A Balanced Diet?

A balanced diet: Is a meal containing adequate amounts of carbohydrates, proteins, fats , vitamins, mineral salts, water and dietary fibre, which provides the body’s daily requirements and materials for growth and repair. Water: As a general constituent of the body, water makes up about 70% of the weight of humans. It is an inorganic compound in which food molecules are digested and absorbed. As a lubricant, water is present in the synovial fluid in the capsule of synovial joints in the body; it helps reduce friction during movement. Water forms the basis of blood, tissue fluid and lymph, in which soluble substances are transported around the body. When these substances reach the cells, all chemical reactions of anabolism (building up) and catabolism (breaking down) proceed in a watery medium. Dietary Fibre: This is mainly indigestible cellulose from the cell walls of plants. Roughage provides material on which the intestine can grip for better movement of food, especially along the large intestine. Inadequate dietary fibre, resulting from insufficient vegetables and fruit in the diet, may cause constipation. The body’s daily protein and energy requirements vary in different people depending on their sex, age, occupation and the temperature of their environment (people living in warmer climates need less energy to maintain body temperature) To get a balanced diet daily, it is essential to eat a variety of foods. Inadequate amounts of some of the major classes of food can result in deficiency diseases. Kwashiorkor is common in many parts of West Africa. Young children are particularly affected if their diet does not contain enough protein. Due to retention of a lot of fluid, the stomach distends. Other symptoms are wasting away of muscles, skin discoloration, diarrhoea and anaemia. If treated early with a special high protein diet containing skim-milk powder and vegetable protein, the child can recover quickly. If prolonged, he may become backward in physical and mental development.