Nutrition Health & Wellness

Nutrition, health and wellness are closely related concepts that influence each other. Nutrition is the process of providing or obtaining the food necessary for health and growth. Health is the state of being free from illness or injury. Wellness is an active process of growth and change to reach your fullest health and well-being.

Nutrition affects health in many ways. For example, a balanced diet can provide the macro and micronutrients to live, grow and function properly. On the other hand, a poor diet can increase the risk of developing chronic diseases, such as obesity, diabetes, heart disease and some cancers.

A person’s state of health also affects nutrition A person with a health condition may require dietary modifications such as avoiding gluten for people with celiac disease, limiting sodium for people with high blood pressure, or affect the absorption or metabolism of nutrients as is the case in malabsorption syndrome or thyroid disorders.

Wellness is associated with actively pursuing activities, making lifestyle choices, and following spiritual practices that lead to a certain nutritional status or a state of health.

The interplay between nutrition, health and wellness is complex and dynamic. It is important to understand how these concepts are related and how they can be improved.

Protein
3 topics
Why Africa’s protein intake still lags behind the global average

It’s a fact that inadequate protein intake can affect all aspects of the body’s healthy function, and in extreme cases…

7 min read
Preterm Babies
8 topics
Caring for Preterm and Low-Birth-Weight Infants in Resource Restricted Environments

World Prematurity Day (17 November 2021) compels the healthcare community to consider the effect of premature birth, and…

9 min read
doctor Patient
3 topics
Nutrition can reduce the risk of breast cancer & reoccurrence while complementing treatments

Breast cancer is the world’s mostly commonly diagnosed cancer, according to statistics released by the International…

8 min read
Nutrition Week
2 topics
Are community gardens, urban and home farms the key to improved nutrition?

The theme for this year’s Nutrition Week (held from 9-15 October) is to “eat more vegetables and fruit every day”, for…

7 min read
supplements
5 topics
When & how do supplements best support African populations?

Across Africa, it has been estimated that up to 45% of child mortality is due to undernutrition.1 Malnutrition is one of…

10 min read
Pet power
5 topics
Building baby’s microbiome

There is a growing body of evidence which indicates that maternal-foetal transmission of microbiota begins during…

8 min read
pharmacy
3 topics
Meeting goals for universal healthcare cover: The role of the pharmacist as an agent of functional nutrition

The practice of functional nutrition views food as medicine, in an individualised, patient-centred approach. The focus…

6 min read
Personalising Nutrition
5 topics
Personalising Nutrition

As we live in an era of customisation, it is no surprise that Personalised Nutrition (PN) is a fast-growing field. This…

11 min read
Breastfeeding
5 topics
Breastfeeding: Protecting the Golden Hour

The Golden Hour refers to the first 60 minutes after birth, when a baby is placed against its mother’s skin for the…

10 min read