This document discusses the components of a balanced diet, including fats, proteins, carbohydrates, minerals, vitamins, and water. It notes that a balanced diet contains adequate quantities of these six main nutrients and is important for good physical and mental health, proper growth, and increasing ability to work and resist disease. Key points covered include the roles and sources of specific nutrients like calcium, iron, and sodium. The document also mentions the benefits of dietary supplements and importance of physical exercise as part of a balanced diet.

1. Rajkumari Lodhi
Assistant Professor
Department of Pharmacology
Bhopal Madhya Pradesh
BALANCED DIET
Subject:-pharmacology-I
Semester:- 4th

2. BALANCED DIET
Introduction
A diet is all that we consume in a day. And a balanced diet is a diet that contains an
adequate quantity of the nutrients that we require in a day. A balanced diet includes six
main nutrients, i.e. Fats, Protein, Carbohydrates, Fibre, Vitamins, and Minerals.
All these nutrients are present in the foods that we eat. Different food items have different
proportions of nutrients present in them. The requirements of the nutrients depend on the age,
gender, and health of a person.

3. Importance of a Balanced Diet
The following are the importance of a balanced diet :
•Balanced Diet leads to a good physical and a good mental health.
•It helps in proper growth of the body.
•Also, it increases the capacity to work
•Balanced diet increases the ability to fight or resist diseases.
Components of a balanced diet
Some components of a balanced diet are as follows :

4. Fats
Some part of our energy requirement is fulfilled by fats. Fats can be found in fatty foods
such as butter, ghee, oil, cheese, etc.
 The main function is to give energy
 Important for transport of vitamins a,d,e,k
 Covers organs acts as insulators to our vital organs like heart,kidney,liver. Types of
fats:
saturated and unsaturated.
 Saturated- solid at room temperature ghee,butter,coconut oil.. This is bad for our
health..
 Unsaturated-liquid at room temperature, omega 3 fatty acid omega 6 fatty acid… good
for our health
Sources:
 Olive oil, soyabean oil, groundnut oil, mustard oil
 Good source of omega 3 fatty acid- almonds, fish, walnuts.

5. Proteins
We need proteins for growth purposes and to repair the wear and tear of the
body. Protein also helps in building muscle. It is found in dairy products, meat,
eggs, chicken, etc
1. Helps in tissue and muscle building
2. Boost up immunity
3. Helps to maintain fluid balance
4. Healing
Deficiency- muscle wasting, weight gain, poor immunity
Sources-Milk and milk products, soya bean, beans, dals,
egg, chicken, fish.

6. Carbohydrates
We need the energy to process and it is fulfilled by carbohydrates. carbohydrate
provide us energy.
Carbohydrates can be found in rice, wheat, chapati, bread, etc. Cereals are our
staple food.
CARBOHYDRATES
1. Energy giving compound necessary for daily activity
2. Necessary for proper working of brain, heart, nervous tissue.
2 types of carbohydrate
A. Simple- refined flour, glucose
B complex- fibers
Role of fiber: helps in weight reduction, and healthy intestine
Sources: wheat, oats, vegetables, whole cereals and pulses, fruits.

7. Minerals and Vitamins
Vitamins, Minerals, and Fibre improve the body’s resistance to disease. We
mainly obtain it from vegetables and fruits. Deficiency diseases like Anemia,
Goitre , etc can be caused due to lack of mineral in the body.
MINERALS:
1. Inorganic elements found in food that are essential to life processes.
2. Classified as major or trace minerals calcium, phosphorus, sodium, pottasium,
magnesium, iron, zinc
CALCIUM
1. Helps in proper bone formation
2. Cells signalling , blood clot formation , muscle contraction.
Sources – dairy products, Green leafy vegetables, beans, Fish.
Lack of calcium in diet leads to, frequent fractures, Muscle cramps, obesity.

8. IRON AND FOLIC ACID
 Most important for proper haemoglobin levels in our body.
 Its deficiency causes anemia..
 Sources of iron : red meat, Egg yolk, beans and legumes, Dried fruits,
fruits, ragi, bajra, Jowar etc.
SODIUM
 A mineral that regulates body fluid volume, concentration and acid-base .
 sources: table salt (sodium chloride), foods processed with table salt, milk,
milk products, eggs and seafoods

9. DIETARY SUPPLEMENTS –BENEFITS
1. Enhance immune system
2. Antioxidants
3. Reduce risk of CAD, stroke
4. Decrease risk of Cancers
5. Decrease risk of Arthrits , Alzeimers
6. Improvements other chronic diseases

10. WATER
 Water is your body's most important nutrient, is involved in every bodily
function, and makes up 70- 75% of your total body weight. Water helps you
to maintain body temperature, metabolize body fat, in digestion, lubricates
organs, transports nutrients, and flushes toxins from your body.
 Daily minimum 10-12 glasses of water should be taken..
PHYSICAL EXERCISE
 Daily 30-45 mins of physical exercise should be done or 3-4 hrs per week..
 Physical exercise can be of any type- walking, jogging, swimming, yoga,
cycling.

11. THANK YOU