The Nature And Benefits Of Foods

The word “food” is derived from the Latin word ” fide”, which means “by nature eaten”. Basically, food is any material consumed in order to provide the body with necessary nutrients to maintain an organism’s normal function. In most cases, food is of animal, plant or fungi origin, and has necessary nutrients, including vitamins, proteins, carbohydrates, sugars, or both, in sufficient quantities to maintain the nutritional needs of an individual human being. The primary components of food are protein, fat, carbohydrate, vitamins and minerals.

Protein is the main component of all foods, with carbohydrates coming after protein. Each food provides a different proportion of these essential substances in terms of its content of carbohydrates, fat, or vitamins and minerals. Animal foods, plants, fungi, and algae all contain protein, while cereals, breads, pastas, rice, and other grains are rich in carbohydrates. Foods rich in vitamin E are particularly important to consume after a meal because this vitamin helps in the absorption of food’s nutrients.

Sugar is either naturally occurring in foods or added by manufacturers to extend the shelf life of their products. Sugar’s purpose is to raise the concentration of insulin in the blood, which controls energy and weight; and, to stimulate the digestive system to produce more digestive fluids and bile, which are necessary for the absorption of fats and other nutrients. High-fibered foods tend to have higher concentrations of added sugars, whereas low-fibre foods tend to have lower concentrations. Some examples of fibrous foods include rice, potatoes, apples, avocados, honey, raisins, dates, sugarcane, honey, cottonseed, sesame seed, and many others.