Food Constituents

Humans and animals consume food to obtain the nutrients they need. Throughout the orld there are differences in food consumption related to socioeconomic conditions, food vailability, and cultural dictates. If a variety of fresh and cooked foods is consumed, in suffi cient quantities, to meet the energy needs of the consumer, then the needs for protein and the micronutrients should be met. Having this in mind, it is surprising to learn that some people are poorly nourished and, indeed, may develop one or more nutrition-related diseases. The early years of nutrition research focused on diseases related to inadequate vitamin and mineral intake. An important component of this research was the determination of the vitamin and mineral content of a vast variety of foods.