Diet & Nutrition Facts

Know About Fibers

Fibers are one of the three major types of carbohydrates. The other two types are sugars and starches.

Fiber is the indigestible part of plants, also known as cellulose. Humans can not digest fibers because we do not posses the enzyme required for digestion of fibers (present in grass eating animals). Fiber is found in foods of plant origin only and absent in animal foods. Eggs, meat, fish etc. do not contain any fiber in them. After consumption most of the fiber content of the food passes through intestines without digestion and absorption and constitutes bulk of the stool.

How much fiber should be consumed daily?

To maintain optimal health, especially GIT health and for prevention of constipation we must consume adequate amount of fibers in diet. Unfortunately in USA and other industrialized countries most people do not eat adequate and recommended amount of fiber, which is 25-30 grams a day. In US most people consume only approximately half the recommended daily allowance.

Read more...

Know About Carbohydrates You Eat

Carbohydrate is one of the three major nutrients (macronutrients) we eat and the other two are proteins and fats. Most of our energy requirement is supplied by carbohydrates. Grains and cereals are the major sources of carbohydrates. For examples rice, wheat, maize etc. contain more than 80% carbohydrates and less than 10% protein. One gram of carbohydrate supply four calories (kilocalorie) of energy.

If you are diabetic, you must keep track of how much carbohydrate you are consuming daily, as it is the source of blood glucose (rise of blood glucose to more than 200 mg/dl after food and more than 125 mg/dl on fasting is diagnostic of diabetes). Set an upper limit of carbohydrate consumption which can help you to keep blood sugar under control and eat not more than the limit.

Read more...

Basics About Vitamins

Vitamins are the group of organic compounds that can not be synthesized by our body but are essential for our body and must be supplied in the diet (exceptions are vitamin D is synthesized in our skin when exposed to sunlight and small and insufficient quantity of vitamin K is synthesized in the intestine by intestinal flora). Vitamins can not be synthesized but are essential nutrients for us. Vitamins are required by us in very small quantity and fall in the category of micronutrients.

Vitamins do not give us any calorie or energy but helps the body for utilizing other nutrients. Since our body is unable to synthesize vitamins (even if synthesized they are not sufficient), they must be supplied in our diet. A well balanced diet can provide us all the vitamins and other nutrients both major (proteins, fats and carbohydrates) and minor (vitamins, minerals and trace elements or trace minerals).

Read more...

Easy Solutions to Vitamin D Deficiency

Vitamin D is an important nutrient. It is required for absorption of calcium, the most important mineral of bones. There are other functions of vitamin D, such as immune function, muscle and nervous system function etc. Different research suggests that low level of vitamin D can increase risk of breast cancer.

If you are suffering from low level of vitamin D or vitamin D deficiency, you can take three steps to get enough vitamin D, namely adequate exposure to direct sunlight, eating of vitamin D rich foods and take vitamin D supplement.

Exposure to sunlight:

Exposure to direct sunlight produces active vitamin D. Even direct exposure to sunlight for short period can give you adequate vitamin D, e.g. exposure of 15 minutes three times a week can supply adequate vitamin D (as much as recommended daily allowance). But do not rely only on sun exposure for vitamin D.

Read more...

Treatment And Prevention of Vitamin A Deficiency

Deficiency of vitamin A can lead to serious complications if not treated and prevented for long duration. Untreated prolonged vitamin A deficiency and serious vitamin A deficiency can lead to permanent blindness. For this the deficiency of vitamin A should be treated adequately and prevented, which is very cheap and affordable.

Treatment of Vitamin A Deficiency:

Vitamin A deficiency should be treated urgently as early as possible. Treatment should be very prompt and vigorous. Massive dose of vitamin A should be given, which usually reverses all the eye manifestations of vitamin A deficiency. The massive dose is about 200,000 international units (IU) or 110,000 micro grams (mcg) of retinol orally on two successive days. At this very high dose recovery occurs very fast and sequel of vitamin A deficiency can be avoided.

Read more...