Some diseases result primarily from nutritional diseases - the major deficiency diseases and obesity.
Deficiency diseases seldom present in pure form. More often than not they are secondary to some other illness. Even where food is short, not all the members of a community are equally affected. Individuals with with some physical or mental abnormality usually show clinical menifestation first. Young children and disabled adults are the most vulnerable.
When malnutrition occurs it is unlikely to involve only one nutrient. Even if the clinical features suggest a single deficiency, biochemical tests usually reveal depletion of other nutrients. Treatment should therefore not be confined to large intakes of the nutrient whose deficiency is indicated by the clinical signs. Furthermore, malnourished patients are liable to complications, especially certain infections which may be the presenting illness or may occur in modified form because malnutrition has supressed some of their characteristic signs. Thus complications of malnutrition must be looked for and treated. Much of the skill in diagnosing patients with malnutrition is being aware of and dientangling predisposing illness, other associated malnutrition and complicating diseases.
mon to other cereal grain such as amylases, lipases, esterases and proteinases. However, oats have been shown to exhibit relatively high lipase and proteinase activity, compared to other grains. Because oat endosperm carries apprecialble portions of fat, lipolytic activity of rolled oats as a food is of paramount importance. When groats are properly dried and steamed the flakes will remain low in free fatty acids for long period of time. This stability has been attributed to the inactivation of lipases during the drying and steaming process prior to rolling the flakes.
Plant foods like wholegrain cereals, legumes (beans, peas, lentils, peanuts etc.), fruits and vegetables are good for the heart and decrease the risk of heart disease. Omega 3 fatty acid lowers cholesterol, improves blood vessel elasticity and thins the blood, thereby reducing the chances of blood-clot. Olive oil, tuna and salmon varieties of fish contain Omega 3 fatty acids. About 100-200 gm of such fish should be consumed twice in a week after cooking it in a little oil or by roasting, baking or steaming it. Omega 6 fatty acid can be found in some vegetable oils like corn, soy or sunflower oils.