Fuel of our Body

Which substance work as fuel in our body?

Just as an engine needs, fuels like coal, petrol diesel, etc. to run similarly our body also requires fuel which provides us the energy to work with. The substances, which act as fuel or energy for our body, are fats and carbohydrates. The food we consume is burnt with the help of oxygen that we obtain fro breasting and produces these constituents. The energy, which is released in the process, is used to perform all our voluntary protein is required for growth and tissue repair while vitamins and the minerals are necessary for the proper functioning of various body organs.

Nutritious Food

            Just as a machine needs pepper fuel, our body requires nutrients to keep it in proper working condition. The nutrients come from the food we consume. Our body absorbs and utilizes the useful elements form the food we eat, and rejects those that are not needed in the form of waster material. We excrete about 2 kilograms of urine and stools daily. We inhale oxygen when we breathe and carbon dioxide is produced as a waste material. About 400 gram of water is excreted through the process of sweating.

            Human body temperature remains constant between 98⁰ F and 99⁰ F.  There is a wonderful equilibrium between the production and consumption of heat in the body so that the body temperature remains constant. Food is measured in units of energy, called calories.

            Our body is a wonderful machine that works continuously without any break. Even when we are in sleep, many processes such as respiration, digestion, heart beating, etc. go on incessantly. These processes also consume fuel continuously. Eating a balanced and nutritious diet provides the body wit all its energy requirements.

Vitamins and Minerals

Why do we need vitamins and minerals?

            Just as carbohydrates, proteins, fats, inorganic salts and water are the essential ingredients of our food, vitamins and minerals are also necessary to keep our body free of none. Lack or deficiency of vitamins can cause many disorders and diseases like weak digestive power, impaired eyesight, general weakness, tiredness, dryness of skin, inflammation of gums, weakening of bones, beri-beri, rickets, etc.

Foods Rich in Vitamins and Minerals

            What are vitamins? The word ‘vitamin’ was coined in 1912, and is derived form the Latin word vita, which means life. In fact, vitamins are organic materials which are found in many food substances and are essential for the proper functioning of the body parts and organs. They are of many kinds and each vitamin has a separate role in keeping our body healthy.

            Twenty kinds of vitamins have so far bee isolated, out of which six vitamins are of crucial importance. These are vitamin A, B, C, D, E and K.

Vitamin A: Vitamin A is mainly found in milk, butter, cream, cheese eggs, fish oil, cabbage, etc. it is very essential for the development of the body. Deficiency of Vitamin A weakness eyesight and leads to night blindness. Vitamin A protects us form infections, skin diseases and many eye diseases.

Vitamin B complex: Vitamin B consists of several water-soluble vitamins of the same nomenclature. They are known by their chemical names. Their constitution and functions are also different. These are described below.

Vitamin B1 (thiamine): Vitamin B1 or thiamine’s found in yeast, germinated wheat and pork. Its deficiency leads to a disease called beri-beri and causes tiredness, weakness, breathing difficulties, indigestion, etc. vitamin B1 is lost if food is cooked with baking soda.

Vitamin B2 ( riboflavin): Vitamin B2 or riboflavin is mainly found in milk, eggs and liver, deficiency of vitamin B2 causes general weakness, skin diseases, and sores on tongue and cracks on lips. Eye is also affected; there is dimness in vision, redness or burning sensation in the eyes.

Vitamin B6 (nicotinic acid or niacin): Vitamin B6 or nicotinic acid or niacin is found in bigger proportion in yeast, grain chaffs, eggs, meat, kidneys and livers. This is also found in smaller quantities in flour, polished rice, fruits, green vegetables and milk.

Deficiency of vitamin B6 causes diseases

Called Pellagra: This causes mental tension, inflammation of tongue, gums and inner lining of the intestine. There is loss of appetite and the body becomes weak.

Vitamin B7: Vitamin B7 is found in eggs, meat, milk and green vegetables. Deficiency of this vitamin adversely affects the inner lining of stomach and intestines, thereby causing disorder of digestion.

Vitamin B12: Vitamin B12 is found in milk, meat, liver etc. by keeping the diet balanced; it can be obtained in sufficient quantity. Deficiencies of this vitamin can result in anemia, pains, toughness in arms, and partial paralysis. For the formation of red blood corpuscles, vitamin B12 folic acid ad vitamins C are essential. In case of a extreme anemic condition, it is injected into the body.

Vitamin C (ascorbic acid): Vitamin C or ascorbic acid is found in large quantities in orange, lemon, grape, tomato, pineapple, germinated pulses and green vegetables. Pears, bananas also have it.

