Health Benefits of Food – Eat a Well-Rotted Food to Avoid Fat-Oriented Oils
Food is any material eaten to provide nutrition to an organism. Food is generally of animal, plant or fungal source, and usually contains necessary nutrients, including proteins, carbohydrates, vitamins, or other minerals. In some species of animals, specific foods are only eaten for the purpose of keeping their health, while in human beings, food is mainly used for the purpose of eating. The food chain is a diagram depicting the different stages of food processing.
Every living cell of the body needs carbohydrates to produce energy and vital nutrients, such as vitamins and minerals. Carbohydrates can be derived from various sources. Some are simple sugars, which are broken down into simple compounds such as glucose; others are complex, containing carbon, oxygen, hydrogen, and nitrogen. The best sources of carbohydrates are legumes (e.g., beans and lentils), fruits (e.g., citrus fruits), vegetables (e.g., leafy vegetables), cereals, bread, potatoes, rice, and other grains. Some food products such as fish contain fatty acids that are converted into another form of energy useful to the organism.
Other important nutrients are fat and protein. The major nutrients needed by humans are carbohydrate, mineral, vitamin, mineral, amino acid, and antioxidant vitamins. Although some nutrients are synthesized by the body, most important nutrients are found in the foods we eat and must be obtained from the food we eat, either in the raw form or by consuming food that has been prepared through the addition of these nutrients in some form. This food is called primary food.
The next form of nutrition is fats and oils. Fats and oils are not simple carbohydrates because they have two types namely simple and complex. The first type, simple fats and oils, include mostly omega 3 fatty acids. These acids are easily absorbed and used by the body. The second type, complex fats and oils, include mostly non-essential fatty acids.
Both types of fats and oils differ in terms of their health benefits and hazards. The first type is always considered to be good for you as it contains essential fats which are fat-soluble while the latter cannot be digested and absorbed. Therefore, the first type of fats and oils is always preferred over the second one. However, some fats and oils are now being prepared as supplements to improve the absorption rate of the essential fats. Although unsaturated fatty acids, which include the main fats in fish, nuts, olives, sesame seeds, mayonnaise, peanut butter, sunflower oil, and other vegetable oils are considered to be good for health, recent studies show that only few of them are actually beneficial to the heart.
The present-day American diet is mainly made up of fast foods, processed foods, high-fat dairy products, sugar, salt, and other additives. Thus, the present-day American diet is more like a diet of spoiled foods with preservatives, artificial colorings, and artificial flavors. The best way to avoid the hazards of these kinds of fats and oils is to replace them with food that is rich in antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, and natural fibers. Food that is rich in antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, and natural fibers can help the body’s cells to survive and work better, thus preventing the development of various kinds of diseases and illnesses. Moreover, replacing these fats and oils with a diet rich in food rich in vitamins, minerals, and natural fibers can help the body to maintain a healthy weight, improve stamina and strength, control cholesterol levels, lower blood pressure, and prevent certain kinds of cancers.