Importance of Good Nutrition

Roberta Alessandra Pedrasoli
Degree in Biomedicine

Eating in a healthy and balanced way is important for our quality of life because, in addition to providing the energy that keeps functioning all the systems to carry out our daily activities, there are benefits linked to the correct absorption of food, such as physical-mental well-being, disease prevention, improvement of the immune system and good development physical.

Our body is literally a machine, however, it has a biological structure, whose systems need daily groups of nutrients (water, vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates, proteins, fats) as fuel to carry out their metabolic functions. These nutrients are obtained, mostly, through food.

Food is, by definition, any substance, either liquid or solid, that our bodies can use to obtain nutrients and energy for proper performance. However, each food has different amounts of nutrients and each one of these plays a particular role in the body, which makes the variety of consumption essential. Likewise, this diversity changes according to gender, age, physical constitution and genetic conditions, making each person's plate so unique. as its own DNA, being important to recognize what the needs are in order to supply them with the right diet and build a healthy life.

Effects on general well-being

When you eat you feel more willing, but the well-being provided is not limited to that immediate injection of encouragement, but to a series of benefits that come together. And as we will repeat many times in these lines, balance is everything, so opting for several small meals in regular intervals, instead of large plates at lunch or dinner, helps fight fatigue and improve the state psychic.

Foods rich in omega-3s, whole grains, and unsaturated fats (the good fats), such as nuts, fish, poultry, Fruits provide lasting energy as well as reducing fatigue, stress and anxiety, as well as improving concentration, memory and quality of mind. dream.

With bedtime in mind, a protein-rich dish along with a cup of chamomile and lavender herbal tea have relaxing properties. For emergencies, a good dark chocolate has a quick effect on stress.

A 2015 article published in STRESS magazine suggests that the quality and quantity of nutrients ingested at over time can affect the neural circuits responsible for controlling emotions and motivation. This means that what is initially good for us will harm us in excess. Abusing sugary and fatty foods, in addition to increasing our weight, can create an addiction in the long term, triggering the famous "stress eating", in search of comfort that these foods have the ability to toast.

proper development

The correct diet is also an excellent ally of good development. Malnutrition in young children is related to growth retardation which, according to the UN report on 2021, affects some 150 million children under the age of five who were below the ideal height and/or weight for their age. Also, it reports on almost 39 million overweight children. Both extremes affect the development of children physically and mentally and can bring irreparable consequences in the future.

Improves the Digestive System

Food also plays an important role in organ health. We hear a lot about how eating fat damages the heart, just as alcohol damages the liver. In recent years it has been discovered that the intestine can also be greatly affected by food and its imbalance, being called Dysbiosis, which is related to a series of intestinal problems such as gas, bloating, diarrhea, constipation, nausea; and in the nervous system, endocrine and immunological disorders such as headaches, hair loss, glycemic control, depression.

This is because there is a link between the peripheral nervous system (neurons outside the CNS) and the enteric nervous system (which controls digestion). We have approximately 100 million neurons in the extension of the intestinal mucosa, revealing that the intestine also has neurons, and these detect and respond to external stimuli. Obviously, everything we eat passes through our digestive system and can affect it, however, a series of bacteria (good and bad), which are also affected by food, and can be on the good side or bad. These bacteria continue to stimulate the gut neurons and in the case of a mostly bad cycle, a series of problems like the ones mentioned above are triggered.

To help in the absorption of nutrients and in the balance of the intestinal flora, we once again equip ourselves with food as our main weapon. Drink plenty of water, eat prebiotic (fiber) and probiotic (good bacteria) foods, the latter obtained from fermented foods such as yogurt, kefir, kombucha, miso, sauerkraut, etc.

Immunity, prevention and conditions

It is from the intestine that we strengthen our immunity. Almost 80% of immune cells are found in the intestine. When we consume antioxidant or anti-inflammatory foods, they act by increasing the immune response by decreasing the inflammatory process, producing defense cells and antibodies, making our body less prone to infections.

The deficiency of one or more nutrients in our body is called malnutrition, and within this framework there are different levels (related to food), and in many cases it is not for lack of food, but rather due to a lack of quality/variety, so its initial symptoms, which are usually a lack of energy and excessive tiredness, can go unnoticed or be confused with exhaustion. It is very common to find malnourished overweight people since quantity is not synonymous with quality.

