The Nutrient Requirements to Support Physical Activity (Essay Sample)

Nutrition and Wellbeing
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Institutional Affiliation
Nutrition and Wellbeing
Describe the nutrient requirements to support physical activity.
The foods consumed are responsible for the provision of the energy required to maintain physical activity. Appropriate amounts of the following are required to support physical activity. Proteins are required to build and maintain muscles and rebuild tissues (Cupisti et al., 2014). Carbohydrates are required because they are the preferred source of energy by the body (Kanter, 2018). Water is required to replace the water lost during physical activity. The foods that provide proteins and carbohydrates, as indicated above, should be balanced per serving for most days. The nutrients should also be obtained from various foods and moderated to avoid excessive consumption.
Summarize what food biotechnology and food-related genetic modification are (GMOs), then: Compare the pros and cons of each in terms of the nutrient composition
Food biotechnology refers to the use of technology to modify food sources (plants, microorganisms, and animals) by creating new species with the desired nutritional, marketing, and production properties (Falk et al., 2002). On the other hand, GMOs are foods whose genetic material (DNA) has been modified scientifically to not occur naturally by introducing genes from different organisms.
The advantage of biotechnology is helping in the production of foods with the nutrients that are required. GMOs also have the advantage of having high nutritional content as modified and a high production volume. However, they pose a risk of causing the human body to develop diseases that are immune to antibiotics (Bawa & Anilakumar, 2013).
Give five (5) examples of different foodborne illnesses in Australia AND explain how they might be prevented.
1 Gastroenteritis: is an illness caused by eating food that has been contaminated just before eating. It is characterized by having more than four loose stools, and three vomits within 24 hours. Gastroenteritis can be prevented by washing hands before eating, appropriately cleaning foods eaten raw, and avoiding consuming undercooked foods (Kirk et al., 2014).
2 Bacillus cereus: It is an intoxication illness caused by the consumption of improperly refrigerated pasta, fresh noodles, cooked rice, meat, and stew. It is characterized by sudden onset of vomiting and nausea, watery diarrhea, and abdominal cramps within 6 hours of consumption (NSW Food Authority, 2021). It can be prevented by storing cooked foods appropriately.
3 Campylobacter: A bacterial illness caused by the consumption of raw or undercooked unpasteurized milk and poultry and characterized by abdominal cramps and bloody diarrhea within 2-5 days of eating contaminated food. It can be prevented by properly cooking food and drinking boiled or treated water.
4 Hepatitis A is caused by consuming raw or poorly cooked seafood or being contaminated by infected food handlers. It is characterized by jaundice, loss of appetite, nausea, and fatigue (NSW Food Authority, 2021). It can be prevented by avoiding ready-to-eat foods and properly cooking foods before eating.
5 Norovirus: It is a viral disease caused by consuming ready-to-eat foods and poorly cooked shellfish. It is characterized by abdominal cramps, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea within 24 hours of consumption of the contaminated food. Norovirus can be prevented by properly cooking shellfish and other seafood before eating them.
Describe five (5) potential food contaminants that may occur in the food supply in Australia
1 Biological contaminants: Foods left within the 5-60 ºC (temperature danger zone) are more susceptible to harboring different dangerous microorganisms and pathogens that contaminate food (Marriott, Schilling & Gravani, 2018). For example, bacterium botulinum is one of the leading causes of food poisoning.
2 Chemical contamination: Foods can also be contaminated by chemicals used in the production process. For example, kitchen cleaning chemicals can contaminate food if kept in the same place. Also, chemical residues from the moving parts of kitchen equipment can contaminate food.
3 Unsafe food packaging mechanisms: When foods are packaged inappropriately using containers or non-safe plastics, they can contaminate food and cause a foodborne illness. For instance, single-use plastics are not designed to be reused.
4 Physical contamination: food can also be contaminated when unsafe physical objects enter the food. Such contaminants include pests, jewelry, glass or metal, hair, or fingernails.
5 Cross-contamination occurs when contaminants are transferred from a surface, object, or clothing to food. For example, dirty clothes, utensils, pests, or food handlers can harbor and transfer contaminants to food when handling it (Australian Institute of Food Safety, 2021).
Explain whether or not ZINC may be required in supplemental form or not and how to obtain it from the diet
Zinc is an essential mineral in the body that supports the immune system, helps make DNA and proteins, contributes to wound healing, child growth, and development improves heart health, and slows down muscle degeneration (Nordqvist, 2021). Supplemental Zinc is not necessary for the body because the mineral can be obtained from the diet. However, zinc supplements can sometimes be prescribed when an individual shows a significantly high level of deficiency that would be considerably difficult to recover through dietary sources. Zinc in plant dietary sources is relatively difficult to absorb compared to animal-bas