The Inside Story

about Nutrition and

Health
Unit 2

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 Nutrition in the Context of Overall Health
• The health and fitness of the human body
depend on a variety of interrelated factors:
– Genetic traits
– Environmental factors
– Lifestyle factors
– Health care
– Diet

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 Conditions that Contribute to Death

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 The Nutritional State of the Nation
• Nutritional deficiency diseases such as vitamin D
deficiency (rickets) and niacin deficiency
(pellagra) were once common

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 The Nutritional State of the Nation
(cont’d.)
• Chronic diseases are slow-developing, long-
lasting diseases that are not contagious
• Today, life-style related chronic diseases are the
major causes of death:
– Diabetes – abnormal utilization of glucose by the body
and elevated blood glucose levels
– Heart disease
– Cancer
– Hypertension – high blood pressure (exceeds 140/90
mm Hg)
– High cholesterol

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 Leading Causes of Death in U.S.

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 Examples of Diseases and Disorders
Linked to Diet

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 Shared Dietary Risk Factors
• Chronic inflammation is low-grade inflammation
that lasts long term
• Oxidative stress is a condition in which cells are
exposed to more oxidizing molecules than
antioxidant molecules
• Osteoporosis is a condition in which bones
become fragile and susceptible to fracture due
to a loss of calcium and other minerals

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 Shared Dietary Risk Factors (cont’d.)
• Dietary risk factors for many diseases are
associated with development of chronic
inflammation and oxidative stress
• Examples include:
– Heart disease, diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease,
osteoporosis, cancer, other chronic diseases

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 Inflammation and Oxidative Stress
• Free radicals are chemical substances (often
oxygen-based) that are missing electrons
– They are reactive and prone to oxidizing nearby
molecules by stealing electrons from them
• Antioxidants are chemical substances that
prevent or repair damage to cells caused by
oxidizing agents

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 Inflammation and Oxidative Stress
(cont’d.)
• Chronic inflammation and oxidative stress are
sustained by irritants present in the body
– Excess body fat
– High intakes of saturated and trans fats
• Damage can be reduced by:
– Loss of excess body fat
– Eating foods containing omega-3 fatty acids and
antioxidants

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 Foods Associated
with Inflammation and Oxidative Stress

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 Nutrient-Gene Interactions and Health
• Isothiocyanates (in cabbages and other related
vegetables):
– Involved in the prevention of cancer development
– Appear to block mechanisms that promote tumor
development
• Individuals carrying certain types of genes that
lead to the rapid breakdown of isothiocyanates
and related compounds:
– Are more susceptible to cancer development than
others who break down these substances slowly

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 Nutrient-Gene Interactions and Health
(cont’d.)
• One contributing genetic factor to obesity
appears to be the form of the FTO gene present
that participates in processes that regulate
appetite and food intake
• People with the “high-risk” form of the FTO gene
experience a 20% higher lifetime risk of
becoming overweight or obese compared to
those who have the “low-risk” form of the gene

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 The Importance of Food Choices
• People tend to choose energy-dense, nutrient-
poor foods, including processed foods that pose
great risks to health
– High in saturated fat, salt, sugar
– Low in fiber, vegetables, fruits

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 Diet and Diseases of Western
Civilization
• Chronic diseases prevalent in the U.S. and other
Western countries have roots in dietary changes
over past centuries
– Diets high in animal fat, salt, and sugar and low in
vegetables, fruits, and whole grains

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 Our Bodies Haven’t Changed
• Then: during first 200 centuries of human
existence
– Constantly on the move, pursuing wild game or
following the seasonal maturation of fruits and
vegetables, feasts followed by famine
• Now: foods are processed
– Gathering food is not strenuous; feasts are not
followed by famine

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 Hunter-Gatherers
• Early humans survived by hunting and gathering, with
periods of famine

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 Disconnect Between Diets Then and
Now

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 Our Bodies Haven’t Changed (cont’d.)
• Human body built to function best on the
following diet:
– Low in sugar and sodium
– Contains lean protein
– High in fiber, vegetables, and fruits

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 Different Diets, Different Disease Rates
• Disease rates change as countries adopt
Western diets
• Japanese have the longest life expectancy
• When Japanese adopt a Western diet:
– Life expectancy goes down
– Diabetes, heart disease, and cancer rates go up

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 Life Expectancy at Birth

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 Typical Japanese Foods

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 Diabetes in Japanese Men

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 The Power of Prevention
• Although heart disease is still the leading cause
of death in the U.S., its rate has declined by over
50% in the last 30 years
• Future gains in heart health among Americans
will stem from:
– Improved dietary intakes
– Declines in rates of overweight and obesity
– Increased physical activity
– Decreased smoking

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 Improving the American Diet

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 Improving the American Diet (cont’d.)

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 What Should We Eat?
• Current food intake recommendations focus on
basic, nutrient-dense foods such as:
– Whole-grain products
– Vegetables and fruits
– Lean meats and fish
– Dried beans
• Sweets, desserts, and packaged snacks are not
excluded from the recommendation

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 ChooseMyPlate.gov Food Guidance

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 Nutrition Surveys: Tracking the American
Diet

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