Nutrition- is the study of food in relation to health of an
individual, community or society and the process through which food is used to sustain life and growth. - is the science of food, the nutrients and other substances therein their action, interaction and balance in relation to health and disease and the processes by which an organism ingests, digests, absorbs, transports, utilizes and excretes food substances. - the combination of processes by which a living organism receives and utilizes materials or substances needed for the maintenance of its functions and growth and renewal of its component Food- is any substance, organic or inorganic, when ingested or eaten, nourishes the body by building and repairing tissues, supplying heat and energy, and regulating bodily processes. It sustain life, second to oxygen. AS FOOD ENTERS THE BODY IT UNDERGOES A LOT OF PROCESSES… Food Quality Ideally, food must have the following qualities. 1. It is safe to eat. It is prepared under sanitary conditions, aesthetically and scientifically. 2. It is nourishing or nutritious. 3. Its palatability factors (color, aroma, flavor and texture) satisfy the consumer. 4. It has a satiety value. 5. It offers variety and planned within the socio-economic context, within the budget and suitable to the lifestyle of the person, including cultural, religious practices and other aspects. 6. It is free from toxic agents or does not contain substances deemed deleterious to health. FOODS MUST BE NUTRITIOUS,CLEAN AND PLAN WITHIN THE BUDGET IT OFFERS VARIETY… Nutrient- is a chemical component needed by the body for one or more of these three general functions: -to provide energy, to build and repair tissues and to regulate life processes. Nutrients are found chiefly in foods and normal nutrition necessitates the ingestion of nutrients from natural food sources. Some nutrients are manufactured in the body ( a process called biosynthesis) while some are made in the laboratory. NUTRIENT CLASSIFICATION 1. Nutrients may be classified according to function, chemical properties, essentially or concentration. MAN-MADE OR SYNTHETIC VITAMINS 1. According to function- maybe body-building, regulatory and furnish energy. a. Body building nutrients includes water (2/3 of the body weight), protein (1/5 or 20%), fat, carbohydrates (1/3 or 1%), and minerals (4%). b. Regulatory Nutrients includes all the six groups of the nutrients. They maintain homeostasis of body fluids and expedite metabolic processes. c. Furnish energy are carbohydrates, fat and protein. They are sometimes referred to as the “fuel nutrients”. Water, minerals and vitamins do not yield or are non-caloric nutrients. FOODS THAT BUILD AND REPAIR TISSUES REGULATES BODY PROCESSES FOODS THAT FURNISH / PROVIDES ENERGY 2. According to chemical nature, nutrients are either organic or inorganic. a. Organic substances are those carbon containing compounds with the exception of carbonate and cyanide. Organic nutrients are: protein, fat, carbohydrate and vitamins. b. Inorganic compounds are minerals and water. 3. According to essentiality, the six major nutrients are groups of individual nutrients each of which are important physiological role in the body. A nutrients that performs one function is equally as essential as another nutrients with all three functions. ALL NUTRIENTS ARE ESSENTIAL 4. According to concentration, nutrients may be termed macronutrients or micronutrients. Water, protein, fat, and carbohydrate are macronutrients since they are present in relatively large amount I n the body. Micronutrients include all the vitamins and the trace minerals, which are measured in milligrams or fraction thereof. Major minerals are also macronutrients. To be classified as a macronutrient, the concentration in the body should be above 50 parts per million or above 0.005% of body weight. The amounts vary according to factors like age, sex, body size, physical activity, stay of health and specific physiological conditions. Enzymes- are organic catalysts that are protein in nature and produced by living cells. A catalyst hastens chemical reactions without itself undergoing change. Biocatalysts like enzymes are responsible for most chemical reactions in the body. Most enzymes are recognized by the ending ase, like maltase, lipase and transaminase.
