Food

Food

The word FOOD brings to our mind countless images. Food is associated with worship & divinity; with celebration & mourning; with family gatherings & with community feasting.It is closely interwoven with every feature of our existence. This is not surprising as food plays a crucial role in our lives. It sustains us, it nourishes us. It is the ‘life-giver. ‘It includes solids, semi-solids & liquids which can be consumed & which help to sustain the body & keep it healthy.
We all know that food is a basic necessity. It is essential because it contains substances which perform important functions in our body. If these substances aren’t present in our food in sufficient amounts, the result is ill health & in some cases, even death. Food also contains many substances which are non-nutrients such as colouring & flavouring substances in food.
Thus, Food is a complex mixture of different nutrients & non-nutrients.

Physiological Functions of food

The physiological functions performed by food are the following:
1.Energy giving.
2.Body building.
3.Protective and regulatory functions.
The energy giving functions of food is basically performed by two nutrient categories- carbohydrates and fats. This is why these nutrients are also referred to as the “body fuels”. Carbohydrates and fats are burnt in the body. The energy that these substances contain is released to perform the various activities. Food is also needed for growth and repair. Proteins play an important role in growth and development from infancy to adulthood.
The other major physiological functions performed by food are the protective and regulatory functions. Even if a person does develop an infection or any other type of illness, food and the nutrients it contains facilitate rapid recovery. The regulatory function refers to the role of food in controlling body processes. This is achieved by certain specific nutrients (among other substances) and is illustrative of their regulatory function. Vitamins, minerals, and proteins contribute substantially to both protective and regulatory functions, so does water.

Social Functions of food

Food and eating has significant social meaning. Sharing food with any other person implies social acceptance. When we share our foods with our friends especially during recess, then our friendship and love for friends are expressed. Food is an important part of any celebrations in any part of the world. As we see daily in our society that joyous occasions such as birthday or marriage anniversary are celebrated by having feasts and serving delicacies. Festivals such as Holi, Diwali, Id, and Christmas are celebrated with special types of foods. So, food plays an important role in bringing people together. Foods also have a specific significance and meaning in the religious context. Certain food items such as coconuts, fruits, sweets are offered to the gods and goddess in the temples. Sweets are also prepared and are distributed to the devotees as Prasad. Food thus becomes an essential part of the social as well as religious life of people.

Psychological Functions of food

All the peoples have emotional needs like need for love and affection. Food is a medium through which all these needs are satisfied. When a mother prepares her child’s favourite dish, the child recognizes the fact that she loves her enough to remember her likes and dislikes. She appreciates the attention she is given by her mother. When people share food it serves as a token of friendship and acceptance. We have observed many times that a child quickly accepts foods eaten by his friends and by people he admires or wants to identify with. He may even accept food he first found distasteful if he saw his friends enjoying it. Sharing the same food as others around him and those he considers essential in his social sphere gives him confidence in himself and reassures him that he will be accepted by others like him.
Food is also closely allied to our emotions. Food often serves as a reward. My mother also reward me for doing well in the board exams by giving me sweet and curd before going to the examination hall. In this way, a particular food item evokes pleasant feelings in the mind of the child. On the other hand, certain foods become associated with sickness such as Khichri. This type of food is generally eaten when a person suffers from fever and may, therefore, not be associated with pleasant feelings.

Food Sources rich in Carbohydrates

• Cereals

  Jowar, Ragi, Rice, Wheat.

• Vegetables

  Spinach, Gourd, Cucumber, Cauliflower, Ladies finger, Green tomato, Beetroot.

• Fruits

  Apricot, Dry dates, Figs, Sweet lime, Strawberry, Jaggery.

• Pulses

  Bengal gram, Green gram, Kidney beans.

• Animal products

  Milk, Fish, Honey.

Food Sources rich in Proteins

• Milk products

  Curd, khoa, paneer, Cheese, Milk products, Ice-creams.

• Animal products

  Meat, fish, egg, milk. Milk is the only animal food used by both vegetarians and non-vegetarians.

• Oilseeds

  Groundnuts, almond, cashew nut, walnut, peanut.

• Pulses

  Bengal gram, lentils, green gram, Kidney beans, soyabean.

Food Sources rich in Fats

• Animal products

  Butter, Cheese, Milk, Ice-cream, Cream, Meat.

• Vegetable oils

  Coconut, Palm, Palm kernel oils, Olive, Canola.

Food Sources rich in Vitamins

• Vitamin A

  It is mainly found in Milk, Butter, Cream, Cheese, Eggs, Fish-oil, Cabbage etc. It is very essential for the body development. Deficiency of Vitamin A weakens eye sight and leads to night blindness. Vitamin A protects us from infections, skin diseases and many other eye diseases.

