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Importance of Nutrition to Personal Health

Nutrition plays a primary role in personal health---nutrition affects how the body looks, feels and performs. Three out of four Americans die each year from a disease related to diet; healthy changes in diet and lifestyle can help to reduce the risk of dying from a diet-related disease and improve your quality of life.

  1. Features

    • Humans need six classes of essential nutrients to survive in good health: water, carbohydrates, lipids, protein, vitamins and minerals. Food choices that help maintain body weight while containing a variety of these nutrients are most likely to maintain good personal health.

    Function

    • Nutrition is how food nourishes the body; the body requires nutrients to produce energy, grow and maintain body tissues, and regulate body functions. Healthy foods support strong bones, shiny hair, high energy levels, enjoyable moods, clear thinking, and powerful immune function.

    Significance

    • Good health requires consistently consuming foods rich in essential nutrients. Healthy food choices are high in vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals, fiber and monounsaturated fats, and are low in saturated fats, trans fats, sugar, cholesterol and sodium.

    The Facts

    • Highly processed foods and foods high in saturated fats, cholesterol, sugar and sodium contribute to the development of chronic diseases such as cancer, obesity, diabetes, heart disease, hypertension and stroke. Fruits and vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts, and nonfat and low fat dairy choices helps the body fight disease.

    Considerations

    • Finances, childhood experiences, taste preferences, cultural factors, peer influences, advertising, media, emotions and health beliefs can all influence dietary choices. Personal health goals can supersede these factors to not only eat for disease prevention, but to maximize the body's genetic potential for best possible health.

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