Diet and Health

Rickets Causes Diet lacking in calciferol and where little calciferol can be made in the skin through exposure to sunlight; Diet may also lack sufficient calcium.

Symptoms Bones weakened; Weight of upper body on legs causes them to bow.

Anaemia Causes Diet lacking in one or more of Iron; Folic acid; Cyanocobalamin; Malaria parasite which destroys red cells; Inherited sickle cell disease.

Symptoms Reduced red blood cell count; Lack of energy.

Osteoporosis

Symptoms Bones become weak and brittle.

Causes Loss of calcium from bones; May be affected by dietary deficiencies in calcium and calciferol; More common in women after menopause due to decrease in estrogen levels.

Food Additives

Chemical food additives include Preservatives Antioxidants Colourings Flavourings Stabilisers Acidity regulators Preservative Sulfur dioxide Control of bacteria, yeasts and moulds; Used in dried foods, sausages, wine; May cause serious reaction in asthmatics who are sensitive to aspirin and related compounds. Preservative Nitrites and Nitrates Control of Clostridium botulinum, a dangerous bacterium, in the anaerobic conditions in some foods such as bacon and fish. May be converted in gut to carcinogenic (cancer-causing) compounds. Artificial Colourings Sunset Yellow (an azo dye) Possible adverse reactions such as asthma and skin rash in susceptible people.

Diet and Health

Diet and Health

Diets rich in lipids Key facts Excess storage of fat causes overweight and possibly obesity (excessive overweight); Fatty deposits in arteries (atherosclerosis) narrows vessel increasing blood pressure and stress on heart leads to coronary heart disease (CHD); Atherosclerosis can cause blood clots to form which block arteries causing tissue death and possible amputation; Blockage of coronary arteries causes heart attack. Surgery may be required to repair or replace vessels. H Saturated fatty acids Key points H C No double bonds; Mainly from animals; H Converted to cholesterol; Higher blood cholesterol levels may lead to CHD; H C H H C H H C H H C H H C H H C H H C H COOH

Unsaturated fatty acids H H Key points One or more double bonds; H C Molecules with large numbers of double bonds are called C C C C polyunsaturated; H H Mainly from plants; Some forms of polyunsaturated fatty acids may lower blood cholesterol

H C H C

H C H COOH

Key point Genetic factors alter the effect of levels of saturated and unsaturated fatty acids in the diet. Cholesterol The liver synthesises sufficient cholesterol for use in the body.

Cholesterol

Synthesis of steroid hormones estrogen progesterone testosterone

Synthesised in the liver

Used in -

Membrane structure
(See Core Guide page 9.)

Additional Dietary Cholesterol Key points Only 25% of blood cholesterol from diet; 75% blood cholesterol synthesised by liver; Cholesterol in diet has little effect on level of cholesterol in blood; Dietary saturated fatty acids increase blood cholesterol.