Hormones- are organic substances produced by special
cells of the body which are discharged into the blood to be circulated and brought t o a specific organs or tissues that are remote from the source or point of manufacture. They regulate vital processes which are highly specific. Nutritional Status (Nutriture) -is the condition of the body resulting from the utilization of essential nutrients. One may be classified as having good, fair, or poor nutriture depending upon the primary or secondary factors. Optimum or Good Nutrition means that the body has adequate supply of essential nutrients that are efficiently utilized such that growth and good health are maintained at the highest possible level. Malnutrition-is the opposite of good nutrition (mal- meaning “bad”). It is a condition of the body resulting from a lack of one or more essential nutrients (nutritional deficiency) or it may be due to an excessive nutrient supply to the point of creating toxic or harmful effects (ex. Over nutrition and hypervitaminosis). Nutritional deficiencies may be caused by primary factor or secondary factors. Primary factor refers to a faulty diet, ex. nutrient intake is lacking in quality and/or quantity for a given individual. Main factors that bring about faulty diet as follows: poverty, ignorance, poor food habits, limited food supply due to overpopulation or low food production, poor distribution of food, cultural taboos, and many other factors causing nutrient intake to be less than what is needed. The secondary factors are multiple, include all conditions within the body that reduces the ultimate supply of nutrients to the cells after the food goes beyond the mouth. Factors that interfere with normal digestion are: gastrointestinal disorder, lack of appetite Factors that affect metabolism and utilization in the cells are: liver diseases, malignancy, some drugs, alcoholism, toxins, diabetes mellitus etc. Factors that increase excretion and result in nutrient loss are: polyuria, excessive perspiration, certain drugs, etc. Level of nutrition considered normal for a person could be insufficient under a physiological or pathological condition and may lead to nutritional deficiency unless intake in increased or adjusted. Ex. Pregnancy, lactation, high fever, hyperthyroidism, convalescence from illness or surgery will require increased nutrient levels. Environmental factors also affect nutrient needs. For example, an extremely hot climate coupled with a very active athlete’s physical activity demand liberal nutrient needs, ex. A heavy smoker needs more vitamin C than a non-smoker. Food and Nutrition Research Institute (FNRI-DOST) recommends the following guidelines to encourage proper food and nutrition practices to ensure adequate and balanced diets to Filipinos.
1. Eat a variety of foods.
2. Breast-feed infants exclusively from birth to 4-6 months, and then give appropriate foods while continuing breast-feed. 3. Maintain children’s normal growth through proper diet and monitor their growth regularly. Monitor Children’s Growth 4. Consume fish, lean meat, poultry and dried beans. Dried Beans 5. Eat more vegetables, fruits and root crops. 6. Eat foods cooked in edible/cooking oil daily. 7. Consume milk, milk products and other calcium-rich foods, such as small fish and ark green leafy vegetables everyday. 8. Use iodized salt, nut avoid excessive intake of salty foods. 9. Eat clean and safe foods. 10. For a healthy lifestyle and good nutrition, exercise regularly, do not smoke and avoid drinking alcoholic beverages. FOOD GUIDES: THE FOOD PYRAMID A Qualitative tool in planning nutritious diets for the masses. Foods containing high levels of certain nutrients are grouped together and the serving portions are stated in household measures for the layman to understand. Three main groups are: Body-building foods, energy foods and regulating foods. The Body Building Foods supply good quality proteins, some vitamins and minerals. The Regulating Foods composed of fruits and vegetables provide vitamins and minerals, particularly ascorbic acid and pro-vitamin A. The Energy Foods, composed mostly of rice and other cereals, starches, sugars and fats, contribute the bulk of calories. Some fat or oil supply also essential fatty acids and fat-soluble vitamins. Nutritional Guidelines are intended to:
1. Provide the general public with recommendations
about proper diet and wholesome practices to promote god health for themselves and their family.
2. Provide those concerned with nutrition
information and education with a handy reference for their counselling and educational services. NUTRITIONAL LABELING
Food labels are the primary means of
communication between the producer or the manufacturer and the purchaser or consumer.
Nutrition labelling is a description intended to
inform the consumer of nutritional properties. It consists of two components: nutrient declaration and supplementary nutrition information. Purposes of Nutrition Labelling To ensure that the nutrition labelling is effective, the following guidelines are as follows: 1. Consumer to make a wise choice by reading the label. 2. Manufacturer of producer to convey the nutrient content or information on the label. 3. Manufacturer not to mislead or deceive consumers and that, no nutrition claims are made without approval by appropriate authorities. Nutrient Labelling in the Philippines The Bureau of Food and Drug of the Department of Health is responsible for nutrition labelling.
Consumers should not buy packaged
goods not properly labelled, unless one assumes the risk or responsibility of any future hazard of eating the food. The label must include an address of the manufacturer or distributor in case this information is needed later on.