F.3 HEALTH AND THE DIGESTIVE SYSTEM

- Nutrition is the study of food and its relationship to good health.

- Eating the proper amounts of the right foods gives the digestive system the best

chance of maintaining one’s health. The alternative is malnutrition (“mal” means

bad)

- Body cells require amino acids to make proteins such as enzymes used in

metabolic reactions; the bond energy in sugars is used to generate ATP; nucleotides

are needed for replication and to make mRNA and so on.

- Cells can synthesize many organic molecules, but they still require others as

essential components of metabolic pathways.

- Food contains mineral ions – calcium, for example, is a component of such things

as dairy products, leafy green vegetables, beans and nuts. It is necessary for many things including muscle contraction, nerve impulse transmission, and maintaining the health of bone tissue.

- Inadequate amounts of calcium compromises the body’s ability to function.

Not everybody’s food and nutrient requirements are the same, meaning that a suitable diet for one person may not be suAicient for another.

- For example, professional athletes who burn thousands of calories a day require a diAerent diet from an elderly person who leads a rather sedentary lifestyle.

- As well, dietary requirements change. Compounding this are eating disorders, digestive disorders, allergies, genetics, and food intolerances.

Further, traditions, culture, religion, location and food availability, as well as external pressures such as the effects of social media, influence diets.