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Why is nutritional analysis important?
Date : 2020-05-21
Food\r\nis the fuel the body needs to replenish itself with. Each civilization has\r\ngiven profound importance to\r\nfood type and consumption pattern.
Hence,\r\nit can be easily assumed that food has the power to influence the bodily\r\nmetabolism and organ health directly. After ingestion, food is digested through\r\nour gut with the help of various digestive juices and ends in being absorbed in\r\nblood streams as different types of biomolecules which are known as Nutrients.
If\r\nfood is the reason, Nutrition is the result. We consume food so that we can\r\nobtain proper nutrition.
Nutrition\r\nis the process by which important beneficial bio molecules or Nutrients, after\r\nreaching their destination within the body, positively helps in functioning,\r\nmaintaining or improving important bio metabolisms like building muscles,\r\nproducing energy, thriving body cells, improving body health, replenish\r\nmalnourishment, and strengthening immunity.
Theses\r\nNutrients are of two types. 1. Macronutrients 2. Micronutrients. The next chart\r\nis an overall idea about the different types of nutrients and there functions.
| \r\n Macronutrients | \r\n \r\n Bodily\r\n Function | \r\n
| \r\n Carbohydrate | \r\n \r\n Energy\r\n production | \r\n
| \r\n Protein | \r\n \r\n Muscle\r\n Development and Cell Proliferation | \r\n
| \r\n Fat | \r\n \r\n Energy\r\n production, storage energy | \r\n
\r\n\r\n
| \r\n Micronutrients | \r\n \r\n Bodily\r\n Function | \r\n
| \r\n Vitamins | \r\n \r\n Hormone\r\n production, Hormonal balance maintenance, Bone development and density\r\n maintenance, Eyesight development and maintenance, Reproductive organ health\r\n maintenance, Immunity boosting etc. | \r\n
| \r\n Minerals | \r\n \r\n Electrolyte\r\n equilibrium maintenance, Helping in energy production, Muscle work, Brain\r\n development, Nervous functions etc. | \r\n
Now\r\nthat we have understood the importance of food, nutrition and nutrients, and\r\ntheir major functions in our body, let us further focus the lights onto the\r\nmatter about what is the Nutritional Analysis and why it is of such utmost\r\nimportance.
Nutritional\r\nAnalysis is the scientifically set stepwise process of assessing the types,\r\namount and nature of nutrients available in a given food sample. In India, Nutritional\r\nAnalysis Methods are standardized and set by FSSAI.
The\r\nimportance of nutritional analysis has several spectrums. There are as follows:
· \r\nFood Nutrition Analysis\r\nhelps in detailed and perfect determination of the component nutrients present\r\nin any food item.
· \r\nFood components have vast\r\nbio metabolic roles and could affect human health severely.
· \r\nIf consumer has a clear\r\nidea about the food component, he or she may choose or reject specific food\r\nitems according to his or her health condition.
· \r\nAs an example, khichdi is\r\nmore beneficial than plain rice or roti alone in case a person is looking for\r\nlow cost supplementary food for protein energy malnutrition. The combined\r\nprotein sourced from rice and dal makes khichdi more nutritional and wholesome.\r\n
· \r\nNutritional Analysis and\r\ncomparison of ‘Khichdi’ with various other food items helped scientists in\r\nconcluding this revolutionary easy way which is now an instrumental\r\nsupplementary therapeutic dish in India’s master plan of fighting Protein\r\nEnergy Malnutrition.
· \r\nNutritional Analysis\r\ndetects the exact nutritional value of any given food items.
· \r\nIt determines the\r\npercentage of macro and micro nutrients present in that food item as well as\r\npresence of inhibitors, toxic chemicals or any other new component.
· \r\nIt is also important in\r\nnutrition mapping where a variety of food items are regularly being tested and\r\nincluded into the standardized book of Nutritive Value of Indian Foods by\r\nIndian Council of Medical Research.
· \r\nPresences of inhibitors,\r\ntoxic chemicals in various foods are tested in food nutrition analysis.\r\nInhibitors like phytate, oxalate decreases the bio availability of nutrients\r\nand toxic chemicals like saponin, trypsin inhibitors, lathyrogens etc. cause\r\nmild to severe ailments in human body.
