Definition of Nutrition and Its Relation to Health

Nutrition is the study of food and how it affects one's health. which focuses primarily on the role that food factors (nutrients) have in the process of body development, maintenance, and their activity within the body, including bodily activities including ingestion, digestion, absorption, transportation, metabolism, and excretion. Proteins, vitamins, and minerals are examples of specific dietary components that are referred to as "nutrients" or "food factors."

Nutrition is described as a dynamic process that uses the food consumed to maintain the structural integrity and functional effectiveness of each and every body cell.

Relationship Between Nutrition and Health

Food intake is referred to as nutrition when compared to the body's nutritional requirements. The foundation of good health is excellent nutrition, which is comprised of an appropriate and well-balanced diet. Reduced immunity, greater vulnerability to disease, hampered physical and mental growth, and decreased productivity can all result from poor nutrition. Nutrition and health are related in the following ways:

• Growth and development:
  • From the womb to adulthood, growth causes significant changes in body size and appearance, including those of the internal organs. It is an expansion in the number of cells or the size of the already existing ones that causes an organ, tissue, or body to grow in size and shape. Development is the physiological or functional maturation that comes after physical maturity. It is measured in terms of various behavioral achievements or abilities.
• Specific deficiencies:
  • Nutritional deficiency disorders are mostly brought on by a persistent absence of the necessary amounts of key elements in meals. Diseases caused by nutritional deficiencies are now a global issue. Specific nutritional deficits are primarily caused by malnutrition or malnourishment. Eating a diet with either insufficient or excessive amounts of nutrients can lead to malnutrition and other health issues. Diseases caused by a lack of nutrients might be categorized as carbohydrate, lipid, protein, vitamin, or mineral deficiencies.

• Resistance to infection:
  • In order to prevent illness and lower morbidity and death rates among people, nutrition is crucial. A healthy immune system is necessary to maintain and may aid in the resistance to some infections. Nutrition supports a healthy immune system and infection prevention. Malnutrition and infection are inextricably related. Lower immunity is primarily brought on by malnutrition. People with poor nutrition are more prone to infection and are therefore more vulnerable to it. Inadequate nutritional intake causes pathogen invasion, weight loss, and reduced immunity.
• Mortality and morbidity:
  • Mortality is the frequency of death, while morbidity is a sick condition, a disability, or ill health. A high death rate, high infant mortality rate, a high morbidity rate, and a decreased life expectancy are all direct consequences of hunger on the community. Obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, etc. are all caused by overeating.