Healthy Eating leads to

longer life

Picture from: www.motherearthnews.com/Relish/Food-Safety-System.aspx

Melliza M.
Shults English XII
1/1/2010
 Food is like a drug. We eat it, we crave it, and we’re addicted. Keeping and

maintaining good eating habits will keep the body healthy and can lead to a longer life.

Food affects the body in many ways. What the body consumes now can affect appearance

and body function in the future.

It’s obvious that food is essential to life, but few know why it is needed, and the

many ways it affects the body. Nutritionists, Doctors, and professionals always encourage

people to eat healthier but many think of eating healthy as a hassle. Are they simply lazy?

Do they lack the motivation to do so? The problem could be any of the above as well as

knowing how to be healthy, or not having a sufficient amount of money to live on. People

are better off eating healthy food. Some argue that eating healthy can also be bad for you,

people take dieting to the next level and forget what healthy really is. The pages that

follow will cover possible diseases and health problems associated with poor nutrition,

vitamins, basic balanced nutrition versus poor nutrition, keeping the body balanced, what

different foods can be used to prevent these and other health problems, as well as how

food affects our mood and the duration of life will be discussed.

Although it does not happen quickly, the body constantly changes. Every part of

the body works in a special way to help the body function properly and the body needs

the vitamins and nutrients from food in order to keep functioning. Poor nutrition and lack

of exercise can cause many health problems and diseases like Diabetes and CHF (chronic

heart failure, heart attack) Diabetes (Diabetes Mellitus) is the type of diabetes “formerly

referred to as juvenile onset diabetes, the pancreas produces insufficient, decreasing the
amount of glucose the cells take in and keeping blood sugar levels high.” (Kirschmann,

160) This kind of diabetes is considered chronic, lasting a lifetime because there is no

known cure. A good example of a positive role model for diabetes would be Nick Jonas

of the Jonas Brothers. He has type 1 Diabetes. Nick had to change his lifestyle, he began

monitoring his food intake so he could adjust how much insulin he would need to use. He

is currently trying to bring more focus on finding a cure for Diabetes. Type 2 Diabetes

occurs when the body does not produce enough insulin or the body does not respond to

insulin. It is found more in those who are overweight or obese. According to the

Nutritional Almanac, “About 90% of all diabetic patients have the non-insulin type and

90% of these are obese” (Kirschmann, 160). Diet is a very essential part to maintaining

good health. Diabetics should have the standard 3 meals a day with snacks in between,

focusing on keeping their blood sugar levels normal, and weight loss, depending on their

situation. CHF (chronic heart failure) also known as heart disease or cardiovascular

disease is most commonly caused by coronary heart disease. Coronary heart disease is a

“blockage that kills muscle cells” (Kirschmann 182), which is a buildup in the arteries

stop oxygen from getting to the heart and therefore it kills muscle, and high blood

pressure. Your heart is basically a muscle and when you have high blood pressure your

heart works harder to pump your blood, less oxygen, then heart attack. Exercise and good

nutrition are essential to prevent any of these heart problems that can occur. A heart

attack happens when the there is a buildup of calcium in the coronary arteries (the more

advanced type being cholesterol along with calcium) stops circulation to the coronary

arteries which supply blood and oxygen to the heart and in turn causes a heart attack. The

heart is a muscle, so after a heart attack, the main goal is to let the heart rest and try to
strengthen it. Vitamin E is used to strengthen the heart and “at times it acts as a diuretic

to rid the body of excess fluid, decreases elevated blood pressure, helps keep oxygen in

the blood […and] may be as effective as anticoagulant drugs in preventing clots”

(pg.183). Many think that one can prevent heart attack by low fat diet but “ … in the

Journal of the American Medical Association in 2006 found that a low fat diet did not

prevent heart attacks and strokes”. (Kirshmann 183) A heart healthy diet was once

thought of as a low fat diet but according to the Nutrition Almanac research finds that it

is not how much fat is reduced, it is what kind of fats consumed that decrease or increase

the risk of heart attack. Vitamins are also essential to the body. The amount of vitamins

one needs varies from person to person and varies from the persons’ need of specific

nutrients. Vitamins A, D, E and K are fat-soluble vitamins, meaning that the body holds

the vitamins in the liver and fat tissue areas. These vitamins stay longer so having too

much of any is unhealthy for the body, so only small amounts are needed daily. Vitamins

C and all the complex B vitamins are water-soluble vitamins, so they need to be

replenished more often than the fat-soluble vitamins.