· \r\nFood Nutrition Analysis by\r\nFSSAI has been instrumental in India’s nutrition mapping as there are vast\r\nvarieties, numbers and types of crops, fruits and vegetables, fishes available\r\nthroughout different part of India.
· \r\nNewly found food items,\r\nlocal or indigenous, are constantly being tested in Food testing laboratories\r\nfor their nutritional analysis by standardized nutritional analysis methods to\r\nenrich India’s food list.
· \r\nAgricultural researches\r\nregularly trying to discover new Genetically Modified Foods which would be\r\neconomical and easy yielding for farmers and nutritionally adequate or better\r\nfor the consumers. Nutritional analyses of these food items also enrich the\r\nfood variety of our nation.
Nutrition facts labelling:
· \r\nThis is a very important\r\npart of food processing industries as there must be detailed description of all\r\navailable nutritional facts on the label of the food product with percentages\r\nand ingredients. Food testing laboratories conduct regular as well as surprise\r\nrandom testing of different batches of produced food to ensure a healthy and\r\nsafe practice.
· \r\nThe shelf life or\r\nManufacturing and Expiry date also has to be mentioned clearly on the food\r\nlabel so that it clearly indicates within how many days the food can be safely\r\nconsumed. This test is also done by laboratories depending upon the nutritional\r\ningredients present in food and shelf life of each food items present.
· \r\nThe food product must\r\nalso be marked clearly for ingredients present. For all components nonveg, the\r\nmark should be red, if all the ingredients are veg, that item should be marked\r\ngreen. Food products with egg present in them should be marked in yellow.
Supplementary\r\nfood composition:
· \r\nFood nutrition analysis\r\ndetermines which combination formula of supplementary food is best suited for\r\nmeeting the nutritional need for the target consumer group.
· \r\nEach supplementary food,\r\ntherapeutic or normal has a detailed nutritional formula with number of\r\nnutrients present in it in a specific amount. The amounts of the various\r\nnutrients are determined as per their role in the bodily functions or the role\r\nthe supplementary food promises to fulfill.
FSSAI\r\nstrictly handles production of these supplementary foods to control any\r\nmalpractice through thorough testing.
· \r\nMany fake or dubious\r\ncompanies produce supplementary foods with banned steroids components or other\r\nvaguely promised items which are not permitted as per FSSAI standards. Regular\r\nchecking in food analysis lab is the only way to track and discontinue production\r\nof such products.
Dietary intervention:
· \r\nFood and Nutrition is an\r\nintegral part of our health and immunity. In special medical conditions, the\r\ndiet changes according to the etiology and diagnosis of the disease. Dietary\r\nintervention is one of the core components of treatment for various types of\r\ndiseases. These diseases are of three types. These are described in the\r\nfollowing chart.
| \r\n Type\r\n of Diseases | \r\n \r\n Examples | \r\n
| \r\n Life\r\n style disorders | \r\n \r\n Cardio\r\n Vascular problems, PCOD, COPD, Diabetes etc. | \r\n
| \r\n Malnutrition | \r\n \r\n Protein\r\n deficiency, Protein energy malnutrition, Iron deficiency, Calcium deficiency\r\n etc. | \r\n
| \r\n Communicative\r\n diseases | \r\n \r\n Measles,\r\n Chicken Pox, Tuberculosis, Flu, Fever, Parasite infestation, STD etc. | \r\n
· \r\nScientists of Food\r\ntesting Laboratories around the world are constantly working on formulating\r\nspecific nutritional intervention therapy to combat most critical diseases.
· \r\nInternational entities\r\nlike World Health Organization, Unicef etc. are dedicated in providing better\r\nnourishment for the deprived part of the world and for the patients with\r\ncrucial ailments. Dietetic associations around the world, renowned public health\r\ninstitutes are all emphasizing on dietary intervention.
· \r\nEach disease has specific\r\ndietary needs and measurements to be followed strictly. These strict guidelines\r\ninclude specific type of foods, specific way of preparation, and their edible\r\nportion size. Proper research based nutritional analysis is the only way to\r\nformulate such crucial diets.