Day One - Nutrition and Disease

Nutrition is something that affects everyone, every day, whether we realize it or not.  The food we eat is what our bodies use to repair, rebuild, and refuel, and in order to keep our bodies functioning at their best, we have to be sure to provide it with the right nutrients.  Proper nutrition gives our bodies the ability to carry out the countless biochemical reactions it has to perform every day, from building tissue and healing wounds to more complex interactions like fighting disease.

Our bodies require a balance of nutrients in order to have the right components to work.  An imbalance in those nutrients can create a deficiency in a vital component needed to function, which in turn can affect numerous systems in the body.  A deficiency of calcium, for example, affects not only the formation of bone, but also affects the body's blood clotting ability, which in turn can contribute to bleeding disorders. (Thibodeau & Patton, 1997)

Improper nutrition can also set the body up for disease.  Malnutrition makes a person more susceptible to diseases such as infections, since the body’s immune system is weakened due to lack of nutrients.  It also slows wound healing and tissue generation since the body does not have enough of the raw materials needed to repair itself.  Malnutrition can cause a person’s body to turn against itself and begin breaking down organs and muscles in an attempt to find the nutrients it needs, which often results in death.

On the other side of the scale, obesity is also the result of inappropriate nutrition.  In this case, a person takes in more calories than they use on a regular basis, and the body takes the extra calories and stores them for later usage.  Many of these extra calories are stored as fat, which increases a person’s weight.  These extra calories and the increase in weight can affect many systems in the body, causing chronic diseases such as hypertension (high blood pressure), insulin resistance and diabetes, arthritis, kidney failure, cardiovascular disease, and even some cancers.  (Sizer & Whitney, 2011)  Of the leading causes of death in the United States, the top three can be associated with poor nutrition.

Nutrition plays a key role in health and disease, and a balanced diet that is high in nutrients while reasonable in calories is the first step towards preventing the onset of chronic illness.

Reference:

Sizer, F. & Whitney, E. (2011).  Nutrition Concepts & Controversies, 12^th Edition.  Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.

Thibodeau, G. & Patton, K. (1997). The Human Body in Health & Disease, 2^nd Edition.  St. Louis, MO: Mosby.