Food – It Is Our Best Source of Energy
Food is any material consumed in order to provide nutrients for organisms, usually for its living organisms. It can also be called the main source of nourishment or the primary supply of food for a human being. Generally speaking, food is of animal, plant or fungi origin, and has necessary nutrients, including proteins, vitamins, carbohydrates, fat, sugars or other macronutrients, which are required for the growth and maintenance of an individual’s body system. This food, which includes all the essential elements, is known as the primary sources of nutrition, or the diets of a human being. The diets of animals and fishes may vary from one species to another, while human diets tend to be quite similar from time to time.
There are two groups of nutrients in foods that are required by the body, these are the macronutrients and the trace minerals. The food that are rich in protein and carbohydrates, but also contains some water and fiber, is called the balanced diet. In case of the balanced diet, the person needs only some kinds of carbohydrates and protein, so as to provide the body with the macronutrients that it requires. But the person needs to have some amount of trace minerals in his food, so as to provide him with the minerals that he requires for his healthy body system. These minerals can be taken from the plants and they are called as the trace minerals. A person needs to take some of these minerals in the form of supplements, in order to prevent the deficiency of those minerals in his body, due to a poor diet.
Usually, the plants are the main sources of these trace minerals, while the animal products are the main sources of these micronutrients. The plant sources of these minerals include: nuts, seeds, fruits, leafy vegetables, seaweeds, legumes, mushrooms, eggs, dairy products, herbs, mushrooms, tea leaves, alcohol, coffee, cocoa, coffee grinds and the main sources of these trace minerals found in animal products include: meat, milk, cheese, butter, eggs, fish, poultry, duck and game. Therefore, it can be said that the micronutrients, which are mainly required by the body system to make it strong and healthy, are mainly found in the plant sources.