Nutrition is the study of foods and their nutrients, how they are absorbed and utilized by your body, as well as the relationship between diet and health. It encompasses an understanding of food chemical and biological properties as well as processes involved in their production, storage, processing, and preparation.
Nutrition literacy equips you with the knowledge to make informed food decisions and promote healthy eating habits.
Nutrition
Nutrition is the process of consuming food and using its energy for essential bodily functions. Nutrients like carbohydrates, proteins, fats and vitamins must all be consumed in order for life to exist.
Food plays an integral role in social interaction, helping us build connections and create lasting memories. Unfortunately, not everyone has access to nutritious food sources; poor nutrition can lead to digestive problems, weight gain, depression, and numerous chronic illnesses.
To learn about the nutritional content of a particular food, read its Nutrition Facts label. This will let you know which nutrients are most essential in that item and can help you select foods that will promote better health overall.
Physiology
Physiology is the study of how the human body functions, from organs and cells to systems and their connections. It often falls under medicine, where understanding how your body works can help diagnose and treat medical issues.
Nutrition is the process by which living things acquire and utilize essential substances for survival, growth, and tissue repair. This involves ingestion of food, its digestion and absorption, metabolism, and excretion.
Essential nutrients, such as carbohydrates, fats and proteins, provide energy; build and repair tissues within the body; and contain chemicals which the body cannot produce on its own. Furthermore, essential nutrients help regulate bodily processes while promoting good health.
Biochemistry
Biochemistry is the study of chemical processes within and around living organisms. It’s a laboratory-based science that brings together biology and chemistry.
Cell biology studies the workings of our cells at a molecular level, looking at things like proteins and lipids as well as organelles. It also examines how cells communicate with one another during growth or when our body is fighting off an illness.
Biochemistry is an invaluable discipline that provides scientists with insight into how biological molecules function and interact. This understanding can lead to new methods for producing food products or finding novel uses for molecules.
Diet
Dieting is the intentional consumption of food and nutrients to meet a health goal, such as weight management, managing disease symptoms, or creating new eating habits.
Every individual and culture has distinct dietary habits and preferences, some of which may be more healthful than others. Furthermore, some people have food allergies or diseases which require them to abstain from certain foods.
One of the best sources for nutrition information is a food item’s nutrition facts label. This indicates the serving size, total calories and percentage daily value (DV) of key nutrients in one portion.
Diseases
Diseases are serious illnesses that can cause pain, paralysis of certain parts of your body and even death. They are caused by microorganisms known as pathogens – bacteria, viruses, fungi, protozoans and helminths.
Bacteria are one-celled organisms that can lead to various illnesses in humans, such as strep throat and urinary tract infections. They may also cause food poisoning and tuberculosis.
Viruses are much smaller than bacteria and can be found in air, water and soil. They have the capacity to penetrate easily into your body through mouth, nose, cuts and injuries from the environment – leading to serious infections that could even result in death.