Globalisation and Diet

I came across an article today which caught my attention as it mentioned how globalisation has had a major effect on peoples diets.

The World Health Organisation published a report in 2003 which described how there has been a global shift in diet resulting from different factors such as industrialisation and market globalisation. 

I had never really thought about this before now, but it really interested me as the article also talks about how certain foods have been proven to reduce certain types of pain, and to know that through globalisation people have started eating less of said foods is something that should definitely be looked at! Apparently our diet has changed from being predominantly plant-based to more high energy density and processed foods, including a substantial increase in saturated fats and sugars. 

It’s very important for people with chronic pain to maintain a healthy, balanced diet. There are several reasons for this. Firstly, the nervous system has the capacity to dampen pain. Most people have heard of the body’s own morphine-like substances called endorphins. In order to be able to function optimally the nervous system requires specific nutrients such as essential amino acids. One example is tryptophan, which is a building block in the synthesis of the neurotransmitter serotonin that is very important in the body’s own pain-dampening systems. Tryptophan is found in many foodstuffs including fish, milk, yoghurt seafood, turkey, avocado and bananas.

On the most basic level, the nervous system needs nutrients. Certain vitamin deficiencies can cause pain problems. For example, vitamin B12 deficiency can cause very unpleasant peripheral polyneuropathy, which is nerve pain in both feet and also sometimes in the hands. Vitamin D deficiency can cause diffuse musculoskeletal pain.

This point caught my attention as it mentions vitamin deficiencies, in particular vitamin B12 deficiencies. I have this condition and I know there can be several causes (in my case my body just doesn't absorb the vitamin), one of those being diet. The article goes on to talk about how different foods contain certain nutrients which reduce pain and have anti-inflamitary effects. It also talks about the opposite and how some foods can actually cause certain conditions. 

Another article I found talks about how older people are at risk of getting a vitamin B12 deficiency as their food intake reduces as they get older.

As sensory perception is altered when we grow older and often the food intake decreases, there is the need for foods with adjusted sensorial properties and particularly high in micronutrients. For instance a deficiency in vitamin B12 is likely to occur as the haematologic signs of the deficiency are reported to be masked by food supplementation with folic acid.

The thought that globalisation has caused a knock on effect of our typical diets and possibly caused people to suffer with conditions because of this is actually quite shocking. Symptoms of a Vitamin B12 deficiency include:

• Extreme  tiredness or  fatigue
• A lack of energy or lethargy
• Being out of breath
• Feeling  faint
• Headache
• Ringing in the ears (tinnitus)
• Lack of appetite

More specific symptoms linked to a lack of  vitamin B12 include:

• Yellowing of the  skin
• Sore, red  tongue
• Mouth ulcers
• Changes or loss of some sense of touch
• Feeling less  pain
• Walking problems
• Vision problems
• Mood changes, irritability,  depression or psychosis
• Symptoms of dementia

 Although it's not always caused by diet, and sometimes people can't control it, there has been evidence to prove that a lot of people do get the condition because of their diets. Vitamin deficiencies are just one, there are many more conditions said to be caused by diet. If awareness was raised about this kind of thing, then people wouldn't be suffering as much.

Vitamin B12 is important for the way the body works, and people who don't have enough of it may feel tired or have a lack of energy

Vitamin B12 helps in the production of healthy red blood cells that carry oxygen around the body.

Not having enough vitamin B12 is called vitamin B12 deficiency anaemia. This condition makes the body produce larger than normal red blood cells, described as megaloblastic or macrocytic, which don't do their job as well.

Overall, I find it quite awful that there could be people out there suffering with ill health due to the kinds of foods they've become accustomed to, all because of global marketing. Although there are a lot of schemes in place to make people eat healthier, they don't necessarily use the scare tactics that may well be needed in order to get people to listen. Telling somebody not to eat something because it might make you 'fat' or unfit isn't really as likely to get somebody to cut back on it than it would be if you told them the knock on effect it may have with their health. I know myself how difficult it can be living with my condition and I really wish mine could be cured with diet, but to know there's people out there who could be going through the same as me, and far worse, and it could all be improved by the foods they eat, is quite shocking. I think there definitely needs to be more awareness raised! 

References used:

http://www.webmd.boots.com/healthy-eating/guide/vitamin-b12-deficiency

http://journal.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fnut.2015.00011/full

http://painconcern.org.uk/diet-and-pain/