Health And Nutrition
By Kieran Waldron

It is a scientific fact that almost every disease and ailment suffered by humans can be traced back to a nutritional deficiency in the first instance, I am not solely taking about the inhabitants of third-world countries being deprived of their daily nutritional requirements here; the inhabitants of some first-world countries are also lacking in this regard.

A recent survey carried out in the USA concluded that the average American is overweight but severely lacking in the minerals and vitamins beneficial to good health. Other developed countries have similar problems.This situation arises because modern farm practices no longer see the need to rotate crops and use artificial fertilizers and chemicals extensively.( The organic farm industry has started to roll back the tide a little.) Soil stripped of its minerals means that meats, fruits and vegetables sold to the consumer are deficient in nutrients.There is an over-reliance in developed countries on convenience and junk foods.Some modern food processing practices also have a further negative effect on the nutritional value of food. Consequently, diseases like arthritis, diabetes and cancer are on the increase all over the world.

The World Health Organization (WHO) on its Home Page on nutrition obviously had the third-world in mind with the following statements: " Better nutrition means stronger immune systems, less illness and better health. Healthy children learn better. Healthy people are stronger, are more productive and are more able to create opportunities to gradually break the cycles of both poverty and hunger in a sustainable way. Better nutrition is a prime entry point to ending poverty and a milestone to achieving a better quality of life. Freedom from hunger and malnutrition is a basic human right and their alleviation is a fundamental prerequisite for human and national development". I agree with the sentiments expressed by the WHO entirely.