Session Two: Basics of Nutrition

Session Two: Basics of Nutrition

Purpose Provide basic nutrition information, including food sources of nutrients, roles of nutrients in the body, and disorders associated with inadequate nutrition. 2

Learning Objectives Understand the importance of good nutrition. Identify food sources of nutrients. Describe the roles of nutrients in the body. Understand the causes and consequences of undernutrition. Describe strategies to combat undernutrition. 3

Session Outline Good nutrition Essential nutrients and food sources Role of nutrients in the body Nutrient requirements Measuring nutritional status Causes and consequences of undernutrition Strategies to combat undernutrition National nutrition guidelines, policies, and strategies 4

Good Nutrition Consuming food and nutrients and using them to function healthily Both cause and result of good or poor health Not the same as “food” and “nutrients” Food products eaten or taken into the body that contain nutrients for Development, growth, and maintenance of tissues and cells Resisting and fighting infection Producing energy, warmth, and movement Carrying out the body’s chemical functions 5

Essential Nutrients Macronutrients Carbohydrates Fats (lipids) Proteins Micronutrients Vitamins Minerals Water 6

Macronutrients: Carbohydrates Energy-giving foods composed of sugars Common staple eaten regularly, accounting for up to 80% of the diet in developing countries Quickly absorbed by the body Sources Cereals (e.g., millet, sorghum, maize, rice) Root crops (e.g., cassava, potatoes) Starchy fruits (e.g., bananas) 7

Macronutrients: Fats and Oils (Lipids) Energy-giving foods Not produced by the body Absorbed more slowly than carbohydrates Account for small part of diet in developing countries Fats (solids): Butter, ghee, lard, margarine Oils (liquids): Corn oil, soybean oil, peanut oil 8

Macronutrients: Proteins Body-building foods Form main structural components of cells Help produce and maintain tissues and muscles Sources Plants (e.g., beans, nuts, chickpeas) Animals (meat, poultry, fish, dairy products, insects) 9

Micronutrients: Vitamins Organic compounds mostly from outside the body Do not provide energy Fat soluble: Dissolve in lipids, can be stored, not needed daily (e.g., vitamins A, D, E, K) Water soluble: Dissolve in water, absorbed into bloodstream immediately, needed daily Sources Fruits Dark leafy vegetables Animal foods 10

Micronutrients: Minerals Inorganic compounds not synthesized by the body Needed in very small quantities but possibly essential Important for biochemical processes and formation of cells and tissues Sources Plants Animal products 11

Water Main component of the body (60 percent of body mass) Needed for digestion, absorption, and other body functions Regularly lost through sweating, excretion, and breathing Approximately 1,000 ml (4 8 cups) needed each day 12

Essential Nutrient Food Products What local foods are rich in these essential nutrients? Proteins Carbohydrates Fats and oils Vitamins (water soluble and fat soluble) Minerals (including iodine and iron) 13

Energy Requirements Amounts needed to maintain health, growth, and appropriate physical activity Vary according to age, gender, and activity Met through an age-appropriate balanced diet Based on – Basal metabolism: Energy needed for basic body functions – Metabolic response to food: Energy needed to digest, absorb, and utilize food – Physical activity: Work, rest, and play – Physiology: Pregnancy, lactation, and maturation increase energy needs 14

Energy Requirements of Adults 19 Years Old Basal metabolic rate (BMR) Number of kilocalories (kcal) needed each day Energy needs BMR x activity factor Additional energy needed by pregnant and lactating women 15

Energy Requirements of Children and Adolescents 18 Calculated based on age, physical activity, and energy needs for growth Increase after age 10 to support changing body composition and growth Kcals required per day (FAO, WHO, UNU 2004) – Boys 1 18 years old: 948 3,410 – Girls 1 18 years old: 865 2,503 16

Energy Requirements of Infants 0 12 Months Old Mainly for growth Vary by age and gender All energy and nutrient needs met by breastmilk for the first 6 months of life 17

Protein Requirements Needed daily to replenish continuous depletion May vary by age, health status, physiological status, and occupation – Higher for pregnant and lactating women – Fluctuate in children based on weight, age, and gender 18

Undernutrition The manifestation of inadequate nutrition Common in sub-Saharan Africa – 1/3 of all children 5 years old underweight – 38% of children with low height for age Many causes – Inadequate access to food/nutrients – Improper care of mothers and children – Limited health services – Unhealthy environment 19

Conditions Associated with Under- and Overnutrition Vitamin deficiency disorders – Scurvy (deficiency of vitamin C) – Rickets (deficiency of vitamin D) – Mental, adrenal disorders (deficiency of B vitamins) Mineral deficiency – Osteoporosis (deficiency of calcium) Diet-related non-communicable diseases – – – – Diabetes Coronary heart disease Obesity High blood pressure 20

