The term food is defined as any material eaten to supply nutrition to an organism for the purpose of maintaining health. Generally speaking food is generally of animal, plant or microbial origin, and contains various nutrients, including proteins, carbohydrates, vitamins, or other minerals. The main aim of the body’s digestive system is to break down the food that is digested and absorbed into the bloodstream. This process of breaking down food is known as gastric emptying. Digestive processes feed off the food that is ingested, rather than using up the food.
For the proper functioning of the human body, a balanced diet consisting of a variety of foods is required. Diets which exclude certain foods are deficient in certain necessary nutrients that are vital for the human body. For example, a diet which lacks vitamin B12 is likely to lead to anemia, and may result in fatigue, poor immunity, as well as an inability to properly digest food and absorb nutrients. A diet rich in vitamin B12 can help overcome this deficiency by including certain foods which are rich in this vitamin, like liver, eggs, milk, fish, spinach, cauliflower, broccoli, etc.
For proper nutrition, foods which are rich in antioxidants are very important. Antioxidants help to prevent damage caused by free radicals, which in turn prevents damage to the cells and nutrients contained within. Foods which are rich in antioxidants include green leafy vegetables, berries, citrus fruit, whole grain foods, wine, strawberries, as well as tea and coffee. By increasing your intake of these particular foods, you can help improve your immune system and reduce inflammation that contributes to diseases, like cancer.