Human Nutrition and the Digestive System

Running Head: HUMAN NUTRITION AND THE DIGESTIVE SYSTEM 1
Human Nutrition and the digestive system
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HUMAN NUTRITION AND THE DIGESTIVE SYSTEM
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Introduction
It is evident that for individuals to be healthy, one should consume a healthy diet which is
balanced. Moreover, one should control his or diet to avoid weight gain and also weight loss. To
choose diet it’s based on the environment which individual lives, the religious groups and also
the personal taste. How an individual chose his or her diet determines the impact of health
wellbeing of the individual and the longevity. To maintain a healthy life an individual should
take a balanced diet and have a good selection of food and drinks. A balanced diet is considered
to have all the nutrients which include calories, fat, carbohydrate, consuming many fluids,
proteins, having enough physical health and minerals. In the report the constituent food groups
will be discussed, food preparation to avoid alteration of nutrients, deficiency caused by deficient
in the mineral, physical exercise to control body mass and how the body mass index is calculated
(Manach et al., 2017, p. 61).
Food group can be defined as the category of foods with similar properties. Food groups
can be categorized into five groups which include group one up to group 5. They are categorized
together according to the nutrients they contain. In group I it contains all types of meat, it can be
red meat or white meat. These foods are expected to provide nutrients which are rich in protein
and also contains the nutrients of zinc and iron. group 2 food group contains all types of cereals,
potatoes, and bread. This group has nutrients which are rich in carbohydrate and they are
essential to provide the body with enough energy. These foods also help to work on muscles and
also increase the concentration of the individual (Wells et al., 2017, p. 950). The third group falls
to fruits and vegetables which provides vitamins and minerals. This are important to the body of

HUMAN NUTRITION AND THE DIGESTIVE SYSTEM
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the individual hence providing good health. They are also rich in fibre which helps in digestion
and also provides antioxidants which are helpful to the individual body. group 4 contains the
constituents of dairy foods which includes milk. This food category contains foods and drinks
which are rich in calcium, protein, vitamins, and minerals. The foods in this group are
recommended by the dietitians that they should be taken twice or thrice in a day. group 5 foods
contain fats and sugar. This food category although they are essential in the diet they should be
limited in how they are consumed.
How individuals prepare foods may alter the availability of nutrients. How food is
prepared, stored and how it is handled contribute to the nutrient preservation hence lowering the
risk of bacterial invasion. Healthy food preparation ensures that no nutrient is a loss. In foods
like vegetable, they should be prepared for a short time so that the nutrients in the food cannot be
lost. This means that the best method of preparing vegetables is by steaming. It is also good to
prepare food in a clean environment for food safety and freshness. It is also good to put away
uncooked food from cooked food. It is also important to choose cooking fats and oils. Sunflower
oils are the best rather than using the saturated solids (Sims, 2016 p. 90).
A deficiency of the mineral can be caused due to lack of substituent required in the diet.
Failure to get a well-balanced diet increases the risk to have these deficiencies, not getting the
essential minerals can be caused by having taking foods saturated in fats, lack of fruits, surgery
on the digestive tract and excessive blood loss. The symptoms of a deficiency disease depend on
the type of nutrient the individual body lacks. The symptoms, in general, can include.
Constipation, having an irregular heartbeat, poor concentration, vomiting, being tired always,
loss of appetite, excessive diarrhoea and decrease in the immune system (Fr0slie, 2017 p. 65).
The types of mineral deficiency include calcium deficiency, iron deficiency, magnesium