Nutrition

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The secret is out and the experts are united on this one single most important thing you can do to prevent diseases. Eat more fruits, vegetables, beans, nuts and whole grains. These foods contain compounds that influence the makeup of our cells and enhance cell-to-cell communication and are generally great sources of anti-oxidants - chemicals that benefit our health by neutralizing harmful molecules called free radicals (see Antioxidants).

What are Nutrients ?

Nutrients are substances that are involved in the creation of every molecule in the body. The body needs more than 45 nutrients, and the ways these nutrients are used are as varied as the molecules, cells, and tissues they help to create. Carbohydrates, proteins, and fats (called macronutrients) are broken down (metabolized) to give the body energy. Vitamins and minerals (called micronutrients) are not themselves metabolized for energy, but they are crucial in helping the macronutrients convert to energy.

Many studies and researches have proved that fruits and vegetables contain hundreds of substances called phytochemicals that help in reducing the free radical damage known as oxidative stress. These phytochemicals are needed alongside fat, protein, carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals, trace elements and water to maintain good health. Some of these phytochemicals reduce oxidative stress; others dampen inflammation, detoxify contaminants and pollutants, and active enzymes that block the unbridled division of cells. Some others make it easier for nutrients to pass through cells.

Our Immune System

Our immune system guards us against viruses, bacteria, fungi, foreign proteins and abnormal cancer cells. It is a highly sophisticated and complicated interplay of many different kinds of immune cells. The basic players involved in our immune system are:

Phagocytes: Phagocytes (or Macrophages) are the Pac-Manlike white cells that are the first line of defense. They quickly attack a foreign invader (bacteria, virus) and simply gobble it up. But sometimes phagocytes are not sure if they have attached themselves to a foreign invader or not. They obviously do not want to destroy something that is part of the body. In such situations, they ask for help from T-cells.

T-helper Cells: These are a group of white cells, also known as lymphocytes. What a T-helper does is this – it attaches itself to the phagocyte and helps it in determining if the particles it has attached itself to is a friend or a foe. If the foreign body is an enemy, the T-helper cell will secrete hormones called cytokines (they stimulate the inflammatory action), and this signals the immune system to switch itself to a high gear. This further stimulates the B-cells into action and attracts more phagocytes and T-helper cells to the rescue.

B-cells: These cells shoot down an intruder with enzymes that destroy it by creating oxidative stress. Some of these B-cells shall return to the lymph nodes to create antibodies against these intruders so that if this intruder attacks again, our immune system is ready for it because of these antibodies.

Natural Killer Cells: These cells are capable of killing anything and everything that comes in their path. They achieve this by filling the infected cells by toxins and highly destructive enzymes that destroy all foreign invaders and cells that are growing abnormally, such as cancer cells.

T-suppressor Cells: These cells act like pacifiers that come along after the foreign invader has been destroyed and tries to calm down the tremendous immune response generated. If this highly explosive response is not checked, damage to the nearby tissues is imminent. This inflammatory response may cause collateral damage and to control it, T-suppressor cells are critical.

Now, one of the first things you need to know about your immune system and its forces is that it/they cannot wage a battle against foreign bodies unless they are being well nourished. Eating too few of the right nutrients can weaken your body and allow germs and disease to gain a foothold. Hence, a good diet containing optimum amount of vitamins, minerals, fiber and phytochemicals is absolutely necessary for a healthy body.

Research has shown that older people (60 to 80 bracket) with good eating habits have an immune system as sound as a 20 year old. Hence, it was proved beyond doubt that though genetic and environmental factors may do their part to gradually weaken the immune system, simple good nutrition is all you need too arrest a steep decline with advancing age.

There are umpteen number of chronic health problems (such as heart disease, obesity, cancer, and diabetes) that had start small but grew with time due to bad eating habits. Nutrient deficiencies dampen the immune system rendering you prone to illnesses. In a vicious cycle, being sick creates an increased need for immune-boosting foods.

What are Nutritional Supplements ?

