Health & Fitness
Types Of Nutrition
Nutrition refers to the physiological and chemical process through which an organism utilizes food to support its normal life. It comprises absorption, assimilation, metabolism, biosynthesis, exocytosis, and disposal. Nutritional requirements vary with the type of organisms and their environment. Common foods that are categorized undernutrition are carbohydrates, fats, proteins, and vitamins.
Carbohydrates are those molecules that can be converted into energy or used as the major source of fuel. Some examples of carbohydrates are glucose, fructose, galactose, maltose, pectin, saccharin, disulfide, and sucrose. Fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes are rich sources of carbohydrates. Milk, meat, eggs, and poultry products also constitute a part of the carbohydrate family. The best diet for humans is a combination of carbohydrates, protein, and fat. Although, some people favor a vegetarian diet as they are lactose intolerant, in heterotrophic nutrition, animals and plant proteins provide all the necessary nutrients.
Many factors affect the food choices and nutritional needs of individuals. Factors such as sex, age, body weight, height, genetic, metabolic, and other factors affect nutrient intake. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the four basic groups of macronutrients are carbohydrates, protein, fat, and fiber. WHO also divides nutrition into two categories: essential and non-essential.
Autotrophic nutrition is a form of universal nutrition that is mainly fed on by all vertebrates. It includes all the different modes of life that exist on earth. The different modes of eating include vegetarianism, omnivore, dietary vegetarian, and fruitarianism. The diet has been studied at the molecular level, showing that these forms of nutrition are metabolically active and therefore can survive on a vegetarian basis. This type of nutrition is fed through autotrophic bacteria.
The other forms of nutrition that exist are proteolytic (protein digestion) and multisystem metabolism which is protein metabolism. Proteolytic nutrition is important in the formation of the cells and tissues and it is fed on by all the animals. Multisystem metabolism is fed on by man and uses energy from the blood to digest different foods. It is the best for health risk management as it is complex, which requires energy from the blood for its functioning. However, we should remember that it is an energy process and is not a physical activity. Therefore, the intake should be balanced between the different forms of nutrition.
Holozoic nutrition is considered to be the best form of digestion available in nature. In this type of nutrition, the food consumed is partially digested and is usually rich in essential substances. The diet should contain substances that are suitable for the animal’s digestive system. The most important factor is that the digestion should be complete so that the energy level is maintained. Most importantly, there should be a balance of carbon compounds and other substances in heterotrophic nutrition to avoid any kind of problem.