Table of contents |
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Food |
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Nutrition |
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Diet |
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Malnutrition |
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What do different Food Items Contain? |
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Test for Starch |
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Test for Protein |
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What do Various Nutrients do to our Body? |
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Balanced Diet |
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Deficiency Diseases |
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We eat different types of vegetables, fruits, cereals and pulses. We all eat food to obtain energy for our daily activities. There are different components of food and each of these components is required by our body to perform different cellular activities.
It is the group of edible substances which provide energy to living beings and repair the old tissues and build the new tissues.
The process of consuming nutrients required for the growth and development of our body and to obtain energy is known as nutrition.
A nutrient rich diet
It is the amount of food eaten by a person at a time.
If a person does not get adequate food or if his/her diet does not contain all the nutrients, he or she becomes weak. When the body does not get adequate nutrition, it is said to be suffering from malnutrition.
Different Nutrients
Starch Test on Potato
Test for Protein
All living organisms require food. Food has six types of nutrients: carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins, minerals and water.
These are essential to perform all daily and metabolic activities.
Carbohydrates are compounds of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen, always in the ratio of 1:2:1.
Proteins are composed of carbon, hydrogen, oxygen and nitrogen.
Vegetables
Fats are composed of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen. Fats have very little oxygen content, though.
Mineral salts are needed in the diet in small quantities. These are obtained from table salt, green vegetables and fruits.
Some important minerals are:
(a) Calcium, required for:
(b) Phosphorus, required for:
(c) Iron, required for:
(d) Iodine, required for:
Vitamins are chemical substances that help maintain a healthy body. Vitamins A, D, E, and K are fat-soluble and can be stored in the body. Vitamin B complex and vitamin C are water soluble and cannot be stored for a long period of time.
(a) Vitamin A
(b) Vitamin D
(c) Vitamin E
(d) Vitamin K
(e) Vitamin B complex
(f) Vitamin C
Helps the body to get rid of toxic wastes through urine and sweat, and to absorb the nutrients in food.
A diet containing all the nutrients and other components in proper proportions is called a balanced diet.
The diet should contain a variety of food items providing different types of nutrients in adequate amounts necessary for maintaining good health. The diet should also contain a good amount of dietary fibre and water as well.
A balanced diet includes a combination of protein-rich pulses, sprouted seeds etc. with combinations of various flours and cereals for carbohydrates and fats along with fruits and vegetables which provide the necessary vitamins and minerals.
Obesity: Obesity is a medical condition that results from excess intake of fat-rich foods. The excess fat gets accumulated to such an extent that it starts negatively affecting one’s health, well-being and ability to carry out certain activities.
Diseases or disorders occur mainly due to the deficiency of one or more nutrients in the diet over a long period of time.
Example: Wheat is rich in carbohydrates, but poor in nutrients like proteins and fats. Too much intake of wheat products results in a deficiency of proteins and fats, which reduces growth.
Discolouration of Hair
Lack of proteins also results in stunted growth, skin diseases, swelling of the face and discolouration of the hair, and even causes diarrhoea. So a balanced diet is required to avoid deficiency diseases.
1. Diseases caused by deficiency of Minerals
2. Diseases caused by deficiency of Vitamins
Beriberi
Scurvy
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1. What are the main components of food? | ![]() |
2. How can one test for the presence of starch in a food item? | ![]() |
3. What do different nutrients do to our body? | ![]() |
4. What are deficiency diseases and how are they related to malnutrition? | ![]() |
5. How can one ensure a balanced diet? | ![]() |