The term Nutritional Supplement refers to vitamins, minerals, and other food components that are used to support good health and treat illness. For example, phytochemicals (found abundantly in tomatoes and soybeans, for example) have powerful disease-battling properties. While it's possible almost all of the time to successfully incorporate nutrients into your diet alone, supplementation can help maintain sufficient levels and produce specific desired effects. For example, supplementation with zinc supplements has been shown to reduce the duration of the common cold and decrease the incidence of acute diarrhea in children.

How do vitamins and minerals work ?

Vitamins and minerals play an essential role in the body's normal metabolism, growth, and development. They do this by helping the body to perform various tasks. For example, while a vitamin is not a source of energy in and of itself, it can provide the key the body needs to unlock energy stored in food. Some vitamins and minerals work together--such as the mineral zinc and vitamin A. Zinc enables the body to use vitamin A to promote good vision. Deficiencies in vitamin A may lead to night blindness, a condition in which the eyes have difficulty adjusting to darkness. Zinc supplementation, therefore, may prevent this condition by keeping vitamin A functioning normally. Supplementation alone, however, is not the answer to long-term good health. Combining a healthful diet with a regular exercise program and a positive mental attitude has been shown, time and again, to be the best bet for a healthy lifestyle.

Foods versus Supplements

There are generally two theories that run parallel.

First, while supplements have their place; yet by far, the easiest, least expensive and most effective way to heighten your body’s ability to fight disease is to eat a diet that is rich in immune-stimulating nutrients. These include all the important minerals, vitamins, trace elements, phytochemicals and even compounds that have not even been discovered. The theory put forward is that the nutrients from food sources are absorbed better than from pills. Also, it is understood that foods work synergistically-in other words, their health benefits are greater when they are eaten together. Hence, the notion that supplements can never replicate the benefits of a varied diet. It is also understood that an overdose of certain nutrients, like immune boosting vitamin E, an excellent antioxidant, might actually suppress immunity.

The other theory propounded by nutritional supplements supporters goes like this. They state certain facts, about a typical western developed world’s resident’s diet, for example:

The French fries and burger rich (basically, fat rich) diet of an average westerner denies him of the important nutrients. It is estimated that only 1 percent of children in the United States get the proper RDA levels of the essential nutrients from their diets. Not only are the children not getting proper nutrition for their growing bodies, they are establishing poor eating habits in childhood that usually persist into their adult years.

Then there have been concerns shown about the quality of food available today. Most of the population today suffers from dangerous diet deficiencies due to the depleted soil producing these foods. As the soils no longer have the requisite amount of minerals; fruits, vegetables and grains being raised in abundance are of no nutritive use for the public today.

It is known that five major minerals (calcium, magnesium, chloride, phosphorus and potassium) and at least sixteen trace minerals are essential for optimum health. Now as plants cannot create minerals, they must absorb them from the soil. But, as the soil itself doesn’t have these minerals, plants will not have them either.

As the organic fertilizers that can provide all of these minerals are expensive, farmers usually go for the NPK fertilizers that provide with only nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium. The already nutrient deficient crop is further stripped of vital nutrients during transportation and storage. Further processing and subsequent cooking (overcooking, freezing, keeping salads out for a long time) removes even more of the remaining nutrients. Hence, what we eat hardly contains the requisite amount of these vital nutrients. Here, step in the supplements.

As there is simply no way to achieve the optimal levels of nutrients through food, supplements become a necessity to decrease the risk of developing a chronic degenerative disease. Further, as is a common notion, a simple multivitamin daily is also not enough as multivitamins are primarily based on RDAs which are not considered enough by modern nutritionists. A significantly high amount of high-quality antioxidants, vitamins and minerals is therefore required by our body on a regular basis.

See Also

Herbal Supplements

What is Clinical Nutrition ?

Clinical Nutrition is the study of the relationship between food and the well-being of the body. More specifically, it is the science of nutrients and how they are digested, absorbed, transported, metabolized, stored, and discharged by the body. Besides studying how food works in the body, nutritionists are interested in how the environment affects the quality and safety of foods, and how these factors influence health and disease.

