What is the relationship of nutrition activities and primary health care?

Answer 1

Nutrition, which depends on food, is also of utmost importance in the cure of disease. The

primary cause of disease is a weakened organism or lowered resistance in the body, arising

from the adoption of a faulty nutritional pattern. There is an elaborate healing mechanism within

the body but it can perform its function only if it is abundantly supplied with all the essential

nutritional factors.

It is believed that at least 45 chemical components and elements are needed by human cells.

Each of these 45 substances, called essential nutrients, must be present in adequate diets. The

list of these nutrients, include oxygen and water. The other 43 essential nutrients are classified

into five main groups, namely carbohydrates, fats, proteins, minerals and vitamins. All 45 of

these nutrients are vitally important and they work together. Therefore, the absence of any of

them will result in disease and eventually in death.

Research has shown that almost all varieties of disease can be produced by an under-supply of

various nutrients. These nutritional deficiencies occur on account of various factors, including the

intense processsing and refining of foods, the time lag between the harvesting and consumption

of vegetables and fruits, the chemicals used in bleaching, flavouring, colouring and preserving

foods and the chemical fertilisers, fungicides insecticides and sprays used for treating the soil.

Therefore, as a first principle of nutrition, one should insist upn whole meal flour and whole meal

bread and avoid the white stuff.

Research has also shown that diseases produced by combinatins of deficiencies can be

corrected when all the nutrients are supplied, provided irreparable damage has not been done. A

well-balanced and correct diet is thus of utmost importance for the maintenance of good health

and the healing of diseases. Such a diet, obviously should be made up of foods, which in

combination would supply all the essential nutrients.

It has been found that a diet which contains liberal quantities of (I) seeds, nuts, and grains , (ii)

vegetables and (iii) fruits, would provide adequate amounts of all the essential nutrients. These

foods have, therefore, been aptly called basic food groups and the diet contains these food

groups as optimum diet for vigour and vitality.