Hi Margaret,
Good question! Rickets, scurvy, some birth defects, bleeding gums,
poor dental health, some cancers, anemia, osteoporosis are some of the
many maladies seen due to lack of proper nutrition. Proper nutrition
helps the body maintain a strong immune system and build a resistance
to invading organisms. Without a healthy immune system, we would be
prone to every virus, fungal, and bacterial infection going around!
Vitamin A helps the lungs resist infection, and some studies have
shown that it helps reduce death from measles.
Vitamin C may help prevent viral infections, and many people take
increased amounts when they have a cold or flu.Vitamin C deficiency
causes scurvy, a breakdown of the protein needed for connective
tissue, bones and dentin, the major portion of teeth.
? Collagen is a cementing material that binds cells together, and is
an essential connective tissue protein in the body. Whenever the body
is wounded, collagen glues the separated tissues together to form a
scar. A lack of collagen causes the walls of the body's blood
capillaries to break down and hemorrhaging occurs in cells throughout
the body. When capillaries lose the "glue" that holds them together,
symptoms of scurvy appear. An affected person becomes weak and has
joint pain. Internal hemorrhages cause black-and-blue marks to appear
on the skin?
http://www.people.virginia.edu/~rjh9u/vitac.html
Vitamin D deficiency causes rickets and osteomalacia
http://www.cc.nih.gov/ccc/supplements/vitd.html#def
See an illustration of ricket?s bowed legs and enlarged joints.
http://www.dinakaran.com/health/daily/2003/sep/02/rickets.jpg
Many other vitamins, minerals and proteins help the body build new
cells. Without proper nutrition, our skin, the first line of defense,
can become dry and brittle, allowing organisms such as bacteria,
viruses and fungi to enter the body, causing illness and disease.
Without good nutrition, our bodies would be unable to build the
antibodies necessary to stop us from succumbing to diseases such as
tuberculosis, typhoid, cholera, cols, and numerous other infectious
diseases.
Circulating in the bloodstream are white blood cells, WBCs. There are
several kinds of WBCs(lymphocytes, neutrophils, eosinophils,
macrophages, and more), and their job is to rid the body of organisms.
To maintain a healthy amount of functional WBCs, we need to take in
enough nutrients, as these nutrients are the building materials our
bone marrow uses to produce blood cells.
http://biology.clc.uc.edu/courses/bio105/immune.htm
You can see an animation here, of how WBCs (neutrophils, macrophages)
destroy organisms:
http://www.blink.uk.com/immunoanimations/index1.html
Here?s another short animation of a WBC (helper T-lymphocytes,
Helper-B lymphocytes)
http://science.nhmccd.edu/biol/inflam.html
?A high fat diet reduces the germ-fighting power of key immune system
components. Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables rich in
immunity-boosting nutrients, such as vitamins A, B6 and C. All these
vitamins play a crucial role in keeping your immune system healthy.?
CBS News, Emily Senay
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2003/12/03/earlyshow/contributors/emilysenay/main586530.shtml
?Vegetables and fruits contain beta-carotene, vitamin C, vitamin E,
and selenium. These nutrients are antioxidants, which protect body
cells from damage. They also help keep your immune system healthy and
may reduce your risk for cancer and other diseases.
Most vegetables and fruits are an excellent source of fiber and
phytochemicals, while being low in fat. Lutein, found in broccoli and
dark, leafy green vegetables, and lycopene, found in tomatoes, may be
among the phytochemicals that play a role in fighting cancer.?
RoseMed
http://www.rosemed.com/CustomPage.asp?guidCustomContentID=%7BFEFF78C9-D2BC-47E4-9D24-A8850066FFFF%7D
There has been a great deal of research lately on phytochemicals.
Phtochemicals are found in plant foods, and are thought to boost the
immune system. Currently over 900 kinds of phytochemicals have been
identified, and seem to possesses disease-fighting substances. While
not classified as a ?nutrient? per se, they have been recognized for
their usefulness in disease prevention.
Ohio State University
http://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/5000/5050.html
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Additional information on nutrition and health:
================================================
Food Nutrition and Fighting Cancer
Novartis Health
http://www.novartisnutrition.com/Info/us/food_nutrition.html
About white blood cells and circulation
http://www.cancerhelp.org.uk/help/default.asp?page=116#white
and
http://www.thewellproject.org/Treatment_and_Trials/First_Things_First/Understanding_the_Immune_System.jsp
Poor nutrition affects even goldfish to develop a weak immune system!
http://www.goldfishconnection.com/articles/details.php?articleId=64&parentId=7
Chickens need to eat well to avoid illness!
http://www.pakissan.com/english/allabout/livestock/poultry/role.of.vitamins.in.immune.shtml
Healthy Beginnings: Nutrition's Role in Preventing Birth Defects
http://www.kidsource.com/kidsource/content3/ific/ific.birth.defects.html
Hope this helps you understand the importance of eating well!
If any aprt of this answer is unclear, please requeast an Answer
Clarification before rating!
Regards,
crabcakes
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