Researchers and scientists also continue to uncover the therapeutic role of individual nutrients in the prevention and treatment of disease. For example, antioxidants like beta-carotene, selenium, vitamin E, and vitamin C, particularly from foods, appear to protect against the development of heart disease, cancer, and other chronic degenerative diseases. Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs) have been developed to show how much of a nutrient we need every day to maximize health and lower the risk of chronic disease (in contrast to RDAs which state the minimal amount to avoid disease secondary to deficiencies).

Till a few years back, hardly 6% of the graduating physicians received any formal training in nutrition. The field of clinical nutrition has evolved into a practice that is increasingly incorporated into mainstream medical treatment. The number of medical doctors receiving training in regard to nutritional supplement was even lower. But now a renewed interest in clinical nutrition is been seen as more and more doctors turn towards it. It is actually the customer (read patients) who are the driving force behind this phenomena.

What constitutes a healthful diet ?

The optimal diet for improving health has to be individualized to meet your unique needs. The USDA food pyramid suggests that we use fat "sparingly," and that our daily diet include foods from each of the five food groups, food has been divided into. Two servings of dairy products (milk, yoghurt, cheese); one serving of meat, poultry, fish, eggs, beans, or nuts; five servings of vegetables; two servings of fruit; and four servings of bread, cereal, rice, noodles or pasta. Additionally, when used generously in cooking, many herbs and spices provide enough antioxidant power to help protect your health.

But the numbers alone don't tell the whole story. Our food needs are influenced by many factors, including age, gender, body size, pregnancy, and health. A clinical nutritionist can help you determine what type of diet is best for you.

What is clinical nutrition good for ?

Studies show that eating habits play a major role in the development of certain chronic diseases (such as heart disease, obesity, cancer, and diabetes). Dietary changes can help to both prevent and treat these conditions. Some examples include:

In hospitals, nutrition is used to improve the overall health of patients with a wide range of conditions. Examples of these conditions are AIDS, cancer, osteoporosis, lung disease, obesity, burns, metabolic disorders, and kidney, liver, and pancreatic disorders. Patients who need surgery are also supported with clinical nutrition.

Cellular Nutrition

Cellular nutrition is nothing but providing all nutrients to the cell at optimal levels. This gives freedom to the cells to decide which nutrients to absorb and which to reject depending upon the need of the hour and making of the cell itself. This approach usually corrects any nutritional deficiencies over a period of few months. Further, as the science progressed, it has become much easier now to produce nutritional supplements that provide nutrients at optimal levels.

Optimizers

Sometimes, cellular nutrition is not enough and the patient needs more nutrients. Examples include someone suffering from lasting fatigue or a chronic degenerative disease, wherein the sufferer is under even more oxidative stress. Here step in the optimizers. Optimizers are extremely potent antioxidants. Some most important optimizers are grape-seed extract, CoQ10, lutein, niacin, calcium, magnesium, zeaxanthine and glucosamine sulfate. Of these, grape-seed extract and CoQ10 are the most potent and recommended ones. All these optimizers have their own especial qualities, hence are used in different proportions or individually for different diseases.

Guidelines for choosing nutritional supplements

There are a few basic guidelines one needs to follow in order to assure that one is taking high quality supplements. It is generally recommended that you should not fall for the lowest bidder. Remember, you will never get the optimal results if you take low quality supplements.

Nutritional supplements industry is quite poorly regulated, hence it is critical that you purchase high quality supplements that are complete and balanced, if you are going to have a fair chance to protect or redeem your health.

You should make sure that the products you intend to buy are manufactured according to the highest pharmaceutical standards - using only the best quality raw ingredients from nature's medicine chest. You can get an idea from the information provided on the website of the nutritional company. One of the most important things is whether it follows Good manufacturing Practices (GMP) for pharmaceuticals. These companies produce what is called pharmaceutical-grade supplements. This means the company follows similar guidelines for producing its products as companies making over-the-counter drugs. The government does not require companies to do so, however some companies want to give their customers the assurance that they are getting what they are paying for by.

Another aspect is the reach of the company. If the company markets worldwide, it usually has to follow a very high standard in all the related spheres of business.

In the U.S., it is recommended that the company and preferably its suppliers are also registered with the FDA as accredited suppliers and manufacturers of health supplements.