamine A water soluble Vitamin.
Vitamin B2 Plays a major role in the process of cellular oxidation.
Vitamin B6 Pyridoxine One of the most important vitamins among the Vitamin B complex.
Vitamin B12 Helps in the synthesis of DNA.
Vitamin C The most famous vitamin, found in oranges amongst other things.
Vitamin D For strong bones.
Vitamin E Tocopherol a natural antioxidant.
Vitamin K Helps blood clot.
Niacin Essential for the proper functioning of the nervous system, skin, and intestines.
Pantothenic acid An organic acid that serves many physiological functions.

All the above Vitamins help make up a healthy balanced diet.

The pharmaceutical preparation of folates is called folic acid. It is alternatively known as folacin. Folic acid plays a vital role in the production of nucleic acid which makes the chromosome. It is also required by the body to help in the development of blood cells in bone marrow. Folates are found in two different forms in foods, they are free folates and bound folates. The free folates are easily absorbed in the body from the small intestine while regarding the availability of the bound folates, it is uncertain.

Dietary sources

The name is derived from the Latin ‘folia’ meaning leaf, so the leafy vegetables are obviously a rich source of folates. However, other sources like meat, liver, eggs, milk and other dairy products, cereals and fruits are equally good sources of it.

Deficiency disorders

Overcooking generally destroys folates present in the foods leading to folate deficiency. It can also occur from a poor diet intake. During pregnancy and lactation the requirement increases and can cause megaloblastic anemia, glossitis, cheilosis, and some other disorders like diarrhea, flatulence and distention. Severe folate deficiency can cause infertility, abortions and birth defects in the fetus.

Requirement

Body storage of folates is not large. It is required largely in the growing children and during pregnancy. It reduces the chance of low birth weight babies. Daily recommended doses are

 Why do I need Zinc in my Diet?

Zinc is an important trace element that is required actively in the metabolism of protein and carbohydrates. It is an active component of various enzymes. Most importantly zinc is required in our body for the production of insulin by the pancreas and for the proper functioning of the immune system. All tissues of the human body contain zinc in small amounts. About 1.4 to 2.3 mg of zinc is present in an average adult body.

Dietary sources

Zinc is widely available in many food stuffs. Both animal and vegetable foods contain zinc but the bio availability of zinc from plant sources is low. Dependable sources of zinc are found in dietry consumption of foods from animal origin like fish, meat and milk.

Deficiency disorder

Although little data is available showing the prevalence of zinc deficiency, there are reports to suggest that zinc deficiency may be common in man. Reports suggest that zinc deficiency causes loss of taste, sexual infantilism in adolescents, growth failure and delayed wound healing. Also low levels of zinc in blood circulation are found in the disorders like myocardial infarction, liver diseases, pernicious anemia and thalassaemia.

 Daily recommended dose

The daily intake for an average adult is about 15.5 mg. For the pregnant and the lactating women and also the growing children need a higher dose of zinc.

Iodine is an essential micronutrient which helps in the formation of two different hormones – Triiodothyronine (T₃) and thyroxine (T₄). In minute quantity, iodine helps in the growth and development of the human body.The Adult human body usually contains about 50 mg of iodine. The normal blood level of iodine is 8-12 micrograms/dl.

Dietary sources

Sea foods are by far the richest sources of iodine. Any sea fish, sea salt, cod liver oil, halibut liver oil contain sufficient amount of iodine. Other foods like meat, beef, vegetables and cereals are also good source of iodine. More than 90% of the total iodine intake comes from the food we take; rest comes from drinking water.

There are some substances called ‘Goitrogens’ – which interfere with the uptake of iodine by the thyroid gland. Thus, enough amount of thyroid is not produced leading to a disease called ‘Goitre’. The brassic groups of vegetables (cauliflower, cabbage etc.) contain goitrogens.