Causes of Undernutrition 21

Nutritional Status Determined by Anthropometry Underweight: Low weight for age compared to reference standard, a composite measure of stunting and wasting Stunting: Low height for age compared to reference standard, an indicator of chronic or past growth failure Wasting: Low weight for height, an indicator of short-term nutritional stress 22

Other Anthropometric Measurements MUAC (mid-upper arm circumference) BMI (body mass index): Compares height and weight BMI Weight (kg) height (m)2 23

Manifestations of Protein-Energy Malnutrition (PEM) Marasmus: Severe growth failure – Weight 60% weight for age – Frailty, thinness, wrinkled skin, drawn-in face, possible extreme hunger Kwashiorkor: Severe PEM – Weight 60 80% weight for age – Swelling (edema), dry flaky skin, changes in skin and hair, appetite loss, lethargy Marasmic kwashiorkor: Most serious form of PEM, combining both conditions above Weight 60% weight for age 24

Strategies to Prevent and Control Undernutrition Improve household food security. Improve diversity of diet. Improve maternal nutrition and health care. Improve child feeding practices. Ensure child health care (immunization, medical care, growth monitoring). Provide nutrition rehabilitation. 25

Nutritional Anemia Most common type of anemia Caused by malaria, hookworm, and inadequate iron and vitamin intake resulting in low hemoglobin levels Affects mainly children 5 years old and pregnant women Detected by measuring blood hemoglobin levels 26

Effects of Anemia Adults – Reduced work capacity – Reduced mental capacity – Reduced immune competence – Poor pregnancy outcomes – Increased risk of maternal death Infants and children – Reduced cognitive development – Reduced immune competence – Reduced work capacity 27

Strategies to Prevent and Control Anemia Promote iron, folic acid, and B12-rich foods. Treat and prevent anemia-related diseases (malaria and worms). Provide iron and folic acid supplements to infants and pregnant and lactating women. Fortify foods. Promote vitamin C-rich foods with meals. Discourage drinking coffee or tea with meals. 28

Iodine Deficiency Disorders (IDD) Caused by inadequate intake of iodine Only 1 tsp. needed over entire lifetime Iodine in food sources varies by geography. – Less in highlands and mountain regions – Leached from soil and carried to lowlands 29

Manifestations of IDD Goiter: Enlarged neck region from overactive thyroid gland Hypothyroidism: Dry skin, weight gain, puffy face, lethargy from underactive thyroid Hyperthyroidism: Rapid pulse and weight loss from overactive thyroid Cretinism: Mental retardation, physical development problems, spasticity from IDD in mother during pregnancy 30

Strategies to Control IDD Iodize salt, dairy products, and bread where where iodine is deficient in local foods. Provide iodine drops. Inject people with iodized oil (expensive). 31

Causes of Vitamin A Deficiency (VAD) Low consumption of vitamin A-rich foods. Dietary deficiency due to food processing Limited consumption of fats and oils Poor breastfeeding (no colostrum, insufficient breastfeeding) Diseases affecting absorption (e.g., worms, chronic diarrhea) 32

Manifestations of VAD Xerophthalmia (eye conditions) – Blindness (VAD is the leading cause of blindness in children 5 years old) – Bitot’s spots – Damage to the cornea Slowed growth and development Reduced reproductive health Increased risk of anemia 33

Strategies to Control VAD Promote vitamin A-rich foods (fruits, vegetables, red palm oil). Give infants and women low-dose iron supplements according to WHO protocols. Improve food security. Feed children properly. Prevent disease and treat disease early. Fortify foods. 34

National Nutrition Strategies, Policies, and Guidelines General nutrition Infant feeding Nutrition and HIV Food security 35

Case Study 1 Food has been in short supply in your area. A mother brings her 3 year-old daughter to the clinic. She is worried because the child has a poor appetite, skin conditions that won’t go away, and excessive diarrhea. Her hair has gotten lighter. You notice swelling around the child’s ankles. What might she suffer from? What is the appropriate course of action? 36

Case Study 2 A 28-year-old pregnant woman attending the antenatal clinic complains of shortness of breath, dizziness, a fast heart rate, and extreme fatigue. When asked about the foods she has been eating, she says she’s had little access to meat and fish since her pregnancy. What nutrition deficiency might she be suffering from? What action would you recommend? 37

Case Study 3 You and another nurse are community health workers making rounds to households to assess the general health of children under five. You notice that most children seem small or thin for their age and decide to assess weight for age and height for age using a hanging scale and height board. In the first household, a 24-month-old boy weighs 13 kg and is 80 cm tall. Using the growth charts in the Appendix, assess this child. 38

Conclusions Good nutrition is essential for health and well-being. Inadequate nutrition can lead to PEM and vitamin and mineral deficiencies (anemia, VAD, IDD). Nutrition interventions include improved household food security, food fortification, vitamin and mineral supplementation (for women and children), and improved child feeding. Daily well-balanced diets should include foods containing essential nutrients and meeting energy requirements. 39