Why Poor Nutrition
Can Lead to Disease
To truly understand why a poor diet
and a lack of proper nutrition can
make the body sick, it is important
to first know how the body works. The
body is a really wonderful organism
capable of extraordinary feats of strength,
endurance and resilience. However,
for a body to reach the height of its
incredible abilities it must be appropriately
cared for, nourished and strengthened
through exercise and diet.
For the body to function properly
it needs a diet containing the following
nutrients:
Carbohydrates are broken down by the
body into glucose and burned to give
the body energy. The excess glucose
is stored as glycogen in the muscles.
Without carbohydrates the body must
draw on other sources of energy to
fuel itself such as proteins and fats.
Although adequate, these alternate
fuel sources are far from efficient
and result in tiredness, lethargy and
a lack of concentration. Carbohydrates
should form the greatest part of a
person’s diet.
Proteins are needed to build and repair
muscles. Contrary to popular belief,
you do not need large quantities of
protein to get strong, healthy muscles.
Since the body cannot store protein,
any excess protein is either eliminated
or turned into fat.
Everybody needs fats in small amounts
for their bodies to function normally.
In fact, roughly 30% of a person’s
diet should consist of fats. It is
the kind of fat that you ingest that
is crucial to your health. The two
fats to avoid are saturated, which
are derived from animal parts and hydrogenated,
derived from vegetables. These two
fats are high in cholesterol and calories
and are not recommended for daily consumption.
Different vitamins and different minerals
are important for different systems
when it comes to keeping the body healthy.
Each vitamin and mineral has its own
role to play in helping us stay fit
and they work together in a harmonious
whole to balance and regulate our entire
organism. A deficiency in any one vitamin
or mineral can result in unwanted side
effects.
With our health balanced so tightly
on getting the correct amounts of each
nutrient, it is easy to see how a lack
in one can have serious repercussions.
Some of the more common diseases that
have been directly related to poor
nutrition are as follows: Cardiovascular
disease (thought to be caused by eating
saturated and transfats), Some forms
of cancer, Diabetes, Beriberi, Rickets,
Scurvy, Vitamin deficiency disease,
Poor immune system functioning, Osteoporosis
All of us can protect ourselves from
the above-listed disease and conditions
by eating a proper diet.
How? Well, since the body needs a
balance of all the nutrients found
in a great variety of foods to survive,
the elimination of one of those nutrients
will result in a weakened condition.
For example, since vitamin C is essential
for the our bodies to produce collagen,
connective tissue and protein fibres,
which make our teeth, gums, muscles,
blood vessels and skin strong. Without
it muscles lose their elasticity and
slowly the person loses the use of
their muscles altogether. It is the
reason why poor nutrition will lead
to disease and illness.
The medical community is finally accepting
that the best way to fight disease
is through prevention and not cure.
By keeping our bodies healthy through
our diets we can eliminate many of
the serious health concerns that we
now face as a society. Although the
analogy has often been used, to say
that our bodies are like cars is true.
Just as cars need the proper fuel,
care and fine tuning to constantly
be in good shape, so too our bodies
need the proper care to last.
Having the proper nutrition will not
only keep your body healthy and strong,
but will also keep your mind sharp
and focused. With so many benefits
to be had from a healthy diet consisting
of the proper foods and nutritional
supplements, people will soon realize
what they have been missing!
* Food and Drug Administration, NEWS 06/10/1993; P93-23; http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/NEWS/NEW00410.html
* VIC; The Importance of Vitamins in Everyday Life; http://www.nutrivit.org/vic/vitamins/index.htm
* Nutrition: Medicine of the Future; http://www.trans4mind.com/nutrition/#Medicine
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