AQA GCSE Food Preparation and Nutrition: Revision Guide

Coronary heart disease (CHD) • Blood vessels in heart can become blocked by fatty deposits, which prevents oxygen reaching the heart muscle and causes a heart attack • Antioxidants (vitamins A, C, and E) can help prevent CHD – eat lots of fresh fruit and vegetables Skeletal disease Lack of vitamin D Rickets (children) and calcium Osteomalacia (adults) Natural ageing process where minerals are removed from the skeleton which gradually weakens Osteoporosis • Need to reach peak bone mass by age 35 years to make sure the skeleton is as strong as possible Tooth decay • Caused by bacteria in mouth turning sugars and other foods into acids • The acids dissolve outside layer of tooth (the enamel) and cause decay • Avoid sweetened fizzy drinks and fruit juices which are acidic and can dissolve the enamel Iron de ciency anaemia • Not enough haemoglobin in red blood cells made so not enough oxygen carried round the body to produce energy • Caused by a lack of iron (or vitamin C, which is needed to absorb iron) • Teenage girls and women more likely to be anaemic due to menstruation • Symptoms are tiredness, no energy, muscle weakness, feeling cold Type 2 diabetes Blood vessels damaged Eye damage Kidney damage Nerve endings damaged • Increasing numbers of younger people are developing Type 2 diabetes • Caused by glucose not being able to get into body cells to produce energy • Due to lack of insulin being produced in the pancreas or unable to be used by the body • Symptoms include thirst, urinating frequently, weight loss, tiredness and weakness, blurred vision • Permanent damage is done to small blood vessels, nerve endings, eyes and skin Coronary artery Heart muscle Chapter 2: Nutritional needs and health : Diet, nutrition and health 33 4