CLASSES OF FOOD - HEALTH BENEFITS AND DOSAGE contd

FRUITS AND VEGETABLES

Fruits and vegetables are rich in all classes of foods: vitamins, carbohydrate, protein, minerals, water. From fruits like pineapple, apples, carrots etc to vegetables like cabbage, okra, green beans, leeks, peas, pepper. These fruits and vegetables including a host of others are rich in vitamins A, B, C, magnesium, potassium, iron, lunetin, folic acid, fiber, magnesium etc. Hence daily intake of fruits and vegetables reduces health risks like stroke, heart disease, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, certain cancers, nutrients like lunetin is an antioxidant that prevents blindness.
The amount of daily consumption of fruits and vegetables cannot be overemphasized as it is a major remedy for a healthy living.


FATS AND OILS

Fats and oils are composed chains of molecules called fatty acids that are made of mainly carbon atoms. Unsaturated fats are called oils. Fats and oils provides energy and are vehicles for transporting of vitamins around the body. They are needed for the brain and nervous system.
Fats and oils are high energy foods providing about 9 calories per gram of fat which is twice the energy content in starch and sugars. Excess consumption of fats however may lead to certain cancers amongst other health problems. It is recommended that fats and oils should be eaten in the raw state possibly or when cooked, shouldn't be overcooked. Eat between 5% and 20% fat depending on your oxidation rate.
Most of the best fats and oils are gotten from animal sources as meat like lamb fat, chicken, turkey, goose fat. Raw dietary products like butter, cream, cheese, yoghurt, sardines, olive oil.

MINERALS

The body needs minerals to stay healthy. Minerals helps in keeping your bones, muscles, heart and brain working properly. They are also important for making enzymes and hormones. Minerals include calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, potassium, sodium, chloride and sulphur, iron, to mention a few.
Consuming a healthy variety of food daily is a great source of minerals in the body.
Minerals like calcium is for strong bones and teeth, iron are needed for active bones and muscles and also plays an essential role in the production of red blood cells in the body. Magnesium regulate sodium and potassium levels in the body which regulate blood pressure. Potassium and sodium regulate water in the body and heart rhythm.
Minerals also play a vital role in the activities of the immune system.
The lack of minerals in the body can lead to anaemia and osteoporosis(menopause related disease).

There are still researches ongoing still about eating just right. This is because the world is evolving fast and there are certain changes in the environment and consequently general diets that one should be aware of to eat just appropriately in order to still be healthy. However eating just the amounts of food as stated here is safe as recommended. Excess or insufficient of each can lead to body breakdown.



                                                                     Truly Val




REFERENCES

Bitesize. Esters, fats and oils. (Blog post). Retrieved from www.bbc.co.uk/education/guides/zp8wwmn/revision/4

Jeni Worden. (2014, Feb 10). Sources of Minerals. (Blog post). Retrieved from www.netdoctor.co.uk/healthy-eating/a10839/sources of minerals/

The Old Farmer's Almac. (Founded 1792). Vegetable Nutrition facts. (Blog post). Retrieved from www.almanac.com/content/vegetable-nutrition-facts.



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