Chapter 6 :- Balanced Diet

Optimum Nutrition:
Optimum Nutrition is also known as adequate nutrition or good nutrition.

Good Nutrition:
Good Nutrition thus provides all essential nutrients in correct balance which are further utilized to promote the highest level of physical and mental health. Such a state of nutrition can be attained through balanced diets.

Balanced Diet:
Balanced Diet can be defined as one which contains different types of foods (from all food group) in such quantities and proportions that needs for all the nutrients are adequately met and a small extra allowance is made as a margin of safety.

Safety Margin:
Safety Margin is taken into account due to individual variations, losses during cooking and processing and also minor illnesses.
Thus a balanced diet along with the inclusion of various food groups focuses on the RDA for various nutrients.

RDA:
RDA is defined as the estimates of intakes nutrients which individuals in a population group need to consume to ensure that the physiological needs of all subjects in that population are met.
RDA varies with age, sex, physiological state, etc.

Three Food Group System:

  1. energy giving food,
  2. bodybuilding food,
  3. protective foods

Five Food Group System:

  1. cereals and grain products,
  2. pulses or legumes,
  3. milk, egg, and flesh
  4. fruits and vegetables
  5. fats and sugars

Factors affecting RDA:-

This nutritional requirement is influenced by :

  1. age
  2. growth
  3. gender
  4. pregnancy
  5. breastfeeding
  6. illness
  7. psychological and emotional stress
  8. activity level
  9. smoking
  10. drinking.


(A.) Definition:-

A balanced diet is one which includes a variety of foods in adequate amounts and correct proportions to meet the day's requirements of all essential nutrients such as proteins, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins, minerals, water, and fibre. Such a diet helps to promote and preserve good health and also provides a safety margin or reserve of nutrients to withstand short durations of emergency. 
         The safety margin takes care of the days on which we fast, or on a certain day all nutrients may not be consumed. If the balanced diet meets the RDA for an individual, then the safety margin is already included as the RDA is formulated keeping extra allowances in mind. 


(B.) Importance of balanced diet:-

  1. It includes a variety of food items. 
  2. It meets the RDA for all nutrients. 
  3. Nutrients are included in correct proportions. 
  4. Provides a safety margin for nutrients. 
  5. It promotes and preserves good health. 
  6. It helps maintain acceptable body weight for height. 

(C.) RDA for various nutrients- age,gender, physiological state:-

RDA (Recommended Dietary Allowances) = Requirement+ Margin of safety 
  1. The RDAs are expressed in metric units such as kilocalorie (kcal), grams (g), milligrams (mg), and micrograms (ug).
  2. They are based on gender and activity levels such as sedentary or light, moderate, and heavy. 
  3. The RDAs for B-complex vitamins B1,B2,and niacin are based on kilocalories or energy. The major role of these three vitamins is the release of energy from carbohydrates, proteins, and fats. The RDA for B1 is 0.5 mg/1,000 kcal, B2 is 0.55 mg/1,000 kcal , and niacin is 6.6 mg/1,000 kcal. 
  4. The RDAs for protein are based on body weight. Adults need 1 g/kg body weight while infants, children, adolescents,and pregnant and lactating mothers need more protein to meet the demands of growth and body building. 
  5. The RDAs, for practically all nutrients, increase during pregnancy and location to meet the needs of the growing foetus during pregnancy and for production of milk during lactation. These additional needs depicted by a + sign in the RDA table take care of the physiological stress which results due to these conditions. 
  6. The RDAs for infants are expressed per kg body weight. 
  7. The RDAs for vitamin A are expressed in terms of retinol (performed vitamin A) and B- carotene (precursor or provitamin A). B-carotene needs to be converted to vitamin A in the body. During this conversion certain losses occur and on an average only 25 percent is converted to vitamin A. The total vitamin A or retinol could be calculated using the formula given below.
Total vitamin A in ug = ug of retinol + ug of B-                                                                           carotene/4

Key Terms:-
  • Balanced Diet:- A diet which includes a variety of foods in adequate amounts and correct proportions to supply all essential nutrients which promote and preserve good health. 
  • Food Group :- A number of foods sharing common characteristics which are grouped together. Characteristic for grouping may be function, nutrient,or source. 
  • Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDA):- Allowances of nutrients which cover the needs of practically all healthy individuals. They are not requirements for any individual but guidelines which tell us the amount of nutrient to be consumed daily. 


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