Introduction

The paper reviews literature on how a balanced diet prevents the spread of diseases. It begins by reviewing the essence of diet to health followed by the chronic diseases emerging due to poor nutrition. Obesity, heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and osteoporosis are a few examples of diseases resulting from an unhealthy diet and lifestyle (Cooke, 2007). Several journals have been reviewed to help explain how nutrition is the best remedy to keep human beings healthy. Qualitative research made will be based on the international agency’s websites like the World Health Organization and FAO. Dietary approaches proposed in the research to help reduce the risk of chronic diseases include the 24-hour recall and the food frequency questionnaire. New diet therapies are recommended to help keep human body healthy.

The importance of a Balanced Diet to Human Health

A well-balanced diet supports a healthy lifestyle. People should make the right decisions when choosing a diet to reduce the impact of chronic non-communicable diseases (Paquette, 2005). In 1945, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) was founded to mitigate the problem of diet-related diseases. FAO, under the guidance of the united nations, has been involved in the debate around the issues of diet and diseases.

Additionally, the World Health Organization (WHO) has developed guidelines to strengthen the systems for food safety in a bid to reduce diet-related health complications. The regulatory bodies constituted to moderate consumption of food associated with chronic disorders educate member countries and formulate policies and guidelines to limit the use of food-related to health issues while maintaining a balanced diet (Delormier, Frohlichm, and Potvin, 2009). A well-balanced diet can help to eliminate some diseases such as diabetes, cancer, cardiovascular diseases, obesity, and sclerosis among others.Moreover, diet has a significant influence on the growth and development of individuals. Harmful substances tobacco have also been associated with some health conditions such as cancers and lung diseases. It is therefore essential to avoid smoking and drinking.

Nutrition transition is an emerging trend both in developed and developing countries. This trend has seen many people abandon the healthy plant-based diet such as cereals, vegetables, and potatoes to adopt high-sugars and other diets with animal fats (Olson, 2005). In the current century, animal fats and sugar-based junk food have taken center stage in the on-going debates about nutrition. Another issue that has been associated with health issues is the sedentary lifestyle with limited physical exercise. There is an increase in chronic diseases due to the lack of exercise as many people drive to work and they do not walk.

As the demand for meat increases, diabetes, and other chronic diseases get an opportunity to increase the mortality rate of the world population (Simopoulos, 2008). Therefore, members of the public should be sensitized to ensure they discover the importance of raw foods like fruits and vegetables which lack animal fats. A well-balanced diet should have vegetables, fruits, nuts, and raw cereals which help to reduce the emergence of lifestyle diseases. World Health Organization (WHO) and FAO regularly release data on fat consumption in the human diet. The data demonstrate a gradual increase in fat content in the human diet (Henson and Caswell, 1999).

Sub-Saharan Africa is leading to meat consumption increases the risk of developing dietary diseases. Moreover, increasing fishing activities in developing countries place these people at high risk of marine fish diseases. Balanced diet plays a significant role in all developmental stages to attain good development of all body parts including the brain. For instance, in the infancy stage of development, a baby needs to be breastfed to ensure proper development while preventing malnutrition and developing other health complications in future such as obesity (Downs, Loewenstein, and Wisdom, 2009). According to Brug (2008), children who have limited physical exercise and eat an unhealthy diet in their adolescent stage are at high risk of developing cardiovascular diseases(Brug, 2008). High blood pressure is a common trend in elderly individuals attributed to the excessive intake of cholesterol in fatty food.

Some non-communicable diseases associated with nutrition can be effectively prevented through maintaining a healthy diet, engaging in regular physical exercises which helps to keep a healthy body weight. Some of the diseases which are strongly associated with unhealthy food include diabetes, high blood pressure, stroke, cancers, and heart attack (Brug, 2008).Health diet helps to eliminate chronic diseases associated with diet and help to improve health status. Thus, dietary adjustments are recommended to reduce the prevalence of dietary and lifestyle diseases(O’keefe, 2008).

A prospective epidemiological study revealed that the consumption of high-fat food might result in an endpoint of lipids and high blood pressure(Lin, 2010). The young generation is encouraged to avoid a diet high in cholesterol to lower the risk of high blood pressure and other diet associated diseases.The human body remains highly active upon consumption of a well-balanced diet (Lin, 2010). However, it may prove difficult to adjust a food that one is used to for an extended period.Making small adjustments at a time may be helpful in slowly adopting a healthy diet. To ensure proper and healthy food, one should start establishing the culture of healthy eating in childhood which will be carried along into adulthood.The WHO and FAO policies should be followed keenly to help improve public health (Burlingame and Pineiro, 2007).

