Journal of Community Medicine & Health Education
Open Access

Food security means that all year round everyone should have nutritious and healthy food to lead a healthy and active life. The food should be distributed so that it should reach every person and community all year round.

The population growth in the third world countries is one of the reason of the environmental degradation. The productivity of the land decreases because of the environmental degradation whch leads to malnutrition in the farming communities.

What is good nutrition?

Food and nutrition is like fuel to our body. The nutrients should be supplied to the body every day. Water is one of the most important nutrition. Carbohydrates, proteins, and Fats are required to the body. For good health key vitamins and minerals are very important. For adults over 50 and pregnant women vitamins like vitamins D and minerals like iron and calcium are consider important while choosing foods to eat and also as possible dietary supplements.

Natural food is included in the healthy diet. A good portion of the healthy diet should always consist of vegetables and fruits, usually that are ornage, red, or dark green. Whole grains, such as brown rice and whole wheat, play a part in the diet. Dairy products should be low-fat or non-fat for adults. Lean meat and poultry, eggs, seafood, legumes, beans, unsalted seeds and nuts, as well as soy products such as tofu consists of protein.

Avoiding certain kind of foods is part of good nutrition. For people with high blood pressure sodium is dangerous which is used heavily in processed food. The adults are advised to consume less than 300 milligrams per day of cholesterol. Trans fat, solid fats and Fried food found in margarine and processed food is very harmful for the heart. Refined sugar and refined grains are dangerous for people with diabetes. Consuming alcohol everyday one serving for women and two per day for man is dangerous to health.

Now a days there are many free guidelines which are of high-quality for healthy eating plans with detailed charts of portion size, calorie consumption, what to eat more, what to avoid and what to eat less to stay healthy and maintain that way.

Nutrition deficiencies

Though enough food is available for a person to feed himself, if he is not eating a balanced diet he may suffer nutritional deficiencies. Nutritional deficiencies can be due to life conditions or certain health, such as pregnant, or medication which we take, like high blood pressure medicines. Intestinal diseases or weight loss surgeries or had sections of intestines removed due to disease also may be at risk for vitamins deficiencies. Nutritional deficiencies are usually seen in Alcoholics.

Iron deficiency called anemia is one of the most common nutritional deficiencies. Blood will not function properly if there is not enough iron, blood cells need iron to supply the body with oxygen. Low levels of vitamin B12, folate, or vitamin c are the other nutritional deficiencies that can effect the blood cells.

Bones need vitamin D to absorb and use calcium. Vitamin D can be obtained by going out in the sun, many people concerned about skin cancer may end up with low levels of vitamin D by not going out in the sun.

Other than these, there are other nutritional deficiencies:

• ariboflavinosis

• Beriberi

• Paraesthesia

• Hypocobalaminemia

• Pellagra

• Biotin deficiency

• Scurvy

• Night Blindness

• Rickets

• Magnesium deficiency

• Potassium deficiency

• Vitamin k

Diseases and conditions influenced by nutrition

Due to food and nutrition many health conditions are caused. Few are caused by “food poisoning”. Bacterial infections are caused from contaminated food. Allergies are also caused from foods like shellfish, peanuts, or wheat. Some problems like gastrointestinal ailments- such as irritable bowel syndrome, ulcerative colitis and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) are developed due to consumption of food.

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