Definition of Food

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Food is any substance[1] consumed to provide nutritional support for an organism. It is usually of plant or animal origin, and contains essential nutrients, such as carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins, or minerals. The substance is ingested by an organism and assimilated by the organism's cells to provide energy, maintain life, or stimulate growth.

Historically, humans secured food through two methods: hunting and gathering and agriculture. Today, the majority of the food energy required by the ever increasing population of the world is supplied by the food industry.

Food safety and food security are monitored by agencies like the International Association for Food Protection, World Resources Institute, World Food Program, Food and Agriculture Organization, and International Food Information Council. They address issues such as sustainability, biological diversity, climate change, nutritional economics, population growth, water supply, and access to food.

The right to food is a human right derived from the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR), recognizing the "right to an adequate standard of living, including adequate food", as well as the "fundamental right to be free from hunger".

 

Definition of Food

From the Merriam-Webster dictionary

A:  material consisting essentially of protein, carbohydrate, and fat used in the body of an organism to sustain growth, repair, and vital processes and to furnish energy; also :  such food together with supplementary substances (such as minerals, vitamins, and condiments) drought victims who don't have enough food to eat.

B:  inorganic substances absorbed by plants in gaseous form or in water solution.

LIFESTAR NOTE: The definition of food as exampled here is generalized into meaning any “material” or “substance” perhaps originating in plants or animals, and being “utilized” by the body to do something.

If we agree that Nature created everything that has existence (the universe) then all food was also created by Nature. When looking into Nature here on Earth, we can observe that food is a form of life, using plants and animals as examples.

Cooked Food

When food is cooked, that is, heated above 118 degrees Fahrenheit for only a short period of time, the natural structure of it is altered and some of it is destroyed in a way that cannot be restored. This new state can be referred to as a food by-product and is in some cases a food substitute. The more that the original natural food is altered the more of what nature put in is destroyed, and the more it has been destroyed, the greater the immune response (Digestive Leucocytosis) by the body. Consuming raw food in excess of 50% of the total of cooked food results in a significant reduction in the immune response to the cooked food.

 

back | 39 of 94 | forward

Index