Ebony Latina Inc. Latino Express Sept 2019 | Page 14

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Between the extremes of optimal health and death
from starvation or malnutrition, there is an array of
disease states that can be caused or alleviated by
changes in diet. Deficiencies, excesses, and
imbalances in diet can produce negative impacts on
health, which may lead to various health problems
such as scurvy, obesity, or osteoporosis, diabetes,
cardiovascular diseases as well as psychological and
behavioral problems.
The science of nutrition attempts to understand how
and why specific dietary aspects influence health.
Nutrients in food are grouped into several categories.
Macronutrients are fat, protein, and carbohydrates.
Micronutrients are the minerals and vitamins.
Additionally, food contains water and dietary fiber.
As previously discussed, the body is designed by
natural selection to enjoy sweet and fattening foods
for evolutionary diets, ideal for hunters and gatherers.
Thus, sweet and fattening foods in nature are typically
rare and are very pleasurable to eat. In modern times,
with advanced technology, enjoyable foods are easily
available to consumers. Unfortunately, this promotes
obesity in adults and children alike.
ome countries list a legal definition of food, often
referring them with the word foodstuff. These
countries list food as any item that is to be processed,
partially processed, or unprocessed for consumption.
The listing of items included as food include any
substance intended to be, or reasonably expected to
be, ingested by humans
WORDS BY CAMILLE INDIA
PHOTOS BY FRANKIE STELLAR