Deficiency

The most important disease in iodine deficiency state is called ‘Goitre’. There is less amount of thyroxin hormone in the blood, growth retardation, hypotension, cretinism, dwarfism and mental retardation are the main features of a goitrous state.

Daily requirement

A healthy young adult requires about 150 micrograms of iodine daily, which mainly comes from his food intake.

Calcium constitutes one of the major minerals in your body. Normal blood levels of calcium are about 10 mg/dl. A dynamic equilibrium exists between calcium level of blood and the bones. This is maintained by the composite action of Vitamin D, parathyroid hormone and the calcitonin hormone.

Calcium in the ionized form plays very important roles in our body. It helps in the formation and maintaining strength of bones and teeth, a key ingredient in the process of blood coagulation and muscle contraction, cardiac contractility and production of milk. In our retina, calcium plays a crucial role in transforming light to electrical impulses. In short, calcium ions are responsible for many vital life processes ranging from muscle contraction to division of cells.

Sources

Milk and its products like curd, cheese, skimmed milk are the richest sources of Calcium. Among other sources are eggs, fish and meat products of which also give us a good amount of calcium.

Although the cheapest dietary source of calcium comes from green leafy vegetables like spinach and amaranth, the complex process of absorption in the gastrointestinal system due to presence of oxalic acid in these products makes a lesser amount of available calcium in the blood.

Deficiency of calcium

There are no particular merits or demerits of prolonged deprivation of calcium in our body.

Daily requirements of Calcium

In adults, daily intake of 400 to 500 mg of calcium is essential for normal functions of our body.

One of the essential minerals in our body is iron. It plays vital role in several bodily reactions. Each adult person bears about 3-4 grams of iron in his or her body most of this is found in the hemoglobin (about 60-70%). The rest is stored in the liver and other body parts.

Functions of Iron

The single most important function of iron is in the formation of the blood corpuscle – Red Blood Cell. It also takes part in the development in the brain tissues along with its function, muscular activity, regulation in the body temperature and metabolic process of catecholamines.

Deficiency of iron directly hampers the immune system as there is reduced production of T- lymphocyte cells and antibodies. Iron also helps the oxygen binding process in the blood. The key function of iron is to transport oxygen and cell respiration.

Dietary sources

Two major forms of iron is found in our food – heam iron and non-heam iron. Absorption of the former one is better. Sources of heam-iron are – liver, fish poultry products and meat. They also help in the absorption of the non-heam iron, the best sources of which are green leafy vegetables and cereals. Legumes, oilseeds, nuts and dry fruits also contain good amount of iron.

Deficiency of iron

Deficiency of iron leads to anemia, mainly microcytic hypochromic type. A peripheral blood smear can easily diagnose such a case.

Vitamin B12 has a complex structure and the compound is more of an organo- metallic one. The therapeutic form of the vitamin B12 is cyanocobalomine. The vitamin along with folate helps in the synthesis of DNA. As a result the deficiency of either of these vitamins causes megaloblastosis. However, vitamin B12 performs a separate function of synthesizing fatty acids in myelin, without using folate.

Dietary sources

Liver, meat, kidney, fish, eggs, cheese and milk are good sources of vitamin B12. Foods of vegetable origin do not contain vitamin B12. It is also synthesized in the colon by the bacteria present in the intestine. The liver stores sufficient amount of this vitamin. Vitamin B12 is relatively heat stable.

 Deficiency disorders

As liver is the main storage site of the vitamin B12, the body can supply sufficient amount of the vitamin for 1 to 3 years. Liver can store about 2 mg of the vitamin and another 2 mg is stored in other parts of the body. Due to this reserve the deficiency diseases are rarely seen. Megaloblastic anemia or pernicious anemia, infertility problems, and demyelinating neurological lesions in the spinal cord are disorders that occur due to the deficiency of vitamin B12. Generally the dietary deficiency of this vitamin is found among those who are strictly dependent on vegetarian diets and do not eat any animal products.

Daily recommended allowance