IMPORTANCE OF GOOD NUTRITION

What is good nutrition?

Good nutrition means your body gets all the nutrients, vitamins, and minerals it needs to work its
best. Plan your meals and snacks to include nutrient-dense foods that are also low in calories.
Good nutrition can help:

 Reduce the risk of some diseases, including heart disease, diabetes, stroke, some cancers,
and osteoporosis
 Reduce high blood pressure
 Lower high cholesterol
 Improve your well-being
 Improve your ability to fight off illness
 Improve your ability to recover from illness or injury
 Increase your energy level

IN CHILDREN

 Good nutrition for children is essential to achieve their full developmental potential.
Undernutrition has critical consequences for physical and cognitive growth and
development.
 Malnutrition leads to failure in early physical growth, delayed motor skills, cognitive and
behavioral development; it diminishes immunity and increases morbidity and mortality.
 Those children who survived malnutrition in early childhood have disadvantages
compared to those who have had adequate nutrition and a healthy living environment.

Causes of Undernutrition for Children

Under nutrition is associated with shorter adult height, less schooling, and reduced economic
productivity and women’s offspring can have lower birth weights.

Under nutrition in childhood has also been associated with an increased risk of developing
metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular disease, systolic hypertension, obesity, insulin
resistance, and diabetes in adulthood.
Malnutrition in childhood includes diminished intellectual performance, low work capacity, and
increased risk of delivery complications deficiencies, together with stunting, limit children’s
ability to realize and achieve their potential.

Importance of Nutrition for Children

 For good health & body development during the early years of life, it is important to have
proper nutrition for children.
 In case children do not eat the right amount of macronutrients such as protein, fat, and
carbohydrates and micronutrients such as vitamin A, iodine, iron and zinc, in that
scenario they can become ill or may develop mental health issues.
 Optimal nutrition and correction of nutritional deficiencies during the early years are of
particular significance as beyond two years of age, and a reversal can become very
difficult.
 However, WHO and UNICEF developed the Global Strategy for Infant and Young Child
Feeding to improve children’s development, health, and survival through optimum
feeding practices.

Nutritional Requirements for Growing Children

Macronutrients

Carbohydrates

A major energy source for all cells is carbohydrates, which are the primary source of energy for
erythrocytes and the CNS. Complex instead of simple carbohydrates will contribute to a greater
extent in the diet.
The higher intake of sugars in children can displace essential macro and micronutrients, thereby
increasing the risk of nutrient deficiencies.  Fruits consider to be a good source of simple
carbohydrate and are also rich sources of vitamins and fibre. Whole fruits instead of fruits juices
must preferably be given to children.

Proteins

Protein-energy malnutrition hampers brain, immune system and intestinal mucosal functions.
Protein requirement is necessary for infants and growing children than for adults. All the
essential amino acids must be provided through dietary intake. For children who are vegetarians
a variety of food sources, including legumes and corn, must be incorporated to meet the
requirement of essential amino acids.

Breast milk is considered a good source of proteins for infants. For children and adolescents,
milk is an important source of good quality proteins in addition to other animal and vegetables
food sources. Overall, for children, almost 10% to 35% of total calories will come from proteins.

Fats

In addition to being energy-dense, fats provide essential fatty acids and have important structural
and functional roles. Fatty acids are needed for the development of nervous system myelination
in younger children less than two years of age. Fats also facilitate absorption of fat-soluble
vitamins.

The functions of fats are important for neurological and ocular development. For children
younger than two years, 25% to 40% of total calories will come from fat, and for older children,
10% to 35% calories will come from fat.

MICRONUTRIENTS

Calcium

In the childhood and adolescence, adequate calcium intake is important for bone development
during growing years and later years of life. The dairy products such as milk are a good source of
calcium. However, recommended dietary allowances for calcium are about 600 to 800 mg/d,
higher calcium intakes during adolescence help to achieve peak bone mass.

