We explain what foods are and the types of foods that exist according to their origin. Also, what are the nutrients in food.
What is food?
A food is any substance (solid or liquid) that is ingested by living beings to replace what has been lost due to the body's activity, to be a source and engine of production of the different substances that are needed for the formation of some tissues, promoting growth and transforming the energy attached to food into work, locomotion and heat.
We consume food, in addition, to satisfy a psychological demand. When we eat, we will feel a sense of satisfaction and gratification. It is common that if a person does not consume food in a certain period of time, they become angry and in a bad mood.
See also: Food
Plant-based foods
Plant-based foods include vegetables, fruits and cereals. Much of the food that humans consume is seeds. These seeds generally include legumes (lentils, peas and beans), cereals (wheat, rice, corn, oats) and nuts.
Fruits are very important to maintain a healthy diet, Doctors recommend eating three to four fruits a day. They have a striking appearance for animals, so that when they eat them, they spread their seeds in the form of feces along long distances.
Vegetables include leaves, trunks and plant roots, being a important source of minerals and vitamins that cereals cannot provide us, especially vitamin C and vitamin A.
Foods of animal origin
Foods of animal origin include all species of livestock (sheep, pigs, goats, cattle) all poultry (turkey, chicken, goose, among others), seafood and different species of fish. Products derived from animals include: milk, cheese, butter, eggs, honey, sausages.
Foods of mineral origin
Sodium chloride (NaCl) is the most important mineral that can be extracted from food. More commonly called table salt, sodium chloride is what gives flavor to foods used in excess by some people, can cause diseases, such as high blood pressure and obesity.
Mineral salts maintain the balance of the metabolism together with sugars, preventing dehydration of the body and helping to retain water.
Food Nutrients
The absence or decrease of nutrients in the body after a certain time has passed, causes diseases linked to their loss. Some of the essential nutrients that we must consume in our daily diet are: vitamin A, iron, calcium, carbohydrates, fats and certain amino acids.
There are two types of nutrients, simple or micronutrients (the body needs them in small doses) and macronutrients (they are required in large quantities).
Proteins, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals are the five groups into which the essential nutrients of any diet are classified. In total, these groups comprise between 45 and 50 substances which are considered essential for proper growth and maintenance of health.
The type of food The most abundant in the world are carbohydrates fats being the easiest to accumulate. If our body depletes its reserves of fats and carbohydrates, it will directly use dietary proteins or glycogen stored in the muscles, breaking it down to form its own fuel.
