Haemopoietic Micronutrient Fortified Rice on the Nutritional Status and Cognitive Performance of Adolescents

Abstract

Nutrition the sum of processes involved in taking in nutrients and newlineassimilating and using them to maintain body tissue and provide energy; a newlinefoundation for life and health. Health is defined by the World Health Organisation newline(WHO) as the state of optimal physical, mental and social well being and not newlinemerely the absence of disease and infirmity (Nix, 2005). newlineHealth is related to the food consumed. Food consists of macro and micronutrients. newlineMacro-nutrients are carbohydrates, proteins and fats, which are needed newlinein grams and perform the function of energy yielding, body building and repair of newlineworn out tissues and defending body against infections where as micro-nutrients newlineare vitamins and minerals, which are needed in milligrams and micrograms by the newlinebody and perform the protective and regulatory function in the body. To maintain newlinegood health, ingesting a diet containing macro and micro-nutrients in correct newlineproportion is essential, deficiency or excess of any nutrient causes malnutrition newlineand affects the health of an individual. newlineMalnutrition is a major factor in 54