Food and Nutrition

The human digestive system is a complex system involving ingestion, digestion, absorption and assimilation of the food we eat. The digestive system starts at the mouth and ends at the rectum. Each stage of the system has its own unique function; these functions are listed below:
Ingestion- this is the intake of food into the body
Digestion- this is the breaking down of food into smaller units so that it can be absorbed.
Absorption- this is the uptake of soluble digested food into bodily fluids, such as blood.
Assimilation- this is the incorporation of absorbed food into the cells of the body.

Importance of Food

Food plays very vital role in maintaining proper health and also helps in prevention and cure of diseases. Good nutritive food makes health, but at the same time bad or unhealthy food gives rise to several diseases. Our cells, tissues and all organs works properly only with nutritious food which we eat.

 All body functions metabolic, hormonal, mental, physical or chemical cannot be performed by the body without nutritive food. Food provides us with important nutrition which is important in cure of disease .Bad food is responsible for lowered immunity system of body

Human cells need 45 chemical components and other elements which are called essential nutrients and these all must be present in adequate healthy food, Oxygen and water are the two and other 43 are classified in 5 main category i.e. Proteins , fat ,carbohydrates , minerals and vitamins these all nutrients are vitally important for managing our body functions .

Many researchers’ claims that various diseases are caused by essential nutrients under supply, but they also claim these diseases can also be corrected when all the nutrients are supplied, in a proper way.

A well-balanced, nutritive and correct diet is thus of utmost importance for the maintenance of good health and the healing of diseases.

Such a diet obviously should be made up of foods, which in combination would supply all the essential nutrients.

Importance of Grains, Seeds and Nuts in our food:

They all are at utmost importance of all other food which is essential for growth of human. Seeds, nuts and grains are examples of some essential unsaturated fatty acids necessary for health.

- Millet, wheat, oats, barley, brown rice, beans and peas are all highly valuable in building health.

- Wheat, mung beans, alfalfa seeds and soya beans make excellent sprouts.

- Examples of protein rich diet - Sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, almonds, peanuts and soya beans.

They are all excellent sources of lecithin, vitamin B and vitamin C and rich source of minerals.

Importance of VEGETABLES in our food:

Vegetables are also important as they are excellent source of vitamins, enzymes and minerals if they are consumed in their natural raw state.

Importance of FRUITS in our food:

Fruits are also excellent source of minerals , vitamins and enzymes like vegetables , the best thing about fruits is that they are very digestive, other importance of fruits are :

- Fruits are highly alkaline in nature i.e. they contains low percentage of protein and fats and a high percentage of water.

- Fruits itself is a complete food.

These three types of nutrients should be supplemented by some other types of special food as milk, honey and vegetables oil etc.

For more information:http://wizznotes.com/biology/nutrition-in-man/introduction