• Vitamin B1 (Thiamine)

  It is mainly found in yeast, germinated wheat, pork etc. Its deficiency leads to disease called Beri-Beri and causes tiredness, weakness, breathing difficulties, indigestion etc. It is lost if food is cooked with baking soda.

• Vitamin B2 ( Riboflavin)

  It is mainly found in milk, cheese, egg, green leafy vegetables, liver, kidneys. Deficiency of Vitamin B2 causes general weakness, skin diseases, wounds on tongues and cracks on lips. Eyes are also affected; there is dimness in vision, redness or burning sensation in the eyes.

• Vitamin B6 (Nicotinic acid or Niacin)

  It is mainly found in bigger proportion in yeast, grain, chaffs, eggs, meat, kidneys, livers etc. This is also found in smaller quantities in flour, polished rice, fruits, green vegetables, and milk. Its deficiency causes a disease called pellagra. This causes mental tension, inflammation of tongue, gums, and inner lining of the intestine. There is loss of appetite and body becomes weak.

• Vitamin B7

  It is found in eggs, meat, milk, and green leafy vegetables. Deficiency of this vitamin adversely affects the inner lining of stomach and intestines, thereby causing disorder in digestion.

• Vitamin B12

  It is found in milk, meat, liver, etc. By keeping the diet balanced, it can be obtained in sufficient quantity. Deficiencies of this vitamin can result in anaemia, pains, toughness in arms, and partial paralysis.

• Vitamin C (Ascorbic acid)

  It is found in large quantities in orange, lemon, grape, tomato, pineapple, germinated pulses, green vegetables, pears, plums and bananas. Its deficiency leads to pain in joints, and a disease called scurvy. Inflammation of gums, weakening of brain, lethargy, weakness, tiredness, pain in legs, loss of eyesight, appearance of blue scars on the body, and peeling of skin are also caused by its deficiency.

• Vitamin D

  It is found in milk, butter, fish-oil, egg etc. The sunlight falling on the body also makes Vitamin D inside the skin. Its deficiency causes rickets (weakening of bones).

• Vitamin E

  It is found in grains and oils. It is also found in a large quantity in onions. Its deficiency badly affects skin, blood, brain, and liver.

• Vitamin K

  It is found in green leafy vegetables. Generally, the organisms present inside the intestines make Vitamin K. It helps in blood clotting on wounds. If we take a balanced diet containing fresh vegetables, fruits, eggs, milk, fish, beans, wheat and rice, we get all these vitamins. All these vitamins are also available in the market .

Food Sources rich in Minerals

• Calcium

  It is the mineral present in the largest amount. The human body contains approx. 1200g of calcium, most of which is present in bones and teeth and the remaining in soft tissues and in the body fluids.It is mainly found in Almonds, figs, beans, carrots, pecans, raisins, brown rice, apricots, garlic, dates, spinach, sesame seeds, brazil nuts, cashews, papaya, avocados, celery.

• Chromium

  Brewers yeast, clams, cheese, corn oil, whole grains.

• Copper

  Soyabeans, Brazil nuts, bone meal, raisins, legumes, seafoods.

• Iodine

  The adult body contains a very small amount of iodine which amounts to only 20-25mg. The maximum concentration of this mineral is found in the thyroid gland which is located in the neck region.It is mainly found in Grapes, mushrooms, oranges.

• Iron

  It is a trace element present in the body to the extent of 3-5g. Most of it is found in the blood and the rest of it i.e. 20% is stored in the body organs like liver, spleen, kidney and bone marrow collectively.It is mainly found in raisins, figs, beets, soy beans, bananas,carrots, cucumbers, sunflower seeds,grapes.

• Magnesium

  The adult human body contains approx. 20-25g of magnesium. About 60-70% of this magnesium is present in the bones and the remaining 30-40% is distributed in various tissues and body fluids.It is mainly found in Honey, almonds,pineapple,green vegetables.

• Potassium

  It is present in twice as much as sodium in the body. Approx. 250g of potassium is contained in the body which is present in the cells i.e. in the intracellular fluid.It is mainly found in Spinach, apples, tomatoes, strawberries, bananas, lemons, figs,mushrooms, oranges, papaya,raisins, pineapple, rice, cucumbers.

• Sulphur

  Cheese,cucumbers, turnips, corn, eggs, cauliflower, nuts, onions, fish.

• Zinc

  It is the trace element present in the body. It is essential for growth and it has protective functions as well.It is mainly found in Mushrooms, liver,soyabeans, sunflower seeds.

• Copper

  It is the mineral found in smaller quantity. It helps in haemoglobin synthesis and is an essential constituent of certain enzymes.