1.4.1

Balanced Diets

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Balanced Diets

To lead a healthy life, animals must make sure that they consume a balanced diet. Their diet must contain all the right food types, as well as vitamins and minerals. A balanced diet prevents some diseases.

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Parts of a healthy balanced diet

  • There are seven key components of a varied and healthy diet.
    • Carbohydrates - an energy source.
    • Lipids (fats) - an energy source.
    • Proteins - for growth and repair of tissues.
    • Vitamins - help prevent deficiency diseases.
    • Minerals - are needed for key chemicals in your body.
    • Fibre - helps keep you regular and avoid constipation.
    • Water - so that you can stay hydrated.
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Deficiency diseases

  • If you lack a significant amount of particular nutrients you may develop a particular deficiency disease. Examples of deficiency diseases include:
    • Scurvy.
      • This comes from not eating enough vitamin C. It causes issues in your connective tissues.
    • Rickets.
      • This comes from not eating enough vitamin D. This vitamin is vital for bone development so not consuming enough will lead to a softening of your bones. Rickets gives you bowed legs.
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Deficiency diseases - more examples

  • Goitre.
    • This comes from not eating enough iodine. The thyroid gland in your neck swells up.
  • Anaemia.
    • This comes from not eating enough iron. It is where you don’t have enough red blood cells. Iron is a key component of haemoglobin, the chemical that transports oxygen around your body. This is why blood has a metallic taste.

Jump to other topics

1Biology

1.1Cells, Tissues & Organs

1.2Reproduction & Variation

1.3Ecological Relationships & Classification

1.4Digestion & Nutrition

1.5Plants & Photosynthesis

1.6Biological Systems & Processes

2Chemistry

2.1Particles

2.2Chemical Reactions

2.3Atoms, Elements, Compounds

2.4The Periodic Table

2.5Materials & the Earth

2.6Reactivity

2.7Energetics

2.8Properties of Materials

3Physics

3.1Energy

3.2Forces & Motion

3.3Waves

3.4Electricity & Magnetism

3.5Matter

3.6Space Physics

4Thinking Scientifically

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