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1: What is Good Nutrition?

  • Page ID
    80481
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    • 1.1: Introduction
    • 1.2: Nutrition in Health, Disease and Wellness
      Health is defined as “a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being, and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.” World Health Organization.  Disease is defined as any abnormal condition that affects the health of an organism, and is characterized by specific signs and symptoms. Disease affects all three aspects of the health triangle. Good nutrition provides a mechanism to promote health and prevent disease.
    • 1.3: Essential Nutrients
      Foods contain nutrients that are essential for our bodies to function.  Four of the classes of nutrients required for bodily function are needed in large amounts. They are carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, and water, and are referred to as macronutrients.  Two of the classes of nutrients are needed in lesser amounts, but are still essential for bodily function. They are vitamins and minerals.  One measurement of food quality is the ratio of essential nutrients to the amount of energy in a food.
    • 1.4: Nutrition Research and Advice
      The scientific method is an organized process of inquiry used in nutritional science to determine if the food suspect fits the claim. The scientific method is part of the overall evidence-based approach to designing nutritional guidelines that are based on facts. There are different types of scientific studies—epidemiological studies, randomized clinical interventional trial studies, and laboratory animal and cell studies—which all provide different, complementary lines of evidence.


    This page titled 1: What is Good Nutrition? is shared under a CC BY license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by Jan Dowell and Erin Shanle (Consortium of Academic and Research Libraries in Illinois (CARLI)) .

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