The human body is very complicated, what if we call it a machine? It is the most complex, organized, synchronized and advanced machine so far and every machine needs its fuel to work efficiently, so what is that fuel?
Yes, you got it right “The Food” and more precisely nutrients. Nutrients are the body fuels, which provide our body with energy to work, to build the bodies, for regeneration & protection. In short, food is the fuel to give nutrition with the help of nutrients.
Now let’s learn about these in detail.
What is Food
What is Food
Food is any substances eaten or drunk that meet the needs of the body and nourish our body. It is a basic necessity to our body and triggers the cell to grow both quantitatively & qualitatively, i.e. it makes the cell grow in size as well as in numbers.
Functions of Food
Functions of Food
When we think of food, we relate it with satiety, i.e. feeling of fullness and satisfaction. But, is it the only thing the food does? Is the motive of eating food is fill our tummies only?
Think about it by yourself.
Isn’t it attached to your desires, what if I say, you have to eat the same food for a week? I am sure that, this thought of eating the same food is enough to blow your mind. It would definitely be able to fill your tummies but not your desires and it would not be able to give you gratification. Desires are also secondary, but that food would not be able to provide you with optimum nutrition. So, food is one, which meets physiological, psychological & social needs.
1. Physiological Function
- Energy giving
- Bodybuilding
- Protection
- Regulation
2. Social Function
Feasts are an integral part of:
- Festivals
- Marriages
- Birthdays & Certain Rituals
3. Psychological Function
- Need for security
- Fulfillment of desires (for gratification)
- Attachment with emotions (e.g. Food made by mother or lover feels a way tastier)
- Reward (before starting any work & after accomplishment sweets given as a treat)
What is Nutrition?
Simply, food at work in the body, which includes everything that happens from eating food to its usage in various functions of the body.
It includes everything from ingestion of food, digestion of food and breakdown of foods into nutrients, assimilation and utilization of food by our body for performing various functions.
The science of nutrition also deals with:
- What nutrients do we need?
- What is the quantity of nutrients that our body needs?
- How does the body utilize nutrients?
What are Nutrients?
If a human body is a machine, then nutrients are the fuel, which makes our body to work properly. We say that food is the material that makes up our body. So, when we break down food into nutrients, then only do we understand their roles in performing the body’s function.
There are basically 6 essential nutrients which are:
- Carbohydrates
- Proteins
- Fats
- Vitamins
- Minerals
- Water
These are categorized as macronutrients & micronutrients:
1. Macro Nutrients
These are the nutrients that are required by our bodies in bulk.
These macronutrients are:
a. Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates are sugars or polymers of sugars, which are there to provide energy to all the cells and tissues of the body, and any excess in carbohydrates is converted by the body into fat and stored in tissues so it is very essential to consume all nutrients judicially.
b. Proteins
The protein component of the food takes charge of growth, maintains & repair of body tissues. Interestingly, about 50% of protein is present in muscles, 20% in bone & 10% in skin. So, it is crucial to consume the right amount of protein through a diet.
c. Fats
Fats have a very bad image, like a culprit that will destroy machinery and invite diseases. But it’s like grinding weevils with wheat.
Because not all fats are bad some fats are very essential for the body like PUFA (Poly Unsaturated Fatty Acids) & MUFA (Mono Unsaturated Fatty Acids). The culprits in the world of fats are saturated and trans fats, and they should be limited. Dietary fat is a way more essential as it is the one which helps to absorb fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, K) & certain antioxidants.
Which is recommend range of intake for macronutrients?
There is a technical term ADMR (Acceptable Macronutrient Distribution Range), which tells the recommended range of intake for macronutrients.
The ADMR for the macronutrients is as follows :
- Carbohydrates : 45-65%
- Proteins : 10-35%
- Fats : 20-35%
2. Micronutrients
These are the nutrients that are required by our bodies in smaller amounts and consist of vitamins & minerals.
a. Vitamins
Vitamins are accessory food factors that are organic & must be supplied from outside to maintain health. There are 13 essential nutrients which are categorized into fat-soluble vitamins & water-soluble vitamins.
- Fats-soluble vitamins – Vitamin A, Vitamin D, Vitamin E, Vitamin K.
- Water soluble vitamins – Vitamin B complex (Thiamine B1, riboflavin B2, niacin B3, pantothenic acid B5, pyridoxin B6, biotin B7, folic acid B9, cyanocobalamin B12) & Vitamin C.
b. Minerals
Minerals are inorganic molecules that are important for the body. They are classified into two subgroups:
- Macro minerals – These are those which are required more than 100 mg/day. There are seven macro minerals Calcium (Ca), Magnesium (Mg), Phosphorus (P), Sulphur (S), Chlorine (Cl), Sodium (Na) & Potassium (K).
- Micro minerals – These are the trace elements and are required less than 100 mg/day. The microminerals are Iron (Fe), Selenium (Se), Zinc (Zn), Manganese (Mn), Copper (Cu), Iodine (I), Chromium (Cr), Florine (F) & Molybdenum (Mo).
What is Nutritional Status?
It is the state of the body as a result of food consumed and its utilization by the body. It is the result obtained after the interaction of food and body
What is Malnutrition?
Let’s make it simple, take a 1-liter bottle and fill it with 100 ml of water. Repeat this process and try to fill 2 liters of water in it. Will you be able to do so?
Both cases are wasteful, a 1-liter bottle is meant to fill 1 liter of water only, now imagine our body as a 1-liter bottle that needs nutrients neither in excess nor in deficit. Undesirable kind of nutrition leads to ill health. It results from the back, excess, or importance of nutrients in the diet. It includes both under & over-nutrition.
i. Undernutrition
It is a state of insufficient supply of essential nutrients. This Malnutrition can be primarily due to an insufficient supply of one or more essential nutrients or it can be secondary to an error in metabolism, or interaction between nutrients or nutrients & drugs used for treatments.
ii. Overnutrition
It is an excessive intake of one or more nutrients which creates a stress on bodily function.
Conclusion
Although food is an inseparable part of our lives, but we don’t know much about it. Good food is actually a harbinger of good health.
Food science and nutrition is the science of food, it deals with every aspect of food, from organic production, processing, development of healthy and convenient recipes, food safety, focusing on digestion and utilization of food along with its effects on health.
It refers to whatever is eaten or drunk each day. It includes a normal diet that is consumed either individually or in groups.
A diet that is modified to make it suitable for sick individuals as a part of treatments is called a therapeutic diet.
It is using the knowledge of nutrients for meal planning & preparation to make it attractive and acceptable for consumption. In this, the existing meals can be modified to improve in terms of nutrition & acceptability. Diet can be planned for individuals to meet their requirements and taking into condition some factors like water intake, nutritional status, place of living & clinical needs, socioeconomic status and personal preferences.