For each nutrient the body responds with a specific symptom. Lack of iron, called anemia, manifests itself with pale skin, tiredness, apathy, dizziness. According to the UN, a third of women between the ages of 15 and 45, that is, of reproductive age, have anemia (in In this case, the combination of loss of iron through menstruation and lack of replacement through feeding). Lack of vitamin A leads to vision problems, especially in poorly lit environments.

Actual weight

It is worth noting that food facilitates the loss and maintenance of body weight in most cases. However, each person's ideal weight is unique. Aesthetic standards cannot be associated with health, since not all people over a certain weight have problems eating.

In summary, through food we can prevent the appearance of various diseases, as well as treat them by improving our quality of life. For this, the evaluation of a doctor or a nutritionist who helps in this process is of the utmost importance.

early childhood nutrition

Each stage of life requires different care with food, however, a period deserves to be highlighted in In particular, the first thousand days, which includes from pregnancy to approximately two years of age of the child. human. Several studies relate epigenetic programming (which has food as one of the main factors of exposure) in the perinatal period with the silencing of genes related to neurodegenerative and immunological disorders in the future. A 2016 University of Groningen study links unhealthy habits to childhood overweight. Another study relates gestational diabetes and the propensity to diabetes in children and adolescents. Superficially, we can say that 1000 days can affect the future of a person.

Following scientific data already known and guided by organizations such as the WHO, an adequate diet during pregnancy avoids problems of health for the mother, such as diabetes and hypertension, which consequently increase the risks of childbirth and can lead to problems for the baby. The replacement of nutrients such as iron and folic acid is also associated with good fetal development and the prevention of strategic pathological changes such as neural tube defects.

Another extremely important phase is the first six months of life. Today, there is already a consensus that the best option for the development of the baby is breastfeeding exclusive breastfeeding (and if this is not possible, the use of specific infant formulas for this purpose).

Early introduction alters the palate and increases the risk of obesity. From six months to two years it is recommended, whenever possible, to maintain breastfeeding and, at the same time, start complementary feeding with the introduction of new food. The habits acquired during this period will be reflected throughout childhood, which is why pediatric societies and the WHO They ask that sugar or other sweeteners such as honey and molasses, processed foods and ultra-processed. These measures favor intellectual development and reduce the risk of overweight and cardiovascular diseases in the future.

Examples and differences between natural, processed and ultra-processed foods

The way our food is processed will influence the taste and the amount of nutrients present. Knowing the different processes is essential to design a healthy diet. In practice, the more processed the food, the more nutrients it loses.

Natural foods: They do not suffer any change. For example: vegetables, fruits, eggs.

Minimally processed foods: They undergo small alterations to facilitate their use (cleaning, crushing, freezing), but without the addition of any substance that alters the original food. For example: Flour, rice, cuts of meat, chopped vegetables, frozen vegetables.

Processed foods: Are those foods that have been altered through an industrial process of their original state with the addition of other substances, resulting in products for the most diverse purposes. For example: Cheeses, preserves, breads, sauces, jams.

Ultra-processed foods: They are industrial formulations with parts of food and the addition of preservatives, enhancers, among others that modify aroma, flavor, texture, and color. For example: soft drinks, instant noodles, stuffed cookies, sausages.

Ultra-processed foods are poor in nutrients after digestion, that is, they are only transformed into energy, and many of the preservatives used are harmful to the microbiota intestinal. Unfortunately, food marketing sells the idea that these are as healthy as those that are prepared at home, which makes their consumption massive and worrying.

Tips for healthy eating

Put the principles of good nutrition into practice when planning your menu: Balance, variety and moderation.

– Eat at intervals of 3 to 4 hours (ideally 3 meals and 2 snacks);

– Make colorful dishes. Abuse of the varieties of vegetables, fruits and vegetables available;

- Drinking water

– Avoid ultra-processed foods

– Avoid fatty and fried foods;

– Avoid sugars and caloric sweets;

– Preferably, opt for integral versions;

Finally, mention that sweet and industrialized foods are not prohibited if they are used in moderation at specific times such as parties and outings.

Bibliography

– Why stress causes people to overeat

– Stress exposure, food intake and emotional state

– The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2021

– Psychobiotics: Probiotics That May Impact Mood

– The benefits of probiotics bacteria

– Epigenetic programming—The important first 1000 days

– The first 1000 days and beyond

– The Eatwell Guide