Nutrition and Disease

People do not realize the significant impact that daily food choices can have on overall health status. Some simply do not know, while others continue to live in denial of bad eating habits. Regardless, lack of crucial vitamins and minerals means the body cannot function properly. This creates the perfect environment for disease and illness to flourish and destroy a person's health. "Eating a well-rounded and varied diet will go a long way toward making sure you have all the nutrients you need. Remember that our body uses everything we put into it, and what we give it determines how it's used — for good health, or for bad" (Rodriguez, 2013, para. 4). 

When a person provides the body with sufficient nutrition then the body's strongest defense, the immune system, is ready to fight off illness and disease. On the other hand, deficiencies weaken the immune system and then it cannot effectively fight off those invaders. This leads to higher amounts of toxins and health problems, such as malnutrition and heart disease. A proper balance in vitamins and minerals ensures a healthy body, but beware that too many of those nutrients can cause issues as well. Vitamin C plays an important role in allowing the white blood cells in the body to protect against ailments, but a deficiency inhibits this ability. This important nutrient can aid in normal blood pressure too.

Daily lifestyle choices, especially in nutrition, can strengthen the immune system and reduce the risk of disease and illness. For example, a person that eats a lot of sugar is at a higher risk of obesity. Chronic health problems that are not handled will continue to burden the body and potentially mean that a person dies much earlier than planned. Heart disease, cancer, stroke, and diabetes mellitus are the top leading causes of death, which are related to nutrition (Sizer & Whitney, 2012, p. 3). Genetics can also influence the risk of certain diseases, but a person cannot control it. However, a person can take control of the daily food choices to lower the risk of disease and death. 

Rodriguez, D. 2013. Your Diet, Your Health. Retrieved from http://www.everydayhealth.com/diet-nutrition/101/benefits-of-healthy-eating/food-health-connection.aspx  

Sizer, F., & Whitney, E. (2012). Nutrition: Concepts and controversies, MyPlate Update (12th ed.). Mason, OH: Cengage Learning.