Your immune system stands guard constantly against many different
attacks involving microorganisms and cancer cells. If it fails to do its
job, your body becomes vulnerable to all types of diseases. Nutrition
helps strengthen the immune system. People who restrict their food
intakes, whether because of lack of appetite, illness, an eating disorder, or
are trying to lose weight risk causing malnutrition, which results in a
weakened immunes system (Sizer &
Whitney, 2013). For the immune system to function properly, it
requires all nutrients.
Malnutrition is a major factor that causes illness, disease, and
early death. In areas where there are
high levels of malnutrition, the risk of contracting infectious disease
increases ("Nutrition and
Disease," 2011).
Nutrition can also create risk factors associated that are with a
poor diet. Chronic diseases such as type
2 diabetes, cancer, hypertension, obesity, heart disease, and many other
diseases are all related to poor nutrition.
Many experts believe that diet accounts for about a third of all cases
of coronary heart disease are an example of the link between diet and chronic
disease (Sizer & Whitney, 2013). On the other hand, the link between cancer
and nutrition is hard to determine (Sizer
& Whitney, 2013).
The bottom line is that there is a direct link between nutrition, disease,
and health. By improving nutrition, some
risk factors that lead to chronic diseases will be reduced; this will help
reduce health concerns. Sufficient
nutrition is key to helping mitigate the risks of disease and death.
Reference
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