Vitamins were discovered during the 1900s and were founded based on 2

characteristics; “1. It must be vital, organic, dietary substance that is not a carbohydrate,

fat, protein, or mineral and is necessary […to] perform a specific metabolic function

manufactured by the body…” (Williams 72). These vitamins are important to sustain a

healthy life and help prolong our existence. Vitamin A, also known as Retinol, is an

important vitamin to aid the Rhodopsin which is part of the eye that is sensitive to light

and adjusts the amounts of light that is seen. Vitamin A also helps maintain the condition

of the tissues (skin) that protect the body’s insides, as well as the development of the
bone tissue and soft tissues. Vitamin D, also known as Cholecalciferol, is not really a

vitamin if based on the two characteristics. Vitamin D is made within our bodies from the

ultra-violet rays of the sun that our bodies absorb, it is a prohormone, so every time the

body is exposed to the sun Vitamin D is absorbed. Vitamin D’s natural form is known to

be found in fish liver oil. It can also be found in Vitamin D-fortified dairy products,

fortified margarine, and egg yolk. Vitamin D absorbs calcium and phosphorus in the

small intestine, and it works with calcium and phosphorus to form bone tissue. It helps

harden teeth and bones. Vitamin E, also known as Tocopherol, mainly functions an

antioxidant. It protects vitamins A and C and works to prevent the oxidation process

which damages the cell membrane. Some places you can find Vitamin E are vegetable

oil, margarine, butter, shortening, green and leafy vegetables, whole grain products, nuts,

egg yolk, and liver. Studies show that eating more antioxidant rich fruits and vegetables

can lower your risk for heart disease. Last but not least of the fat-soluble vitamins is

Vitamin K. Vitamin K is basically a blood-clotting vitamin. The vitamin can be found in

plants and is named phylloquinone. Vitamin K is known to have besides a blood-clotting

function, bone development. “Specific proteins found in bone and bone matrix are

dependent on vitamin K for their synthesis and are involved with calcium in bone

development. […these] bone proteins bind calcium but function here to form bone

crystals. (Williams 83) the quote is basically saying that parts of the bone need vitamin K

to develop. The water-soluble vitamin C (also known as ascorbic acid) is like glue

between cells keeping them together. Vitamin C is most known for helping the immune

system and the general metabolism of a person. “The more metabolically active body

tissues (e.g., adrenal glands, brain, kidney, liver, pancreas, thymus, and spleen have
greater concentrations of ascorbic acid”. The parts of the body with a good supply of

ascorbic acid function better. Vitamin C can be found in fruits, tomatoes, cabbage, leafy

vegetables, potatoes, strawberries, melons, chili peppers, broccoli, green peppers and

other green and yellow vegetables. There are eight B-complex vitamins each widely

dispersed between the different foods that we eat. The eight are: thiamin, riboflavin,

niacin, B6, pantothenic acid, biotin, folate and B12. Thiamin is one on the B-vitamins

that diseases due to deficiency occur often because of. One of thiamin’s functions is to

take energy from glucose and in turn the energy becomes fat. “Thiamin is especially

necessary for maintaining good function of three body systems”. The three systems are

the digestion system, nervous system, and cardiovascular system. Without thiamin, the

person will suffer from problems like indigestion, constipation, poor appetite. “[…Lack]

of thiamin causes poor appetite, indigestion, constipation and poor stomach action from

lack of muscle tone as well as deficient gastric hydrochloric acid secretion” (Williams

87). One of the most common diseases that come from lack of thiamin is beriberi; it

causes the person to become very ill. “The name describes the disease well; it is

Singhalese for “I can’t, I can’t” because afflicted persons were always too ill to do

anything” (Williams 88). Riboflavin is a yellow green pigment that is a major part of

energy production and tissue-protein. “It is a yellow-green fluorescent pigment—the

Latin word flavus means “yellow”—containing a sugar named ribose, hence the name

riboflavin.” (Williams 88)

 Besides having vitamins, food is known to have medicinal qualities. Different

groups of foods each have an effect on the body, able to prevent illnesses from allergies

to major diseases like cancer.

