Get Healthy The Bridge to Better Health is Better Nutrition You cannot have good health if you do not consume food that is nutritional. How does nutrition, with its vitamins, minerals and other nutritional compounds promote a healthier lifestyle? Professor Mike Golden, who works with United Nations agencies involved in malnutrition, says much of the problem with nutrition is not the quantity of food, but the quality of food we eat, with people needing about 40 different nutrients to be healthy. The combination of vitamin D and calcium brings a remarkable reduction in cancer risk. Potassium is essential for the functioning of the brain and nerves, and significantly lowers the risk of a stroke. Finally, proteins are necessary for the basic building blocks – amino acids – of all of our body cells. Organic nutrients include carbohydrates, proteins or amino acids, lipids, and vitamins. Inorganic nutrients include minerals. Water is sometimes included in a listing of nutrients. Vitamin A acts as a shield against eye disease, skin disease, heart ailments, diarrhea, and many other ailments. Vitamin C fights a host of illnesses including colds and the flu while supporting the cardiovascular system. Calcium is necessary in building strong bones and teeth, plus it helps prevent osteoporosis. Interaction between nutritional compounds is necessary for health in all ways. Vitamins cannot function without minerals. Without minerals, your body can’t function. Vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients are best absorbed and used by the body when they are derived from natural sources (plants and animals) and are present in naturally occurring complex compounds, not as separate compounds as formulated in pills. A new review involving dozens of studies of the antioxidant vitamins A, E and C, confirms this, finding the popular supplements don’t help you live longer. As a result, some researchers now believe antioxidants work only when they are in food. Alice Lichtenstein, a professor of nutrition science and policy at Tufts University, not involved with the review, says the study’s main message is: “Rely on food to get your nutrients.” The human body requires 20 amino acids to grow, build, and maintain cells. Amino acids are the building blocks of protein. Amino acids relate to proteins as letters of the alphabet relate to words.
Posted on: Fri, 05 Jul 2013 15:44:16 +0000
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