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The word nutrition first appeared in 1551 and comes from the Latin word nutrire, meaning “to nourish.” Today, we define nutrition as the sum of all processes involved in how organisms obtain nutrients, metabolize them, and use them to support all of life’s processes. Nutritional science is the investigation of how an organism is nourished, and incorporates the study of how nourishment affects personal health, population health, and planetary health. Nutritional science covers a wide spectrum of disciplines. As a result, nutritional scientists can specialize in particular aspects of nutrition such as biology, physiology, immunology, biochemistry, education, psychology, sustainability, and sociology. Without adequate nutrition the human body does not function optimally, and severe nutritional inadequacy can lead to disease and even death. The typical American diet is lacking in many ways, from not containing the proper amounts of essential nutrients, to being too speedily consumed, to being only meagerly satisfying.
- 9.1: Nutrition and Health
- This page emphasizes the significant impact of diet on health, encompassing physical, psychological, and social aspects. It discusses the evolution of public health initiatives and highlights the link between diet-related diseases and poor eating habits. Nutritional science advocates for nutrient-dense foods, healthy fats, and essential proteins while cautioning against trans fats and excessive sugar. It notes the importance of water, vitamins, and minerals obtained from whole foods.
- 9.2: Planning a Diet
- This page discusses the concept of diet as encompassing all regularly consumed foods and the importance of making informed dietary choices for health rather than just weight loss. It highlights tools for healthy eating, like AMDR and DRI, personalized meal planning, and understanding food labels.
- 9.3: Popular Diets
- This page discusses various functional diets aimed at addressing specific health issues, emphasizing the importance of consulting healthcare professionals. It covers the DASH diet for hypertension, gluten-free diets for celiac disease, low-carb diets for weight loss, the Mediterranean diet for longevity, and raw food diets, which can be restrictive. It also highlights challenges like nutrient deficiencies in gluten-free, vegetarian, and vegan diets.
- 9.4: Food Supplements and Food Replacements
- This page discusses current trends in health and wellness focused on dietary supplements like vitamins and herbal remedies, which can offer quick fixes for optimal health. Public health officials recommend multivitamins for specific groups but stress that supplements should enhance, not replace, a healthy diet. Caution is advised due to potential toxicity and interactions with medications, along with the less stringent regulations compared to drugs.
- 9.5: Food Safety
- This page outlines the FDA's new science-based standards for safe produce practices under the Food Safety and Modernization Act, aimed at reducing foodborne illnesses affecting 48 million Americans annually, resulting in significant hospitalizations and deaths. Exemptions exist for certain produce, while key precautions include thorough cleaning and preventing cross-contamination.
Thumbnail: Cornucopia of fruit and vegetables. (CC BY-SA 3.0; Jina Lee).
This page titled 9: Basic Nutrition and Healthy Eating was last modified on Fri, 30 Apr 2021 19:10:22 GMT and is shared under a CC BY license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by Garrett Rieck and Justin Lundin.
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