Aspects of Human Nutrition - Essay Example

Introduction Nutrition is a discipline that examines the link between diet and health. Therefore human nutrition is the science studying the relationship between health and diet in human beings. It is important for an individual to safeguard what they are consuming. This is mostly due to the fact that excessive intake of certain food types can cause health problems or lack of other aspects of food may also cause complications in their health. It is therefore important to ensure that one maintains a balance in this area. (Whitley, 1951) Background to coronary heart disease and why diet is relevant Coronary Heart Disease (CHD) is a disease that is very common in the Western part of the World. As per the year 2006, Northern Ireland was the country that recorded the highest case of the disease in the world. Also in the United States, it has been found The disease is also called Atherosclerotic heart disease. This is normally a disease that causes the blockage of arteries that supply blood hence food and oxygen to the muscles of the heart called the myocardium. The blockages that are located in these arteries may burst and may inhibit flow of blood to the heart. In addition, CHD does not have easily recognisable symptoms. It is actually a common occurrence to find people who develop the disease for along time and live with it without having knowledge. Such people are very likely to be caught off guard and may experience a sudden heart attack. These obstructions that block the arteries are called atheromatous plaques. If the plaques are present in a minimal amount, then they do not cause symptoms. But if these plaques increase and reach about seventy percent, they will block a huge chunk of the coronary arteries and will therefore cause some symptoms to develop. The fist signs are angina which is characterised by extreme exhaustion and a lack of tolerance for any kind of exercise heavy breathing, pain in the chest, feelings of constriction in that area. This may then worsen with time and cause frequent heart attacks. The disease is related to diet because nutrients (especially minerals) affect how the body oxidises substrates and thus affects production energy. It also affects the rate of inflammation of arteries supplying blood to the heart. This increases the chances of causing blockages thus CHD. How to asses patient's nutritional status The basic idea in the any assessment of nutritional status is making sure that there is measurement made have a relation with protein stores and body fat, must be related to health and how the body functions and the assessment must also be accurate. The first aspect that a doctor or therapist should check is weight. This is because it is determinant of the degree of consumption in the body and it also indicates the level of total substances in the body. (Galdston, 1960) The assessment should also include measurement of Body Mass Index. This is a ratio of weight to height. This was an idea that was introduced after it was realised that height influences weight. BMI is important in determining nutritional status because it gives an indication of the level of fat and protein reserves inn the body. This is quite important in determining the severity of nutritional deficiency. One can also use measurement of mid upper arm circumference. This is procedure used to determine the width of the area found between the shoulder and the elbow. This is a tool especially useful for dealing with young patients. All the above measurements have a limit which can be considered acceptable; if patients exceed this limit then they are at a high risk of worsening their heart disease and serious dietary treatment should be started. Possible dietary nutritional options present Coronary Heart disease can be treated by dietary methods. One such method that has been proposed is the CCME. This is a combination of; Vitamin E Magnesium Co-enzyme Q 10 L- Carnitine These nutrients are essential in the control and improvement of energy in the body. This is achieved through the activation of intracellular (inside the cells) activity. The organelles responsible for provision of energy inside the cells are the mitochondria. These become activated when there are sufficient nutrients that have been supplied to them. (Umezawa, 1999) All the four nutrients have a particular way in which they interact so that they can be able to increase energy in the cells. The first nutrient is Carnitine which plays a role in transport. It carries substrates that can be used for oxidation across the cell's membrane. The nutrient is also attributed to the removal of inhibitory substances in the mitochondria that easing the respiratory process. It also helps in the process of contraction of the cardio vascular muscles. It also helps in the vascodialation process. The most important quality about the nutrient L- Carnitine is that it helps with the reduction of lipids in the tissues of the body and also in the blood. All the above factors lead to reduced chances off getting a heart attack. The second nutrient which is Vitamin E. this is quite important in the remedy of CHD because it does the following things; It reduces the damage that may occur in the arteries supplying blood to the heart. This damage is normally