human nutrition

Q: What is human nutrition?

Human nutrition is the process by which substances in food are transformed into body tissues and provide energy for the full range of physical and mental activities that make up human life.

Q: What nutrients are essential for human nutrition?

Proteins, lipids (mostly fats and oils), carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals, and water are essential nutrients for human nutrition.

Q: What foods are the main sources of human nutrition?

The main sources for human nutrition include cereals; starchy roots; legumes; vegetables and fruits; sugars, preserves, and syrups; meat, fish, and eggs; milk and milk products; fats and oils; and beverages.

Q: What does meat provide in human nutrition?

Meat provides protein, which is of high biological value in human nutrition. It consists of about 20 percent protein, 20 percent fat, and 60 percent water. Meat is also a good source of niacin, vitamin B12, vitamin B6, and the mineral nutrients iron, zinc, phosphorus, potassium, and magnesium.

Written by Douglas W. Kent-Jones, Kenneth Carpenter, Jean WeiningerSee All

Fact-checked by The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last Updated: May 24, 2023 • Article History

USDA MyPlate dietary guidelines

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Key People:: Jan Baptista van Helmont Ray Kurzweil John Boyd Orr, Baron Boyd-Orr of Brechin Mearns Julius von Sachs George Wells Beadle

Related Topics:: vegetarianism malnutrition ketogenic diet pescatarianism dietary guideline

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What is human nutrition?

What nutrients are essential for human nutrition?

What foods are the main sources of human nutrition?

What does meat provide in human nutrition?

human nutrition, process by which substances in food are transformed into body tissues and provide energy for the full range of physical and mental activities that make up human life. The study of human nutrition is interdisciplinary in character, involving not only physiology, biochemistry, and molecular biology but also fields such as psychology and anthropology, which explore the influence of attitudes, beliefs, preferences, and cultural traditions on food choices. Human nutrition further touches on economics and political science as the world community recognizes and responds to the suffering and death caused by malnutrition. The ultimate goal of nutritional science is ...(100 of 13487 words)

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