The primary purpose of a diet is to provide sufficient nutrients to meet an animal's nutritional requirements. Growing scientific evidence supports the view that certain foods and food components offer physiological and psychological benefits that go beyond simply supplying essential nutrients.
Modern nutritional science has evolved beyond the traditional concept of preventing nutrient deficiencies and providing adequate nutrition. Today, the focus is on optimal nutrition, which aims to promote overall health and well-being. Research is increasingly dedicated to identifying biologically active food components that can help optimise both physical and mental health while reducing the risk of disease.
Studies have shown that many traditional food ingredients naturally contain compounds with potential health benefits. In addition, new functional foods are being developed to enhance or incorporate these beneficial components, providing positive physiological effects and supporting long-term health.
In recent years, the concept of nutrition has undergone a significant transformation. Food is now recognised not only for its nutritional value and palatability but also for its important role in maintaining health, supporting physical and mental well-being, and helping to prevent certain diseases.
Several factors have contributed to this new understanding of nutrition. Among the most important are the numerous scientific studies conducted over the past decade, which have provided substantial evidence of the close relationship between nutrition and overall health.
Functional foods are a clear example of this ongoing evolution in the way nutrition is understood and applied.
The foods that make up the diets of different animal species contain nutrients with molecular structures of varying complexity. These nutrients include proteins, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals, and water. Most of these nutrients cannot be absorbed directly by the intestine. During digestion, complex nutrient molecules are broken down into simpler components that can be easily absorbed and utilised by the body.
The series of mechanical, enzymatic, and microbiological processes that convert food nutrients into small, absorbable molecules is known as digestion.
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