caused by pathogens that cause the arteries' lining to rapture. This means that Vitamin E is essential in further formation plaques or foam cells that may worsen the heart condition. Vitamin E is also important to a CHD patient because it causes the prevention of platelet clumping. This clumping is quite dangerous to heart patients because it inhibits the flow of blood and if left unchecked may cause heart failure. Magnesium as a nutrient is a powerful tool in fighting heart disease. This has been backed up by numerous studies done on patients who had considerable chances of experiencing heart failure. It was found that patients who took magnesium through injections had their chances of dying educed by slightly more than fifty percent. There was also another study that examined the effects of dosing magnesium top over two thousand patients and it was found that almost thirty percent of these patients had their chances of death reduced by about thirty percent. (Walter, 2003) Co-Enzyme Q10 is also very important in the treatment of CHD because it reduces the chances of getting a heart attack by increasing the level of energy in the body. This is achieved by the easing the transportation of electrons that are essential in the process of energy generation. Energy generation is achieved through the respiratory cycle that relies on the molecule ATP for its effectiveness. Since the coenzyme aids in ATP synthesis, then it increases the efficiency of the oxidation process in the body. Advice to give to the patient concerning their diet and lifestyle CHD is adversely affected by how certain patients live. This means that it is possible to reverse the effects o the disease through a lifestyle change. This can be affected by one of the following Healthy diet Exercise Quit smoking Reduced stress levels Avoiding inactivity Exercise is essential in the fight of the disease because it burns out the excess fats that may later cause the formation of plaques and blockage of the arteries. These conditions lead to the development of heart failure. This can also be important in the prevention of obesity which has been identified with the disease. Dietary changes are perhaps the most influential diet changes that can be done by any patient. Patients should try to reduce their consumption of saturated fats and instead take products that are made with unsaturated fats. If possible fat should be kept at bay in their diets. They should also avoid food that is rich in cholesterol. They should also avoid transforming fats like margarine because these fats are easily oxidized by the body. Low cholesterol reduces blood pressure and is quite helpful to patients. The patients should also avoid meals that are high in sugar content and should also take foods that are low in carbohydrates. Carbohydrates are digested by the body and converted to sugars. All these factors will prevent the diseases from deteriorating further and will keep it under check. (Glow, 2001) It is also advisable for the person taking up the lifestyle change to adopt a vegetable rich diet. A research done in the year 2006 found that people who were vegetarians had about twenty five percent chance of suffering from any disease related to the heart. It is also advisable for patients to adopt Mediterranean rich diets. These are diets that have the following food items; lots of fruits and vegetables, little wine and a small amount of animal fat, animal products like sausages, goat cheese, lamb also olive oil and bread. This diet has been proven to cause visible results because a research was done on seven countries and it was found that majority of the people who adhered to this diet had lower chances of dying from heart related ailments. Lastly, patients should lay emphasis on the consumption of Omega 3 which is an essential fatty acid. These essential fats help in the regulation of a number of hormones in the body. Intake of essential fats can help prevent many diseases by boosting the immune system and aiding in cell division. Some of the foods that are rich in omega 3 are walnuts, and other plant oils. It can also be found in fish. (Mahan, 2000) Conclusion As the famous saying goes, prevention is better than cure. The best way that CHD can be handled is through its prevention. One must ensure that they have a healthy lifestyle and must try their best to avoid high risk practises. These include smoking and over consumption of a fat rich diet. A proper balanced diet will equip the body with the necessary machinery to fight out disease. It boosts the immune system and helps in the regulation of hormones that control body functions Reference Mahan, L. et al (2000): Krause's Food, Nutrition, and Diet Therapy; W.B. Saunders Harcourt Brace Galdston, I. (1960): Human Nutrition Historic and Scientific; International Universities Press Walter C. et al (2003): Rebuilding the Food Pyramid; Scientific American Umezawa, M. et al. (1999): High-linoleate and high-alpha-linolenate diets affect learning ability and natural behaviour in SAMR1 mice; Journal of Nutrition Whitley, J. et al (1951): Effect of diet on maze learning in second-generation rats. Folic acid deficiency; Journal of Nutrition Glow, P. et al (2001): Early childhood nutrition and academic achievement; Public Economics Journal Read More