Nutritional science is the study of nutrition, which is the biochemical and physiological process by which an organism uses food to sustain its life. It provides organisms with nutrients, which can be metabolized to create chemical and energy structures. Nutrition is about eating a healthy and balanced diet, and understanding these nutritional terms can make it easier for you to make better food choices. Food and drink provide the energy and nutrients needed for health and growth, and lack of sufficient nutrients causes malnutrition. Grain cultivation and bread production have been a key component of human nutrition since the beginning of agriculture.
Nutritionists use insights from molecular biology, biochemistry, and genetics to understand how nutrients affect the human body. Specialty pet foods have been manufactured since 1860, and subsequent research and development has addressed the nutritional needs of pets. Nutritionists learn about nutrition through self-study or formal education, but do not meet the requirements to use RD or RDN degrees. Mineral cycles include the carbon cycle, the sulfur cycle, the nitrogen cycle, the water cycle, the phosphorus cycle, the oxygen cycle, among others, which are continuously recycled together with other mineral nutrients in productive ecological nutrition. Having nutritional knowledge and making informed choices about the foods you eat can help you achieve optimal health throughout your life. Nutritionists advise people on what to eat and how to modify their diet so that they can maintain or restore optimal health or help alleviate ill health and fight disease.
In domestic animals, such as pets, livestock and working animals, as well as other animals in captivity, humans manage nutrition through animal feed. Poor nutrition can lead to lack of energy, digestive problems, food allergies, weight gain, depression and anxiety, as well as many of today's most prevalent chronic diseases such as coronary heart disease, cancer and ADHA. Naturopathic nutrition seeks to discover and support the cause of a disease rather than just treating symptoms as conventional medicine usually does. Nutrient deficiencies, known as malnutrition, occur when an organism doesn't have the nutrients it needs. The first vitamin to be chemically identified was thiamine in 1926, and the role of vitamins in nutrition was studied in the following decades. Whether you advance your studies to become a nutritionist or not, the knowledge you gain will be invaluable as it is knowledge that you will be able to integrate into daily life for the benefit of your own health and well-being.
