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Food Science is the multidisciplinary study of food and the
application of knowledge thus gained to the development of food
products and processes, the preservation and storage of foods, and
the assurance of food safety and quality. Nutrition, nourishment,
or aliment, is the supply of materials - food - required by
organisms and cells to stay alive. In science and human medicine,
nutrition is the science or practice of consuming and utilizing
food. We know that the food we eat is digested and it is absorbed
and utilized by the body. Food helps us in staying healthy. Our
diet should be such that it meets our nutritional requirements and
thus helps us in our health. Although food occupies the first
position in the hierarchy of our needs, ignorance of many basic
facts relating to food and nutrition is still widespread. All of us
eat food every day - but have we ever paused to consider if our
diet is balanced? In fact, do we even know what kinds and amounts
of foods would make our diet balanced and lead us toward good
health? Buying and cooking foodstuffs is a common experience for
all of us. However, when purchasing, do we really know how to
select the food items? Do we know the household ways of finding out
whether the food item is adulterated? If the diet is not balanced,
the result would be malnutrition and nutritional deficiency
diseases. So, we find out the type of diet that should be eaten by
a person who is suffering from a disease - from fever, diarrhea,
and diabetes to hypertension. Activities of food scientists include
the development of new food products, design of processes to
produce these foods, choice of packaging materials, shelf-life
studies, sensory evaluation of products using panels or potential
consumers, as well as microbiological and chemical testing. Food
scientists may study more fundamental phenomena that are directly
linked to the production of food products and its properties. Food
science brings together multiple scientific disciplines. It
incorporates concepts from fields such as microbiology, chemical
engineering, and biochemistry.
Metabolism is the chemical process your body uses to transform the
food you eat into the fuel that keeps you alive. Nutrition (food)
consists of proteins, carbohydrates, and fats. These substances are
broken down by enzymes in your digestive system, and then carried
to the cells where they can be used as fuel. Your body either uses
these substances immediately, or stores them in the liver, body
fat, and muscle tissues for later use. Metabolism is closely linked
to nutrition and the availability of nutrients. Bioenergetics is a
term which describes the biochemical or metabolic pathways by which
the cell ultimately obtains energy. Energy formation is one of the
vital components of metabolism. Nutrition is the key to metabolism.
The pathways of metabolism rely upon nutrients that they breakdown
in order to produce energy. This energy in turn is required by the
body to synthesize new proteins, nucleic acids, etc. Nutrients in
relation to metabolism encompass bodily requirement for various
substances, individual functions in body, amount needed, level
below which poor health results etc. Essential nutrients supply
energy (calories) and supply the necessary chemicals which the body
itself cannot synthesize. Food provides a variety of substances
that are essential for the building, upkeep, and repair of body
tissues, and for the efficient functioning of the body. The diet
needs essential nutrients like carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen,
phosphorus, sulfur, and around 20 other inorganic elements. The
major elements are supplied in carbohydrates, lipids, and protein.
In addition, vitamins, minerals and water are necessary.
Carbohydrates are the energy powerhouses in the body. They are
pulled from the starches and sugars and cellulose we eat in our
foods daily. Our metabolism will break down these nutrients and
supply what we need for the day. People generally only consume
around half of the daily need for these compounds. They are
generally consumed from foods such as bread, cereal, rice, pasta,
potatoes and wheat. Glucose is the main source of energy which is
formed from metabolized starches and sugars combined. This takes
place post-digestion. Proteins are what we need to build muscle and
tissues. Proteins are an integral part of each cell in the human
body. It is a life giving substance by which hemoglobin is formed.
This is just as important as blood. Fat produces twice the energy
than proteins or carbohydrates. Fat is essential in its healthy
forms. It helps to produce cell structure, it protects the vital
organs with a cushion, the fat soluble vitamins we take are
absorbed through fats and fat will create storage for energy when
we need it. Minerals are responsible for the regulation of bodily
functions. The minerals found in food are not used for energy in a
direct sense but they play an important role in metabolic
processes.
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