Food And Nutrition -Introduction

Food & Nutrition

Good nutrition and good health are two words which go together. It is said that there's no good health without good nutrition. So, if you don't care about your nutrition you'll lose your good health and will face to illness. Malnutrition, the opposite of good nutrition which means "bad nutrition" can cause ill health or disease.
There are two forms of malnutrition,

1. Undernutrition
Undernutrition is eating so little than your body needs. Undernutrition cause diseases such as stunted growth 'kwashiorkor' and 'marasmus'. This can cause death by starvation and by lowering the resistance of the body against disease. Undernutition is mainly associated in developing countries.
More details about Undernutrition.

2. Overnutrition
Overnutrition is the contrast of undernutrition and it is mainly associated with developing countries like Britain and U.S.A. Overnutrition causes disease such as obesity, coronary heart disease and strokes.
More details about Overnutrition

As you read through you may have an idea about the importance of good nutrition. So it'll be important to get your while about the important facts about nutrients and the right amounts in which you should take as well as the principle sources of those nutrients, and the disorders in which you'll face lacking those essential nutrients.

What is Nutrition?

Nutrition is the process in which living organisms acquire energy for their metabolic activities, and raw materials to build cells. Nutrition is supplied to living organisms in the form of chemicals known as nutrients. Nutrients can be divided into two parts.
1. Organic nutrients
Organic nutrients are carbohydrates, lipids, proteins and vitamins.

2. Inorganic nutrients
Water and mineral salts are inorganic nutrients in which we need to maintain our life.

From where we can take nutrients?

We acquire nutrients from the food we eat. We eat food which largely contain the nutrients which stated in the above paragraph. Diet is the quantity and nature of food we eat, that is which nutrients and how much of each.

What is a balanced diet?

A Balanced diet is one which contains the correct proportions and quantity of the various nutrients, water and dietary fiber required to maintain health.
A Balanced diet contains carbohydrates, proteins, lipids, vitamins, water, minerals and fiber.

The ideal of will vary in different individuals greatly depending on the factors below.
Sex
Age
Activity
Body size
Temperature of their external environment

And now I think it is better to start considering about the nutrients one by one in detail. Just click on the following links to start!

Carbohydrates
Proteins
Lipids
Vitamins
Water
Mineral Salts

Facts about nutrition
Food Pyramid

Malnutrition and disorders