Balanced diets provide nutritional needs of healthy people – Dietician

Balanced diets provide nutritional needs of healthy people – Dietician

NAN-HG-14

Nutrition

By Olabisi Akinbode

Ibadan, Feb. 22, 2017 (NAN) A registered dietician, Mr Babatunde Ajobo, says eating variety of foods with the correct amount of nutrients is what is needed to maintain good health.

Ajobo told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Ibadan that food nutrients included water, protein, fat, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals.

“Balanced diets are enough to provide for the nutritional needs of healthy people.

“Healthy people who ate variety of foods using the food pyramid, should be able to obtain all the vitamins needed to maintain good health.

“No amount of vitamins and minerals will build muscles or heal ailments, only weight lifting and exercise will do.

“Vitamins alone do not provide energy themselves; they only help to release energy with carbohydrates.

“An excess of one vitamin or one mineral can negatively affect absorption of other vitamins and minerals.

“However, if vitamins supplements are thought to be necessary, it is essential that a physician or registered dietitian be consulted,” he said.

Ajobo advised people to learn to always select and combine from the six basic classes of nutrients, to come up with the right diets.

However, he explained that supplements do not replace food and they are not medicine. (NAN)

OOA/VIV/MST

Edited Vivian Ihechu/Muhammad Suleiman Tola