Deficiency of vitamin C leads to pain in joints, and a disease called scurvy. Inflammation of gums, weakening of brain, lethargy, weakness, tiredness, pain in legs, loss of eyesight, appearance of blue scars on the body, and peeling of skin are also caused by its deficiency.

Vitamin D: Vitamin D is found in milk, butter, fish-oil, eggs, etc. the sunlight falling on the body also makes vitamin D under the skin. Deficiency of vitamin D causes a disease called rickets (weakening of bones).

Vitamin E: Vitamin E is found in grains and oils. It is also found in large quantity in onions. Deficiency of this vitamin badly affects skin, blood, brain and liver.

Vitamin K: Vitamin K is found in green leafy vegetables. Generally, the organisms present inside the intestines make vitamin K. it helps in clotting of blood on wounds. If we take a balanced diet containing fresh vegetables, fruits, eggs, milk, fish, beans, wheat and rice, we get all these vitamins. All these vitamins are also available in the form of tablets and capsules in the market. Minerals are also needed for good health. Iron is needed for blood pigment, hemoglobin. Calcium- found in milk and cheese- and phosphorus, which is present in most foods, are needed for the growth of healthy bones and teeth.

Why it is said: An Apple a Day Keeps the Doctor Away?

            You must have definitely heard the age-old saying, an apple a day keeps the doctor away. What does it mean? Does it really keep the doctor away?

An Apple

            Not really; it was just a polite way of saying that this habit helped prevent constipation and other related ailments. It was believed that the juice of a raw people helped in fermentation of undigested foods.

            Although one might question such a sweeping statement in modern times, none ca deny that apples are good for health because of their high nutritious value. Some people have modified this statement and suggested that it keeps the dentist away more than the doctor. According to the dentist, biting a crisp apple is an effective way of removing food particles lodged between the teeth. Eating an apple after meals and cleaning the teeth first thing in morning and before retiring at night, are the best ways of keeping your teeth and gums healthy.

            Moreover, apples contain vitamins A and C, re rich in cellulose and carbohydrates, and also contain some minerals. This means that apples also help me the prevention ad cure of several deficiency disorders, e.g., scurvy, night blindness, etc., as well as in purifying the blood. They also help in healing, protection against cold and building of ones, teeth and gums. Thus, an apple being rich in these nutrients and helping in keeping the body healthy justifies the old saying.

            Apples are eaten raw, both for taste as well as their beneficial values. They contain 80% water, and the remaining 15% comprises sugar, ascorbic acid vitamin C and other acids, and rough indigestible matter. Apart from their nutritious value, apples are also used for making sweet dishes. Cider is brewed from fermented apples.

            Apples belong to the family of Rosaceae. In the ripened state, they are usually red, yellow or green. Apples grow in temperate zones, I relatively cold weather. By the end of 300 A.D., a roman writer named 37 varieties of apples, but today hundreds of varieties are available with varying degrees of sweetness and flavor.

How long can Man Survive Without Food?

        Like air and water, food is also essential part for all living beings. From the smallest insects to the biggest animals- all need food for their survival. So much so that even plants cannot live have long without food. Each person requires a certain amount of food daily, depending on his size, weight, age and amount of activity. Most of us feel uncomfortable, if we skip just one meal. Also, if we go without food for 12 hours or more we feel all the more lethargic.

            Energy required to do work is obtained form food we eat. Our cells and tissues suffer damage every day while doing work and need to be repaired and replaced. Food is thus needed for the growth, maintenance and development of our body. In short, we need carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins, minerals and water as food for proper functioning of our body.

            Have you ever given a thought to how long we can survive without food? There are some animals that can store food in their bodies and live on stored food for a long time. It has been observed that smaller and more active animals consume more food than others, in proportion to their body weight. Warm-blooded animals use up the food stored in their body more quickly. A dog can survive without food for 20 days at the most. However, some bugs can survive without food for one full year.

            Man cannot store food in his stomach. If he misses one meal, he feels weak. Food is required to maintain the flow of blood. All constituents of blood are obtained form food. The moment blood runs low on nutritional materials, a signal goes to the brain and we start feeling hungry.

            There are a few examples of people who survived for a very long time without food. Angus Warviern of Scotland survived without food for 382 days, i.e., from June 1965 to July 1966. During this period, he took only coffee, tea, water and soda water. One South African woman survived for 102 days on water and soda water. Stefan Taylor of New Zealand survived for 40 days in 1970 on a daily intake of just one glass of water. There are many such examples. Such people are endowed with exceptional power. A common man can, at the most, survive without food for a week.