Strength of Evidence

There are several diseases linked to unhealthy nutrition. For instance, obesity is a prevalent disease to adolescents that results from lack of correct amount of nutrients in childhood particularly the consumption of high-fat food in bulk. Obesity occurs in children due to the lack of some food nutritional components or when some elements are present in massive proportions. Obesity is associated with high sugar/starch and fats in the diet. These dietary components result in excess calories (Fabbrini, Sullivan and Klein, 2010). Obesity is characterized by unhealthy body weight gain. It is essential to reduce the intake of food with excess fats and sugar such as soft drinks (Birch and Ventura, 2009). Physical exercises are also recommended to ensure body fitness is maintained.

Diabetes

Diabetes is a lifestyle/dietary disease which resulting from consumption of high fats and sugar food, that amounts to unbalance diet. Recommended fat intake is less than 30% of the total diet to reduce the chances of developing diabetes (Riste, Khan and Cruickshank, 2001). A healthy alternative to fats is the intake of unsaturated fats. In children, consumption of saturated fats should be less than 10%. High fiber food is recommended in childhood stage to prevent diabetes.The WHO provides convincing evidence on how excess fats in diet and unhealthy weight contribute to type II diabetes. Also, individuals with diabetes have high risks of acquiring other chronic diseases like stroke, heart and kidney disease. Healthy weight play is the best remedy for the prevention of diabetes (Ali, Echouffo-Tcheugui and Williamson, 2012). Therefore. Regular physical exercises and changing of the social environment will serve the purpose of reducing the increasing rate of diabetes among youths.

Cardiovascular Diseases

Cardiovascular diseases have increased the mortality rate globally, and they are mainly influenced by unhealthy diet. Physical inactivity and eating a food with high-level fats cause cardiovascular diseases. The World Health Organization analyzes how cardiovascular diseases increase the risk of stroke and heart failure. Cardiovascular diseases can be prevented if people consume sufficient fruits and vegetables (Estruch et al., 2013). More so, polyunsaturated fats help control body weight and ensure the risk of acquiring cardiovascular diseases reduce. Common cardiovascular diseases experienced in Canada, the United States of America and other western countries include ischemic heart disease, peripheral vascular disease, cerebrovascular disease, rheumatic heart disease, and heart failure. The diseases mostly result from an unbalanced diet like consumption of excess animal fats. Having a balanced diet with excess fruits and vegetables will help prevent cardiovascular diseases (Reddy and Katan, 2004). Characteristics of cardiovascular diseases include excess pain and mostly result in death.

Cancer

Cancer is another disease resulting from unhealthy nutrition. Dietary factors are determinants of breast, kidney and colorectum cancers. The remedy for the prevention of several types of cancer includes the consumption of adequate fruits and vegetables. The best foods for the reduction of cancer risk include leafy greens, berries, black tea, cruciferous and plenty of vegetables (Surh, 2003). However, no specific form of diet has been proved to prevent different types of cancer entirely. Other than a healthy food, regular body exercises are recommended to reduce the risk of cancer.

Dental Disease

Dental disease is a dietary disease caused by the consumption of sugary foods like biscuits and sweets. Dietary acids in some soft drinks may also contribute to dental disease (Moynihan and Petersen, 2004). To prevent dental disease, exposure to fluoride and sugary foods should be minimized.

Diseases with poorly-defined links to Healthy Nutrition

Osteoporosis

Osteoporosis disease mostly affects human bones. The disease makes the bones weak hence exposing them to bone fractures. Inadequate intake of calcium contributes to osteoporosis though little evidence is given from previewed journals on whether osteoporosis is a dietary disease. The best remedy to reduce the risk of osteoporosis is to conduct regular exercises that strengthen the human muscles and prevent regular bone fractures (Scheiber et al., 2001). As per the World Health Organization, osteoporosis mostly affects adults.

Diseases without Links to Nutrition

Some of the disorders which have completely no links to nutrition include Cryptococcosis, anthrax, influenza and many others. Cryptococcosis is a fungal disease common in the US, and the disease is caused by Cryptococcus neoformans and gattii (Perfect, 2000). Influenza and anthrax are airborne diseases with no links to nutrition. However, most of the diseases globally are connected to nutrition issues; only enough evidence lacks to explain such connectivity to members of the public.

