The Connection Between Nutrition and Chronic Illness/Disease (School Assignment-Ashford University)

Okay, so most of us already know that food can lead to obesity but did you know that food could also lead to malnutrition?  Yep, you heard me right, food can lead to malnutrition and that is because food can either provide the body with the proper nutrition it needs or it can starve the body of nutrients.  For example, 3 ounces of lean ground grass-fed beef can provide the body with vitamins, minerals, and the fat that it needs however, a white floured store bought hamburger bun offers no real whole nutritional value.  One can either nourish ones body or suffer the consequences of poor nutrition, which includes chronic illnesses, diseases, and possibly obesity and/or malnutrition.

So what is nutrition?  Nutrition is not just what one eats but rather the nutrients ones body receives from the foods he/she eats.  For example, when one eats wild-caught salmon one will receive omega-3 fatty acid, protein, Vitamin B12, B3, B6, and B5, vitamin D, selenium, iron, choline, biotin, potassium, and phosphorus  (Coleman, 2013).  All of these vitamins and minerals help to protect and fight against dieses and illnesses.  Salmon is also considered an anti-inflammatory food to which chronic illnesses and diseases can be linked to.  Inflammation is known to lead to a number of age related illnesses such as “metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, cancer, and cardiovascular disease” just to name a few (Campbell, 2015, p. 8).  Inflammation is often caused by the types of foods one eats, especially if those foods are considered food sensitivities (not allergies) for that said individual.  Some of these high inflammatory foods include dairy, processed and fried foods as well as sugar, and wheat products.

 Once a chronic illnesses and/or disease has set in it is often times difficult to heal the body where it is much easier to prevent the illness/disease itself before it manifest.  Take for example breast cancer; once breast cancer has manifested studies show that the best way to fight the disease is through a combination of modern and complementary medicine.  In this circumstance one not only has to fight the cancer through chemotherapy but he/she needs to heal ones body through intravenous vitamin C therapy and nutrition, which allows one to strengthen his/her immune system and later prevent a reoccurrence (see my paper on Breast Cancer and The Naturopathic System of Approach).  Breast, endometrial, and uterine cancer is a type of cancer produced by an over production/storage of estrogen or estrogen dominance in ones body (Conova, 2003).  Some of the best ways to reduce high estrogen levels is through liver detoxification, reduced stress, exercise and nutrition such as locally grown organic vegetables like broccoli, brussel sprouts kale, and curcumin (Landa, 2015, para. 12).  Eating a Paleolithic diet has been shown to reduce HbA1c (hemoglobin blood levels), glucose, and obesity better than following a Mediterranean diet as well as reducing the risk of heart disease (Pizzorno, 2014, p. 4).  Eating a Paleolithic diet is also an anti-inflammatory diet, which helps to prevent breast cancer and heal the body.  Another example of proper nutrition preventing and healing one of chronic illness is given in the example of nutrition and diabetes.  Since research has already shown that those who are overweight are at a higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes, it would stand to reason that by controlling ones weight through diet/nutrition one could then reduce his/her risk of developing type 2 diabetes.  According to one study “90 percent of type 2 diabetes in women is due to excess weight, lack of exercise, diet, smoking, and abstinence from alcohol” (Hu, Manson, et al., 2001, results).  That being said, anyone can develop type 1 or type 2 diabetes and what’s more type 2 is not only reversible but both type 1 and type 2 are preventable as well.  Some of the best way to prevent diabetes is through exercise, gut healing, and eating an anti-inflammatory diet like the Paleolithic diet, which is not only an anti-inflammatory but also low in carbohydrates and what’s more the carbohydrates that one does eat in the Paleolithic diet comes from organic fruits and vegetables rather than grains.  According to a study published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition (2015), those with type 2 diabetes who ate a Paleolithic diet showed better results on glucose control, lipids, insulin sensitivity, cholesterol both HDLs and LDLs in just 14 days verses the American Diabetes Association (ADA) diet (Masharani, Sherchan, et al., 2015, p. 948). 

