A good diet is a diet that adjusts to the needs and conditions of someone's body, whether it is from the amount of nutrition, portion and variety, frequency, and genetic factors of a personPadang, W Sumatra (ANTARA) - A proper diet can prevent an increase in non-communicable diseases in Indonesia, according to Prof. Delmi Sulastri, a nutrition expert from Andalas University (Unand), Padang, West Sumatra.
"Currently, non-communicable diseases have become the main cause of deaths worldwide. Based on the results of basic health research in 2018, the amount of non-communicable diseases increased in the last five years," Sulastri stated here on Thursday.
Maintaining a proper diet is one of the essential measures to ensure a healthy body and preventing non-communicable diseases, such as cancer, stroke, kidney disease, diabetes mellitus, and hypertension.
"A good diet is a diet that adjusts to the needs and conditions of someone's body, whether it is from the amount of nutrition, portion and variety, frequency, and genetic factors of a person," she added.
Sulastri noted that a new study, called nutritional genomics, which links diet with DNA genes regulating bodily functions has been developed.
The study analyzed the response of different genes to the food nutrients that are absorbed in the body in order to determine early body responses after eating.
Delmi Sulastri stated that the response of the human body to the food it consumes is not the same in every person, due to differences in physical form, genes, and metabolism.
Therefore, food consumption based on the needs of each person can prevent and cure various chronic diseases.
For instance, Indonesian people in West Sumatra have a typical diet of more high-fat food and fewer fruits and vegetables.
That dietary habit is suspected as a factor that causes hypertension.
Furthermore, a high-fat diet will cause an increase in blood fatty acids, which may inhibit the production of insulin.
Translator: Yuni Arisandy Sinaga
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
Copyright © ANTARA 2019
