Role of Diet in Improving The Health of Adults

A nutritional survey on one hundred women in the age group of 20–40 years belonging to middle income group was conducted. The diets consumed by the subjects were found to be inadequate in respect to cereals, pulses, green leafy vegetables and other vegetables while the consumption of milk and milk products, roots and tubers, sugar and jaggery and fats and oils was higher in comparison to the RDA. The intake of energy, riboflavin, ascorbic acid, iron and zinc was inadequate to meet the daily requirements. The average daily energy consumption was 2106±28.9 kcal and the energy expenditure was 2048±37.1 kcal with an overall energy balance of 56 kcal. The daily iron consumption was 23.68±1.32 mg which was inadequate. Results revealed that poor energy and iron status resulted in poor physical work performance of the subjects.