Food And It’s Relevance

Food is primarily for life sustenance and has been in use since the presence of the first living organism on earth. The significance of food goes beyond basic nutrition. Symphonic attributes of food indicate how important food is. Food has been used as a medium of worship, as an appeasement to the gods. Awareness of the psychological and social importance of food is on the rise in recent times. A basic need that every individual must have access to sustain a fundamental human right, which is their life.

 Food must be naturally made from edible animal and plant sources. It contains nutrients ranging from carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins, and minerals and in most cases, water. Water is classified as an essential nutrient as most food contains water in free or bound forms, so water can not be left out when describing food. Raw and cooked food contains a significant amount of water that assures desirable food aspects, such as texture and flavour to control digestion and taste.

Nutrients are required in optimum amounts for excellent growth, development, and maintenance. A meal must contain portions of all nutrients in the right amounts for proper use by the body. A double burden of disease is being created from the imbalance consumption of the recommended portions. Nutrients are absorbed into their desired location after food has been digested with the help of gastric acids and mechanical movement of the digestive tract. 

Energy balance is essential for the human body to function properly. The body needs all nutrients for building and maintenance, energy production, and protection against diseases. All individuals require different proportions of the various nutrients depending on their age, sex, physical activity, and a range of factors peculiar to them. The total calories consumed must not overshadow physical activities. Excessive food consumption and inappropriate various nutrients exert pressure on vital organs, interrupts metabolism to produce undesirable chemicals that serve as signals for negative mental and physical development.

The shortage of food and the unwillingness of people to engage in organic farming has successfully pushed the agenda of genetically modified food (GMO). Where the genetic composition of plants and animals are manipulated to generate a better alternative. There are many available pest-resistant crops and attractively uniform-sized plants and animals because of careful breed selections. There are ethical concerns and misunderstandings to the use of GMOs but that is not the focus of this article.

Food is the most common commodity on the ingredients list of all cosmetic products  but that is not a common topic for discussion. The ingredient list of cosmetic products are loaded with scientific names of constituents, making it unrelatable to consumers. The most common common examples are carbohydrates and oil. Most gums and powders are made from mostly plant and animal sources. The basic ingredients of cosmetic products are food which goes through chemical and mechanical process to produce secondary products that creates specific results in a formulation. Food is highly perishable and that is why preservatives are added to most products just to prolong it shelf life. Its extremely expensive to produce natural cosmetic products with low processed ingredients due to the financial cost related to natural products.

Food storage, handling and preparation are crucial as they are perishable. Oxygen and water activity on food must be handled carefully to maintain the nutritional contents and food spoilage and poisoning. Cooked and raw food must be thoroughly washed to remove dirt and prepared in acceptable hygienic conditions with appropriate cooking methods to retain its nutrients.

Food quality and safety are currently prioritised by food regulatory authorities as the world begins to consider the medicinal functionality of food. The complexity and amount of food components make it difficult for food regulatory agencies to thoroughly check every food produced. This makes the safety of food a collective responsibility of the regulatory authorities and consumers. As an individual, be sure to check the quality of the food you buy. Buy from known sources and check the labels to be sure you are purchasing authentic produce.

Everyone has an obligation as an individual to choose the right nutrition that works for them. Your food choice dictates your health, a functional nutrition lifestyle is what everyone needs to adopt for a healthier world.