Nutrition: The Key to a Healthy Body

Over the next few weeks I will write several articles based on nutrition. In every catering course (to my knowledge) there is classes on basic nutrition and food science with options to go more in-depth. Nutrition is one of the most important things for our bodies and yet many people are either confused or lack the knowledge about it.

So what is Nutrition?

Nutrition is the breaking down (digestion) of materials from foods to provide energy and heat, for repair and growth and help regulate the body. In nutrition (the study of nutrients) a food is any substance, a liquid or solid, which provides the body with one or all of the things mentioned above. Most foods contain several nutrients but some foods, like sugar, contain only one nutrient.

If more people knew about and practised good nutrition, then many of the health problems that inhibit thousands of people in the world could be avoided.

There are six main classes of nutrients and these are: Carbohydrates, Fats, Proteins, Vitamins, Minerals and Water.

The main function of nutrients

Digestion

Digestion is the chemical and mechanical breakdown of foods into smaller elements for ease of absorption. There are three main areas in which this takes place:

1. In the mouth where a mechanical action starts by breaking the food into smaller pieces and saliva is introduced to the food and the starch is broken down by an enzyme in the saliva. 
2. The stomach is next. In here a chemical action takes place where the gastric juices are added and proteins are broken down. At the same time a mechanical actions is going on where the muscles of the stomach are contracting, thus mixing the food to help the digestive enzymes.
3. After passing from the stomach, the food enters the small intestine. Here proteins, fats and carbohydrates are digested further and absorbed into the blood. 95% of the absorption of nutrients happens here.

In the large intestine water and minerals are re-absorbed from the waste products. Bacteria in the large intestine produce vitamins, noticeably biotin and vitamin K, and these are absorbed into the blood as well. 

Source: Wikipedia 

For the body to fully benefit from foods it is very important to stimulate the flow of saliva and gastric juices. This can only be achieved if the food looks, smells and tastes good. If one of these factors is not met then the digestive process is not acting at 100%. This, as well as lacking in one or more nutrients, leads to a state of malnutrition.