Summary of Strength for Evidence

Evidence	Types of Diseases
Diseases linked to Nutrition	Obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, cancer, and dental health.
Diseases with Poorly-Defined links to nutrition	Osteoporosis.
Diseases not linked to Nutrition	Cryptococcosis, influenza, and anthrax.

Table 1: Summary of strength for evidence of dietary and nondietary diseases.

The World Health Organization in its attempts to improve the food safety systems advises on the importance of physical activities and healthy diets in having a healthy life (Finkelstein and Fishbach, 2010). Overweight contributes to most chronic diseases and prevention for such risks is consuming fruits regularly, organizing body fits exercises and surviving in favorable environmental conditions.

Dietary Approaches for Disease Management

Dietary intake should always be assessed accurately. Metabolic and nutrition research reveals three common dietary approaches namely diet record, 24-hour recall and Food frequency questionnaire (Thompson and Byers, 1994). In choosing a nutritional plan, there is a need to consider personal interest in the habitual intake. Dietary patterns cannot be changed if the individual involved does not make an effort to adhere to set targets. Most diabetes victims prefer 24-hour recall to ensure they record accurate information concerning their habitual intake. Therefore, the three dietary approaches needed for disease management are described below together with their strengths and limitations.

Diet Record

Diet record allows subjects to record beverages and other types of foods consumed within three days. For instance, recording the absorbed food substances during the last two weekdays and one day at the weekend. Household items like spoons and cups are used to measure the scale of consumed beverages and foods. Usually, there are trained personnel from FAO who give instructions for recoding the completed intakes. After the recording of absorbed food substances, the obtained data is entered into a Nutrition Data System to help in research (Rollo et al., 2011). Analysis of information at Nutrition Data System will help identify the excess substances used by an individual like animal fats and sugars which increase the risk of chronic diseases like diabetes and cardiovascular diseases.

Advantages of Diet Record Approach

Diet record approach support self-monitoring hence the subject involved does not change behavior when recording beverages and food substances taken (Desai, 2013). The approach hardly requires recall because the recording is done as feeding take place. Intake during diet record is quantified, and type information is retrieved when the diet record is used to record meal data.

Limitations of Diet Record Approach

Diet record imposes a huge burden to subject and staff involved. High costs are incurred to make the diet record effective in disease management. Eating behaviors are easily changed when diet record approach is used. The approach is effective to literate people, and multiple records are targeted after several months to help approximate the habitual intake typical to an individual (Sasaki, Yanagibori and Amano, 1998).

24-Hour Recall

The 24-hour recall involves the recording of consumed substances for the last twenty-four hours. Interviews are utilized in making a 24-hour recall successful. Also, telephone communication can help give information on the consumed beverages and food substances within 24hours (Johnson, Driscoll and Goran, 1996). Portion sizes and cooking methods are revealed to trained staff to help them analyze software programs like NDSR.

Strengths of 24-Hour Recall Approach

A 24-hour recall approach works with a quantified approach. Also, there is a minimal subject burden because a trained staff organizes on how to analyze information through a software program. Eating behaviors are not altered, and both literate and illiterate people can manage their chronic diseases by use of the approach (Crawford, Obarzanek, Morrison and Sabry, 1994).

Limitations of 24-Hour Recall Approach

The 24-hour recall approach remains costly, and this is a burden to staff and subject. The subject recalls it is relied on for the 24-hour recall approach to be successful. Multiple recalls should be experienced over several months to confirm the habitual intake in an individual (Slimani et al., 2000). Therefore, the lack of multiple recalls will fail to explain the habitual intake of an individual.

Food Frequency Questionnaire

Food frequency questionnaire is an approach for disease management which involves asking of portion size questions after every year on a particular type of food. Cooking practices and the prevalence of consumed meal is questioned to help identify whether the subject under study adds excess fats in meals (Willett et al., 1985). The food frequency questions can be completed within an hour, but they target at least one year. Computerized software programs help in entry and saving of data collected under the questionnaire electronically. The primary purpose of the food frequency questionnaire approach is to get the number of fats, sugars and other acidic substances consumed by an individual annually (Rimm et al., 1992). If the subject under study is found to have abused animal fats for over six months, he is warned since the risk of acquiring chronic diseases remains high.

Strengths of the Food Frequency Questionnaire Approach

Food Frequency questionnaire accurately captures habitual intake of fats and any acidic substances in beverages. The approach contributes less burden to staff and the subject involved in the management of chronic diseases like diabetes and obesity (Jensen et al., 2004). Eating behaviors are hardly altered when the approach is used.

