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SSC
BIOLOGY
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Dietary Deficiency
Diseases
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Introduction
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Who suffers from malnutrition, a skinny
person or a fat person?
Could be either. Even a person of moderate
weight could be malnourished. |
| Malnutrition is not just
lack of food (a very common belief) but is also
an excess intake of food. It could also be due to
consuming the wrong sort of food! |
| Though you may feel starving is worse than
gorging oneself, both have their bad
effects. |
| It
is just that the problem of under nutrition is more
commonly known. |
| Over
nutrition is excess intake of any or
all food groups. This sort of malnutrition is
fast increasing in cities and developed
countries. |
| Malnutrition is not just lack of food, but
also a lack or imbalance of certain nutrients in
the diet. |
| A
poorer person might suffer from insufficient
protein, being unable to afford protein rich
foods or from ignorance. |
| In
India, some African countries and other less
developed countries, babies, children and their
mothers suffer from severe malnutrition. Right
from the time of birth, in fact even before
birth, the growing foetus may not get the right
food for growth and development, if the mother
herself is undernourished. Physical growth is
slow and stunted. The first few years of a
child's life determine its mental growth.
Inadequate proteins and vitamins, irreparably
hamper or damage the development of the
brain. |
Carbohydrates, being cheaper, are often consumed
instead of protein rich food. Proteins form the
cells and tissues of our bodies. There are twenty
basic amino acids, which in various combinations
form different proteins. Proteins are the basic
building materials of our body. Now did you know,
for proteins to be built up in the body, the food
you eat must contain all these basic amino acids
at the same time otherwise it is worthless? I
mean, unless all the amino acids are present in
your food at the same meal proteins cannot be
built up. That is why vegetarians include two or
three different dals in the same meal.
Traditional wisdom. The Red Indians always had a
mixture of corn (makai) and peanuts. |
So
anyone who has only one vegetable protein source
is not getting the benefit of it, because other
essential amino acids may be totally absent in
this source. Milk, meat and eggs supply us with
all these, but then there are different health
issues that arise regarding consumption of animal
protein (like excess fat and cholesterol).
Vitamins and mineral are present in minute
amounts in vegetables, fruits, nuts and animal
products. These compounds, though present in tiny
amounts in their source, can drastically disrupt
body functions. If less vitamins are ingested
(hypovitaminosis) or taken in excess
(hypervitaminosis), different problems arise.
Rickets, night blindness, pellagra and scurvy are
common disorders of hypovitaminosis.
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| Even rich people may suffer from
malnutrition. Not because of being unable to
afford things, but having too much junk food and
quick meals and less of fresh vegetables and
fruits. Nowadays, in cities it is difficult to
take the time to prepare a balanced, well thought
out meal. |
| So
in this case, malnutrition has nothing to do with
the financial state of the family, but more
because of a hurried, busy lifestyle and
irregular meal times. |
| How many of us at work, college or school
think we can substitute a proper meal with a cup
of tea or coffee or vada pav? You have done it
and I have done it hundreds of times, all through
college, preferring to get home in the evening
and have lunch at six! Naturally, being out of
the house, when my body asked for food, I
pacified it with tea and then stuffed myself with
lunch just three hours before dinner.
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| The sugar in the tea gives some energy, but
just calories without other nutrients are not
enough. |
| Just calories without nutritional value are
called 'empty calories'. |
| A
lot of us survive on a hurried breakfast, skip
lunch and try and make up for it at dinner
time. |
| This is not very healthy. You cannot stuff
yourself with the whole day's food in one
go! |
| Timing matters too; disruption of the body's
regular mealtimes has serious effects on the
health – weakness, indigestion, etc. |
| The thali is found to be the healthiest, most
balanced meal. A thali has a little of everything
– all the nutrient groups – carbohydrates,
proteins, fats, vitamins, minerals and
water. |
| What is finally important is a balanced,
simple diet, with less of processed, manufactured
food stuffs, and exercise. |
| And what is most important, respect your body
and treat it well, it is the only one you
have! |
