Nutrition

ROAD SAFETY AND HEALTH :: LEARN ABOUT YOUR HEALTH

NUTRITION

Following a healthy diet is the foundation of healthy living and safe driving. South African diets are typically high in fat and lack fresh fruit and vegetables, leading to common shortages of essential elements like Vitamin A, C, B complex and Calcium. The table below will help to show you which elements are important in maintaining a healthy body and mind, and also gives examples of the main food sources in which these elements can be found.

ELEMENT	WHAT IT DOES	FOOD SOURCE	SIGNS OF SHORTAGE
Vitamin A	Needed for a healthy skin and to fight infection. Essential for night vision.	Liver, carrots, cabbage, pumpkin, tomatoes and sweet potatoes.	Mouth ulcers, poor night vision, frequent colds, dry flaky skin.
Vitamin B1	Essential for energy production, brain function and digestion.	Mushrooms, peas, lettuce, cauliflower, brussel sprouts and beans.	Tender muscles, irritability, poor concentration and fast heart beats.
Vitamin B2	Turns fats, sugar and protein into energy. Important for hair, nails and eyes.	Milk, cabbage, asparagus, broccoli, tomatoes and wheat germ.	Burning eyes, sensitivity to bright light, sore tongue, split nails, cracked lips.
Vitamin B3	Helps balance blood sugar and lowers cholesterol levels.	Tuna, chicken, lamb, turkey, mushrooms and cauliflower.	Lack of energy, insomnia, headaches, bleeding gums.
Vitamin B5	Essential for brain and nerve function. Helps to produce anti-stress hormones.	Peas, lentils, celery, strawberries, eggs, avocados and squash.	Muscle cramps, burning feet or tender heels, exhaustion after light exercise.
Vitamin B6	Natural anti-depressant. Helps to control allergic reactions.	Bananas, red kidney beans, onions, nuts, peppers and cabbage.	Lack of energy, muscle cramps, depression, water retention.
Vitamin B12	Helps the blood to carry oxygen. Breaks down toxins like tobacco smoke and alcohol.	Oysters, sardines, tuna, eggs, cottage cheese, milk and chicken.	Anxiety or tension, constipation, tender or sore muscles.
Vitamin C	Helps the immune system to fight infection. Keeps joints, bones and skin firm and strong. Turns food in energy.	Strawberries, lemons, kiwi fruit, oranges, grapefruit, limes and tomatoes.	Frequent colds and infections, easy bruising, nose bleeds, slow wound healing..
Vitamin D	Helps maintain strong and healthy bones by retaining calcium.	Herrings, salmon, oysters, eggs and cottage cheese.	Aching, stiff joints, tooth decay, hair loss, muscle cramps.
Vitamin E	Protects cells from damage. Helps the body to use oxygen and improves wound healing and fertility.	Sunflower seeds, peanuts, beans, peas, sardines and sweet potatoes.	Varicose veins, infertility, loss of muscle tone, easy bruising.
Vitamin K	Controls blood clotting.	Lettuce, cabbage, asparagus, potatoes and tomatoes.	Easy bleeding.
Calcium	Promotes a healthy heart and is essential in forming strong bones and teeth.	Cheddar cheese, brewer’s yeast, parsley, prunes and almonds.	Aching joints, arthritis, tooth decay, high blood pressure..
Iron	Transports oxygen to and from the cells. Vital for energy production..	Cashew nuts, raisins, pork, dates, sesame seeds, cooked dried beans.	Fatigue, loss of appetite, sensitivity to cold.

Also View:

Healthy Eating, Driver Fitness and Safer Driving

Physical Fitness and Safer Driving

Driver Fatigue and Road Safety

E-Hailing Taxi Services and Road Safety

Introduction Technology and smartphone apps have changed the way most of us gain access to taxi services. The E-Hailing taxi services industry has become a major role player in public transport. Even though it is very convenient, mostly well-regulated and safe, the E-Hailing taxi industry has also

Guide to Bus Passenger Safety

Introduction to Safety for Passengers There have been horrific and alarming bus crashes across the globe. Studies have however revealed that the transportation of school children is safest in buses and in fact significantly safer than transporting school children in minibuses, vans or other passenger

The Bus Industry in South Africa and Road Safety

Background info on South African Bus Industry The bus industry in South Africa has for many years made a vital contribution to the economic and social development of the country. As a provider of bus services it has and continues to provide mobility to millions of people who are dependent on public

Road Safety Conferences

The Arrive Alive website supports those individuals and institutions who take the initiative to arrange road safety conferences in South Africa. We believe that this contributes to greater awareness of road safety and could assist in planning effective road safety strategies. 17th Annual Road Safety

Rollover Crashes, Crash Reconstruction and Safer Driving

On the Arrive Alive website, we share crash reports received from various medical emergency response services across South Africa. During the past Festive season, we received several reports stating that there was a vehicle “rollover” or that the vehicle “overturned”. Vehicle

Bad Driving Habits and Unsafe Driving

We were recently invited by RoadCover to attend a day of Defensive Driving at BMW and as we drove into town the driver instructor asked us to do a “running commentary” on seeing and identifying all the hazards on the road. He wrote down several points while I was driving, and I must admit