Limitations of Food Frequency Questionnaire Approach

The Food frequency questionnaire requires the subject to have recall abilities to ensure most of the foods and beverages took annually are recorded in the questionnaire. More so, it is not usually a quantifiably precise (Prentice at al., 2011). Meal pattern information lacks in the final analysis and becomes unsuccessful when capturing a habitual intake of fewer than six months.

Recommendations

I recommend all generations to prioritize vegetables and fruits as part of their balanced diet. Focusing on foods with excess animal fats will result in dangerous chronic diseases like diabetes, obesity and cardiovascular diseases. Policies proposed by WHO and FAO on food safety and the need for having a balanced diet should be adhered to. Healthy life depends on foods and beverages consumed every day in an individual’s life. The chronic diseases increasing mortality rate in the 21^st century are mainly dietary diseases, and there is a need to adopt one of the nutritional approaches in the management of diseases. For instance, a food frequency questionnaire will help identify fatty food substances that cause cardiovascular diseases.

 

Summary of categories of strength of evidence

	Category	Diseases	Evidence
1	Diseases/conditions with a clear link to nutrition	·         Diabetes	·         Intake of high fat and sugar diet leads to accumulation of lipids resulting in obesity. Obesity is linked to type 2 diabetes (Riste, Khan and Cruickshank, 2001; Oz, 2017) ·         Diabetes is also associated with lack of exercise (sedentary lifestyle) (Ali, Echouffo-Tcheugui and Williamson, 2012)
		·         Cardiovascular diseases	·         The consumption of high cholesterol food results into deposition cholesterol plaques in blood vessels which block the vessels resulting in high blood pressure (Estruch et al., 2013) ·         Heart failure occurs from consumption of food with high-fat levels (Reddy and Katan, 2004)
		·         Cancers	·         Some cancers such as lung cancer are caused by smoking while other diseases are caused by the consumption of highly processed food (Surh, 2003)
		·         Dental Diseases	·         Sugary foods such as biscuits and cakes cause teeth decay (Moynihan and Petersen, 2004)
2	Diseases/conditions with poorly-defined links to nutrition or insufficient evidence	·         Osteoporosis	·         There is limited evidence linking dietary causes such as the consumption of low calcium and phosphorus diet to osteoporosis (Scheiber et al., 2001)
3	Diseases/conditions with no links to nutrition	·         Cryptococcosis, anthrax, influenza, Malaria, ·         Note: all infectious diseases caused by pathogenic organisms have no link to dietary factors	·         There is no evidence linking this category of disorders to nutritional causes

 

 

 

 

 

 

Summary of categories of strength of evidence

Nutrition is strongly linked to health status and disease etiology. From the literature reviewed of the different diseases that are linked to food and diet, three categories have emerged. The first category entails the disorders which have been strongly related to dietary factors and evidence supporting this association continues to accumulate. For instance, Riste, Khan, and Cruickshank, (2001) establishes a strong link of diabetes to dietary causes.Riste, and colleagues,(2001), explains that high fat and sugar food in more likely to cause diabetes.

Moreover, diabetes type 2 is linked to diet-induced obesity. Diet with high-fat content is a predisposing factor to obesity and eventually results in diabetes.Ali, Echouffo-Tcheugui and Williamson, (2012); Oz, (2017) have also demonstrated the link between diabetes and diet. Cardiovascular diseases such as heart failure and hypertension have also been linked to poor diet, unusually high in cholesterol level (Estruch et al., 2013; Reddy and Katan, 2004). Various cancers have been linked with the consumption of meat and other high-fat foods. The evidence supporting this association has been provided by (Surh, 2003).

Finally, another disease that is strongly linked to diet includes dental diseases. Moynihan and Petersen, (2004) demonstrate evidence that consumption of high sugar foods leads to browning of teeth.The second category of diseases include disorders with a weak link to dietary causes. An example is osteoporosis. Limited evidence has been provided to demonstrate the relationship that exists between osteoporosis (Scheiber et al., 2001). More studies should be carried out to establish there is a connection between osteoporosis and diet.Finally, the third category includes the group of diseases which have no association with diet. This group includes infections caused by infectious agents such as malaria, HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, Cryptococcosis, anthrax, and influenza among others.

Conclusion

In conclusion, food substances rich in vitamins boost body immunity and help reduce the risk of chronic diseases like diabetes. Foods with acidic and fatty substances should be cut in an individual’s menu. The three primary approaches for disease management include diet record, 24-hour recall, and food frequency questionnaire. In the US and other countries, several agencies are advising on food safety. FAO and WHO are honored internationally as the best agencies to propose the food safety system.

 

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