Children who do not consume an adequate amount of milk products, calcium requirements can
be met by the other sources such as tofu, green leafy vegetables, ragi, sesame seeds and calcium-
fortified food products.

Iron

Iron deficiency is another very common problem among children and is associated with anaemia
and neurocognitive deficits. Iron present in the animal food source is more bioavailable than that
are present in plant sources. Vitamin C rich foods can promote the absorption of iron in the body.

Vitamin A

Vitamin A is also very important micronutrient as it is required for clear vision in dim light and
maintenance of epithelial tissues’ integrity. It plays a role in maintaining resistance against
common infections. Orange, yellow, and dark green fruits and vegetables are rich sources of
beta-carotene, which is the precursor of retinol.

Vitamin D

Vitamin D is critical for calcium and bone metabolism, and its adequate intake is very important
for long-term bone health. In infants, the deficiency of vitamin D can cause rickets, and other
severe deficiency can lead to hypocalcemic seizures.

NUTRITION is the process of consuming food and having the body use it as raw materials for
growth, fuel, and function.

Benefits of a Nutritious Diet

A healthy diet will give your body the right amount of energy, enough raw materials, and all the
"little helpers" you need to stay healthy. Good nutrition will also provide phytochemicals and
antioxidants that will help keep you feeling young, looking great, and perhaps even disease-free.
A healthy diet includes lots of fruits and vegetables ,some whole grains, high quality protein
enough dairy or other calcium sources and a bit of healthy fat.
Macronutrients
The foods you eat provide the energy your body needs to work. Just like you need to put fuel in
your car or recharge your cell phone battery, your body needs to be fed food that provides it
with  energy everyday.
Carbohydrates
Glucose is the body's favorite form of energy. Carbohydrates are broken down into glucose as
well as fructose and galactose. If you don't get enough carbohydrates, your body can make
glucose from protein through a process called gluconeogenesis.
If you consume too many carbohydrates, your body will convert them into fat, and store them in
your adipose tissue.
Fibre is another form of carbohydrate, but it does not break down into sugars. Fiber is present in
all plant foods and is important in the digestive process. Fiber can help both regulate blood sugar
and lower cholesterol. In turn, this may help prevent heart disease, some cancers, and obesity.
Protein
Protein comes from foods you eat and is broken down into individual amino acids. The body
uses these amino acids to build and repair the various parts of itself. Also, muscles contain lots of
protein, which needs to be replenished through diet. The body even uses protein in its immune
system, hormones, nervous system, and organs.
 Fats

The body also needs dietary fats. Fats are part of the structural building blocks of the body. They
are also responsible for absorption of fat-soluble vitamins, hormone signaling, growth and brain
development, and are important for maintaining hair and skin health. The body can also fat for
fuel especially during bouts of exercise.
Micronutrients
Micronutrients - the vitamins and minerals you get from your diet are just as important as the
carbohydrates, protein, and fats (even though you only need them in small amounts).

Micronutrients usually function as co-enzymes, which help speed up some of the body’s
chemical reactions.
A few of the micronutrients the body needs to function include:

 B-complex vitamins helps convert carbohydrates for energy.

 Vitamin A promotes vision.
 Vitamin C helps to keep connective tissue strong and the immune system functioning.
 Vitamin D is essential for proper calcium uptake.
 Zinc is involved in many metabolic processes.

Calcium is probably the best-known dietary mineral lots of it are stored in your bones and
teeth. Therefore, you need it from your diet to keep your bones and teeth strong. Antioxidants
and Phytochemicals
Good nutrition provides more than energy, structural components, vitamins, and
minerals. Antioxidants are the phytochemicals in fruits and vegetables (responsible for the bright
colors) Some vitamins and amino acids even function as antioxidants as well. They help protect
the body from damage that comes from the sun, pollution, smoke and poor dietary choices.
Phytochemicals are antioxidants found in plant-based foods. Although they aren't required for
body function, they may have a very powerful impact on your health. For example, quercetin
(found in red-apples) operates like an antihistamine and has an anti-inflammatory effect.