Food And Nutrition

The human life is sustained by numerous factors. Oxygen or the air which is used for respiration, food used for the growth and energy requirements, water required for adequate hydration are the basic requirements of life.

The secondary or the complementary factors are also quite important, for example clothes to protect the body, a shelter to protect from the environmental ravages, a family to provide emotional protection and support, a source of income to support all the other secondary and primary needs except the air used for respiration (which is thankfully free yet) and a social life for proper development of the intellect and communicative abilities.

Among the primary factors food and water are also as important as air, because survival or sustenance of life is not possible without food and water after a limited amount of time.

Food is consumed by every individual. But the objectives are different with different people. Majority of the population eats food with the sole intention of filling their stomachs, and to alleviate hunger. Then there are some who eat food just to satisfy their taste buds and cravings, irrespective of the need of the body for food or hunger. There are few numbers of people who actually eat food after proper evaluation of quantity and quality. Even among such people are found people who either restrict the quantity and the quality or at least the quality. People who are on weight losing programs tend to restrict the quantity of food, thereby sometimes unwittingly compromising on the quality too.

The quality of food is wholly dependent on its nutritive value and hygiene. The nutritional value of different kinds of food is different. The food which is consumed is broadly classified as fats, carbohydrates and proteins. The nutritive value of each category is different, so is the nutritive value of different foods in the same category.

The commonest carbohydrates consumed globally are the fruits, vegetables, grains etc. The carbohydrates are quite an essential part of the diet, because they provide the energy needed by the body for the various functions. The carbohydrates also contain all the essential vitamins, essential minerals, trace elements, phyto chemicals and almost 60 % of the body requirement of nutrients.

The proteins are found in the meat, fish, milk, dairy products, nuts, beans, legumes etc. The proteins are very necessary for muscle and tissue growth and also are an important constituent of the DNA or the genes.

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