Keeping the body at an equilibrium is important to being healthy, bad nutrition

disrupts that equilibrium which show up as deficiency. There are important factors to

keeping the body balanced: one, a good variety of healthy foods using the food pyramid

as a guide; two, having physical activity every day; and finally,

People tend to worry too much about their calorie intake and then live on a very

strict diet denying the essential vitamins they need.

Can the use of regular food like produce to help cure certain illnesses and disease?

According to Dharma Singh Khalsa, it’s true; food can be used as medicine.

Mood is linked to Food? People like Elizabeth Somer M. A., R.D. have proof that

there is a connection between the two.

The body cannot live without food like it can’t live without air. Food is essential

to survival and affects peoples in many ways. Diseases may occur for nutritional reasons

as well as infection. Vitamins provide the body essential substances that help keep the

body in good working condition. There are important factors to keeping the body

balanced. Food has a medicinal effect on the body.

 Works Cited

Anderson, J., and L. Young. "Fat-Soluble Vitamins." Colorado State University

Extension. 01 Jan. 2010

<http://www.ext.colostate.edu/pubs/foodnut/09315.html>. Information on Fat-

Soluble vitamins how they affect the body, how much people need and other

information.

Anderson, J., and L. Young. "Water-Soluble Vitamins." Colorado State University

Extension. 01 Jan. 2010

<http://www.ext.colostate.edu/PUBS/FOODNUT/09312.html>. Information

about vitamins that are Water-soluble. Functions, sources, etc.

Fridman, Adele. "You are What You Eat!" Welcome to Crystal Andrus' Web Site. Dec.

2009 <http://www.crystalandrus.com/newsletter/october2009/adele.html>.

Information about foods that are rumored to have an affect on the body.

Khalsa, Dharma Singh. Food as medicine how to use diet, vitamins, juices, and herbs for

a healthier, happier, and longer life. New York, NY: Atria Books, 2003. Found

how specific foods can prevent diseases and everyday problems with a persons

health.

Kirschmann, John D., and Inc. Nutrition Search. Nutrition Almanac. New York:

McGraw-Hill, 2006. Information on Food related diseases, Relationships between

food and the human body.

Libal, Autumn. The Importance Of Physical Activity And Exercise The Fitness Factor

(Obesity Modern Day Epidemic). New York: Mason Crest, 2005. Print.Obesity in

the united states, information about how important exercise is to the body.

MyPyramid.gov - United States Department of Agriculture - Home. Web. 5 Jan. 2010.

<http://www.mypyramid.gov/>. Information about eating healthy, the dietary

guidlines, and the food pyramid.

"Orthorexia Nervosa:." Eating Disorders. Web. 1 Jan. 2010. <http://www.mirror-

mirror.org/orthorexia-nervosa.htm>. Orthorexia nervosa is just as bad as anorexia

or bulimia, the article explains what orthorexia nervosa symptoms and possible

treatment.

Park, Renee, and Marita Vera. "The downside of eating too healthy: orthorexia nervosa."

Medill Reports. 1 Dec. 2009. Web. 4 Jan. 2010.

<http://news.medill.northwestern.edu/chicago/news.aspx?id=150389>. Article is

about the disorder, orthorexia nervosa. a person who eats too healthy, or thinks

they are eating healthy but in reality are cutting out food period.

Rodwell., Williams, Sue. Basic nutrition and diet therapy. St. Louis: Mosby, 2001.

Information on Basic Nutrition and Vitamins were found in this book.

Somer, Elizabeth. Food and mood the complete guide to eating well and feeling your

best. New York: Holt, 1995. Found information about the connection between

food and mood, how what a person eats affects the way they act and feel.

Wartburg, Linda Von. "Type 1 Pop Star, Nick Jonas Tells His Story - Diabetes Health."

Diabetes Health - Investigate, Inform, Inspire. Dec. 2009

<http://www.diabeteshealth.com/read/2007/04/26/5150/type-1-pop-star-nick-
jonas-tellshis-story/>. The article contains information about Nick Jonas whom is

affected by Diabetes and is a role model to those who also have Diabetes.