What is Nutrition?

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What is Nutrition? Although the question seems basic and somewhat philosophical, nutrition can be extremely confusing, and the multitude of definitions does not help with the complexity of the subject. Therefore, it is important to understand the many definitions of nutrition, so the term will not be misused. Also, since nutrition as a field of study and practice is exponentially evolving, it is additionally important to outline these definitions. Using the Cambridge Dictionary, the main definitions of nutrition (but not limited to) are: “the substances that you take into your body as food and the way that they influence your health” and “the process of taking in and using food, or the scientific study of this”.

For the first definition, “the substances that you take into your body as food and the way that they influence your health”, the compound(s) within the food (macronutrients, micronutrients, toxins, etc.) and how these compound(s) have an effect on overall health including: disease risk/treatment, longevity, body physique, mental health, physical performance, etc. is what is being defined. The constant searching, questioning, observing, and debating for which food(s) and what compound(s) are the most health promoting within the different aspects of health prompts the other main definition of nutrition.

The second definition, “the process of taking in and using food, or the scientific study of this”, is birthed by the curiosity that comes from the need to expand the first definition. With components of biology, chemistry, and social sciences as building blocks, Nutrition as a scientific study, nutrition(al) science, is revolved around how food and compound(s) within interacts with the gastrointestinal (GI) tract and all its accessory organs. Also, the global food crisis, how psychology interacts with the eating and digestion process, and other specific subjects relating to nutrition can fall under nutrition(al) science. Starting from the mouth and ending at the anus, the GI tract’s main organs are the esophagus, stomach, small intestine, and large intestine while accessory organs including the liver, pancreas, salivary glands, etc. are key supporters to the whole digestive system. All of the biological structures within the human body are influenced to a degree by what foods we choose to consume on a daily basis, and scientific studies help us dive deeper into understanding the biological cause(s) and effect(s) that comes with food consumption.

Having nutrition defined is immensely important to reading the rest of the articles on this website, for it lays the foundation to have a better understanding of the subject. With a mysterious definition, the complex and constant evolving subject that is nutrition can get too perplexing to grasp and limits you from making informed, beneficial health changes that fit your desires.

Now with this understanding of the definition(s) of nutrition, enjoy the rest of the content that is to be published on this website, and thank you for your time.