Why is nutritional analysis important?
Foodrnis the fuel the body needs to replenish itself with. Each civilization hasrngiven profound importance tornfood type and consumption pattern.
Hence,rnit can be easily assumed that food has the power to influence the bodilyrnmetabolism and organ health directly. After ingestion, food is digested throughrnour gut with the help of various digestive juices and ends in being absorbed inrnblood streams as different types of biomolecules which are known as Nutrients.
Ifrnfood is the reason, Nutrition is the result. We consume food so that we canrnobtain proper nutrition.
Nutritionrnis the process by which important beneficial bio molecules or Nutrients, afterrnreaching their destination within the body, positively helps in functioning,rnmaintaining or improving important bio metabolisms like building muscles,rnproducing energy, thriving body cells, improving body health, replenishrnmalnourishment, and strengthening immunity.
ThesesrnNutrients are of two types. 1. Macronutrients 2. Micronutrients. The next chartrnis an overall idea about the different types of nutrients and there functions.
| rn Macronutrients | rn rn Bodilyrn Function | rn
| rn Carbohydrate | rn rn Energyrn production | rn
| rn Protein | rn rn Musclern Development and Cell Proliferation | rn
| rn Fat | rn rn Energyrn production, storage energy | rn
rnrn
| rn Micronutrients | rn rn Bodilyrn Function | rn
| rn Vitamins | rn rn Hormonern production, Hormonal balance maintenance, Bone development and densityrn maintenance, Eyesight development and maintenance, Reproductive organ healthrn maintenance, Immunity boosting etc. | rn
| rn Minerals | rn rn Electrolytern equilibrium maintenance, Helping in energy production, Muscle work, Brainrn development, Nervous functions etc. | rn
Nowrnthat we have understood the importance of food, nutrition and nutrients, andrntheir major functions in our body, let us further focus the lights onto thernmatter about what is the Nutritional Analysis and why it is of such utmostrnimportance.
NutritionalrnAnalysis is the scientifically set stepwise process of assessing the types,rnamount and nature of nutrients available in a given food sample. In India, NutritionalrnAnalysis Methods are standardized and set by FSSAI.
Thernimportance of nutritional analysis has several spectrums. There are as follows:
· rnFood Nutrition Analysisrnhelps in detailed and perfect determination of the component nutrients presentrnin any food item.
· rnFood components have vastrnbio metabolic roles and could affect human health severely.
· rnIf consumer has a clearrnidea about the food component, he or she may choose or reject specific foodrnitems according to his or her health condition.
· rnAs an example, khichdi isrnmore beneficial than plain rice or roti alone in case a person is looking forrnlow cost supplementary food for protein energy malnutrition. The combinedrnprotein sourced from rice and dal makes khichdi more nutritional and wholesome.rn
· rnNutritional Analysis andrncomparison of ‘Khichdi’ with various other food items helped scientists inrnconcluding this revolutionary easy way which is now an instrumentalrnsupplementary therapeutic dish in India’s master plan of fighting ProteinrnEnergy Malnutrition.
· rnNutritional Analysisrndetects the exact nutritional value of any given food items.
· rnIt determines thernpercentage of macro and micro nutrients present in that food item as well asrnpresence of inhibitors, toxic chemicals or any other new component.
· rnIt is also important inrnnutrition mapping where a variety of food items are regularly being tested andrnincluded into the standardized book of Nutritive Value of Indian Foods byrnIndian Council of Medical Research.
· rnPresences of inhibitors,rntoxic chemicals in various foods are tested in food nutrition analysis.rnInhibitors like phytate, oxalate decreases the bio availability of nutrientsrnand toxic chemicals like saponin, trypsin inhibitors, lathyrogens etc. causernmild to severe ailments in human body.
· rnFood Nutrition Analysis byrnFSSAI has been instrumental in India’s nutrition mapping as there are vastrnvarieties, numbers and types of crops, fruits and vegetables, fishes availablernthroughout different part of India.
· rnNewly found food items,rnlocal or indigenous, are constantly being tested in Food testing laboratoriesrnfor their nutritional analysis by standardized nutritional analysis methods tornenrich India’s food list.
· rnAgricultural researchesrnregularly trying to discover new Genetically Modified Foods which would berneconomical and easy yielding for farmers and nutritionally adequate or betterrnfor the consumers. Nutritional analyses of these food items also enrich thernfood variety of our nation.
Nutrition facts labelling:
· rnThis is a very importantrnpart of food processing industries as there must be detailed description of allrnavailable nutritional facts on the label of the food product with percentagesrnand ingredients. Food testing laboratories conduct regular as well as surprisernrandom testing of different batches of produced food to ensure a healthy andrnsafe practice.
· rnThe shelf life orrnManufacturing and Expiry date also has to be mentioned clearly on the foodrnlabel so that it clearly indicates within how many days the food can be safelyrnconsumed. This test is also done by laboratories depending upon the nutritionalrningredients present in food and shelf life of each food items present.
· rnThe food product mustrnalso be marked clearly for ingredients present. For all components nonveg, thernmark should be red, if all the ingredients are veg, that item should be markedrngreen. Food products with egg present in them should be marked in yellow.
Supplementaryrnfood composition:
· rnFood nutrition analysisrndetermines which combination formula of supplementary food is best suited forrnmeeting the nutritional need for the target consumer group.
· rnEach supplementary food,rntherapeutic or normal has a detailed nutritional formula with number ofrnnutrients present in it in a specific amount. The amounts of the variousrnnutrients are determined as per their role in the bodily functions or the rolernthe supplementary food promises to fulfill.
FSSAIrnstrictly handles production of these supplementary foods to control anyrnmalpractice through thorough testing.
· rnMany fake or dubiousrncompanies produce supplementary foods with banned steroids components or otherrnvaguely promised items which are not permitted as per FSSAI standards. Regularrnchecking in food analysis lab is the only way to track and discontinue productionrnof such products.
Dietary intervention:
· rnFood and Nutrition is anrnintegral part of our health and immunity. In special medical conditions, therndiet changes according to the etiology and diagnosis of the disease. Dietaryrnintervention is one of the core components of treatment for various types ofrndiseases. These diseases are of three types. These are described in thernfollowing chart.
| rn Typern of Diseases | rn rn Examples | rn
| rn Lifern style disorders | rn rn Cardiorn Vascular problems, PCOD, COPD, Diabetes etc. | rn
| rn Malnutrition | rn rn Proteinrn deficiency, Protein energy malnutrition, Iron deficiency, Calcium deficiencyrn etc. | rn
| rn Communicativern diseases | rn rn Measles,rn Chicken Pox, Tuberculosis, Flu, Fever, Parasite infestation, STD etc. | rn
· rnScientists of Foodrntesting Laboratories around the world are constantly working on formulatingrnspecific nutritional intervention therapy to combat most critical diseases.
· rnInternational entitiesrnlike World Health Organization, Unicef etc. are dedicated in providing betterrnnourishment for the deprived part of the world and for the patients withrncrucial ailments. Dietetic associations around the world, renowned public healthrninstitutes are all emphasizing on dietary intervention.
· rnEach disease has specificrndietary needs and measurements to be followed strictly. These strict guidelinesrninclude specific type of foods, specific way of preparation, and their ediblernportion size. Proper research based nutritional analysis is the only way tornformulate such crucial diets.
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