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So how does malnutrition fit in with chronic illnesses and diseases?  Studies show that chronic illnesses/diseases are linked to inflammation and that inflammation can be controlled by ones diet (please understand that diet is only one factor of controlling inflammation).  Therefore, it stands to reason that malnutrition could also be controlled through ones diet as it is the quality of food that one eats which provides the nutrition (vitamins and minerals) in order for ones body to function properly.  An individual who is malnourished is not eating a nutritious diet therefore he/she is unable to receive the vitamins and minerals necessary in order to nourish his/her body.  Even if he/she receives a nutritious meal every so often, one needs a stable amount of vitamins and minerals in order to sustain ones life.  According to Sizer, & Whitney (2017),  “nutrient deficiency diseases emerge as body systems begin to fail often times due to the lack of iron, iodine, vitamin A, and zinc” (p. 606).  Nutrient deficiency during childhood may not only lead to “stunted growth, weight loss, increased susceptibility to disease and infection, but it can have long-term effects such as impaired physical and mental health including a weakened immunity and even death” (Fenn, 2009, p. 8). 

There is so much more to nutrition than one may realize and so much more to discuss.  However, this blog post is just to open the door a peak and introduce the relationship between nutrition and chronic illnesses and diseases.  Although, further detail is needed one has learned today that chronic illnesses and disease is linked to poor nutrition as is obesity and malnutrition.

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References

Campbell, A. W. (2015). Inflammation: The root of our chronic diseases. Alternative Therapies In Health & Medicince, 21(6), 8-9. Retrieved from http://eds.a.ebscohost.com.proxy-library.ashford.edu/eds/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=17&sid=d364dddd-c627-4dd3-b655-4dba374fb78e%40sessionmgr4008&hid=4203

Coleman, E. (2013, Dec 18). Grilled salmon nutrition information. Livestrong.com. Retrieved from http://www.livestrong.com/article/41497-grilled-salmon-nutrition-information/

Conova, S. (2003, May 26). Estrogen’s Role in cancer. Estrogen-Induced cancer. Invivo: Columbia University Health Sciences. 2(10). Retrieved from http://www.cumc.columbia.edu/publications/in-vivo/Vol2_Iss10_may26_03/

Fenn, B. (2009). Malnutrition in humanitarian emergencies [PDF file]. London School Of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine. Retrieved from http://www.who.int/diseasecontrol_emergencies/publications/idhe_2009_london_malnutrition_fenn.pdf

Hu, F., Manson, J., Stampfer, M., Colditz, G., Liu, S., Solomon, C., & Willet, W. (2001, Sep 13). Diet, lifestyle, an the risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus in women. New England Journal of Medicine. 345(11), 790-797. doi:10.1056/NEJMoa010492  

Landa, J. (2015, Aug 17). Estrogen’s role in breast cancer – and how to reduce your disease risk. Health home. Retrieved from http://www.foxnews.com/health/2015/08/17/estrogen-role-in-breast-cancer-and-how-to-reduce-your-disease-risk.html  

Masharani, U., Sherchan, P., Schloetter, M., Stratford, S., Xiao, A., Sebastrian, A., & Frassetto, L. (2015). Metabolic and physiologic effects from consuming a hunter-gatherer (Paleolithic)-type diet in type 2 diabetes. European Journal of Clinical Nutriton, (8), 944. Retrieved from http://eds.a.ebscohost.com.proxy-library.ashford.edu/eds/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=d364dddd-c627-4dd3-b655-4dba374fb78e%40sessionmgr4008&vid=3&hid=4203

Pizzorno, L. (2014). Highlights from the institute for functional medicine’s 2014 annual conference: Functional perspectives on food and nutrition: The ultimate upstream medicine. Integrative Medicine: A Clinician’s Journal, 13(5), 38-50. Retrieved from http://eds.a.ebscohost.com.proxy-library.ashford.edu/eds/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=b349e406-9251-4332-9aa3-a7c5ae995080%40sessionmgr4006&vid=47&hid=4211

Sizer, F., & Whitney, E. (2017). Nutrition: Concepts, and controversies (14^th ed). Cengage Learning: OH. Retrieved from VitalSource Bookshelf