Did You Know? Health and Nutrition Facts

Eating fruit and vegetables every day helps keep your body healthy.

Children aged 6 to 12 need about 9 to 12 hours of sleep every night.

Brushing your teeth twice a day with fluoride toothpaste helps prevent tooth decay.

Water is the best drink for quenching thirst.

Milk and dairy foods contain calcium, which makes bones and teeth strong.

Carrots contain a substance the body turns into vitamin A, which is important for healthy eyes.

Exercise makes your heart and muscles stronger.

The World Health Organization recommends that children are physically active for at least 60 minutes a day.

Breakfast gives the body energy to start the day.

Eating too much sugar can cause tooth decay.

Oranges, lemons and guavas are rich in vitamin C.

Spinach and lentils contain iron.

Bananas are rich in potassium.

To rest your eyes at a screen, every 20 minutes look at something about 6 metres away for 20 seconds.

Sneezing into your elbow helps stop germs spreading to others.

Dates are a natural source of energy and fibre.

The fibre in whole grains helps digestion.

Fish such as salmon and sardines contain healthy fats called omega-3.

Chewing food well makes it easier to digest.

Wearing a helmet when cycling protects your head.

Eggs are a good source of protein.

Proteins build and repair the body's tissues.

Carbohydrates are the body's main source of energy.

Vitamins are either fat-soluble, like A, D, E and K, or water-soluble, like the B vitamins and vitamin C.

Scurvy is caused by a lack of vitamin C, and sailors once fought it by eating citrus fruit.

The World Health Organization recommends keeping added sugars below 10% of daily calories.

The World Health Organization recommends that adults eat no more than 5 grams of salt a day.

Adults need 7 or more hours of sleep each night.

Adults are advised to do at least 150 minutes of moderate physical activity a week.

Body mass index is calculated by dividing weight in kilograms by the square of height in metres.

Calories measure the energy that food gives the body.

Antibiotics kill bacteria, but they do not work against viruses such as colds and flu.

Vaccines train the immune system to recognise germs before they make you ill.

Smoking is one of the biggest preventable causes of disease in the world.

The iodine added to table salt helps the thyroid gland work properly.

Not drinking enough water can cause headaches, tiredness and poor concentration.

Walking for about 30 minutes a day is good for the heart.

Yogurt contains friendly bacteria that support gut health.

Using screens just before bed can make it harder to fall asleep.

Olive oil is a key part of the Mediterranean diet, known for its health benefits.

Nuts contain healthy fats, protein and fibre.

The World Health Organization was founded on 7 April 1948, and the date is celebrated every year as World Health Day.

There are two well-known kinds of cholesterol: 'bad' LDL and 'good' HDL.

Blood pressure is written as two numbers, like 120/80: the first is the pressure when the heart beats, the second when it rests.

In type 1 diabetes the pancreas makes little or no insulin; in type 2 the body does not use insulin well.

Herd immunity is reached when enough people are immune that a disease struggles to spread.

Smallpox is the only human disease wiped out worldwide, declared eradicated in 1980.

The Mediterranean diet is on UNESCO's list of Intangible Cultural Heritage.

Many studies link eating a lot of ultra-processed food with a higher risk of some diseases.

Sleep helps the brain lock what we have learned into memory.

Exercise lifts your mood, because it makes the brain release feel-good chemicals.

The World Health Organization warns that antibiotic resistance is one of the biggest threats to global health.

A normal resting heart rate for an adult is usually between 60 and 100 beats a minute.

Anaemia caused by a lack of iron is one of the most common nutrition problems in the world.

World Health Organization guidance recommends that adults eat at least 25 grams of fibre a day.

The World Health Organization aims to eliminate industrial trans fats from food, because they raise bad cholesterol.

The physician Abu Bakr al-Razi described the difference between smallpox and measles in the 10th century.

The World Health Organization defines health as complete physical, mental and social well-being, not just the absence of disease.

Caffeine is a stimulant found in coffee, tea and chocolate.

Long exposure to sounds above 85 decibels can damage hearing.

Average life expectancy worldwide has risen to more than 70 years over recent decades.

Mental health is as important as physical health, and talking about your feelings with someone you trust is a healthy step.