A Brief Overview of Food
Food is any substance eaten to supply nutrition to an organism. The word “food” comes from the Greek word “agir”, which means to boil over or cook. Food is generally of animal, plant or even fungal source, and has essential nutrients, including vitamins, proteins, carbohydrates, or iron.
In order for food to be categorized as food, it must meet the following requirements: it must be able to provide all the essential nutrients required by an organism; it must be able to offer some calories in the form of substance that can be absorbed by the body; it must be able to perform some biological function, either by breaking down into simpler molecules or by stimulating an immune system to fight against diseases. Food provides energy, or calories, for the organisms’ daily activities. Food also provides the energy necessary for the bodies metabolism, which in turn keeps the body running and produces the necessary energy for the different systems of the body. Finally, food provides the substance necessary for the reproductive process in animals, plants and sometimes even in bacteria, which is generally classified as compounds having a protein and lipid base. Food can also be classified according to whether they are carbohydrates or fats.
Carbohydrates are found in starches and in many fruits and vegetables. Fatty acids are present in plants, nuts and oilseeds. The difference between carbohydrates and fats is that carbohydrates are made up of chains of glucose molecules while fats are composed of triglycerides or fatty acids. Fats are important in regulating the body’s temperature and are needed to maintain the body’s blood sugar level.