The main goal of Nutrition is to achieve balance (homeostasis), the key to optimal health, in all metabolic processes through food and its nutrients and compounds. It is the most important determinant factor in human health maintenance.
The Science of Nutrition can give us, mainly, an understanding of its physiology: intake, digestion, absorption, biosynthesis, interaction and catabolism, the metabolism, the diet, the dietetic technics, the comprehension of the biochemistry of all nutrients, nutraceuticals and molecules, the impact of diet in health and disease and it involves also all studies and aspects about Foods.
All nutrients and certain bioactive molecules found in food, and the water, the air, our gut microbiome, interact and interfere in life preservation, health maintenance, and illness recovery, in reproduction, supporting growth and development, and also cognition and performance.
One of the most important roles of Nutrition is the maintenance of the immune system, being a critical determinant in how the body will respond to chronic and acute/infectious diseases. A complete, balanced and adequate diet is a conditional factor that interferes with health, with the prevention, treatment, and cure of the pathologies, enhancing also an impaired immunity.
Specifics nutritional deficiencies and nutritional status: undernutrition, overnutrition and also obesity, reduce the ability of the immune system works properly. Other lifestyle aspects also contribute to our metabolism, like the good sleep pattern, the respect to the circadian rhythm, the management of stress and the regular practice of exercises.
Once we comprehend the basics of nutrition, metabolism and food sciences, we can translate and deliver it in a healthy diet and its meal forms. For this, all the important aspects of the dietetics technics and culinary must be used. The ensure and management of characteristics like taste, flavor, temperature, texture, consistency, visual, and also, for instance, the creating of new recipes, planning meals in advance, are important to improve the adherence of the individuals in order to follow with determination a healthy, nutritive and affordable diet.
Another crucial aspect is the application of Food Safety principles and measures to avoid any kind of contamination. Foods, food products, ready meals, nutritional supplements, and even beverages and water, once not rigorously controlled, can be a great risk to life, being, unfortunately, a vehicle of microbiologic, physical or chemical hazards. Safe food manipulation, conservation, hygiene, storage and the best and controlled methods of cooking must be always observed.
And all of this must be aligned with: the respect to our planet and environment, the recommended purposes implicated to improve our food system, our food security like make healthy and smart sustainable food choices, give more value the safety and cultural aspects, planning a meal in advance, respect the seasonality, the diversity, avoiding food waste, make composting, support and buying from family local farmers or only from controlled Origem, using only organic foods/products, among others. Somehow we will be perpetuating also our world food heritage history and culture.
Based on everything described above, we could use the Food Education, as a tool to address the importance of Nutrition in Human Health, as a turning point, leading people to make healthier and nourishing choices and preparations, teaching them since the “farm to table” helping all groups to achieve easily, quicker and better the nutritional recommendations and requirements to atend all demands and improving their ability to respond or avoiding diseases, giving also more autonomy to our population develop at the end more self- health care.
And also through an attractive, creative and tasteful Gastronomy, totally evidence-based in nutritional science, it can be the ultimate, the “State of the Art” in Nutrition and Food, in order to achieve and keep people healthier, adding more quality to life and well being to all our population.
Dr. Suzana Mantovani Nutrition, Metabolism and Food Sciences *Clinical Dietitian - Swiss Public Health *Member of GESKES - Gesellschaft für Klinisch Ernährung in der Schweiz *Member of ESPEN - European Society for Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism *Member of SWAN - Swiss Academic Nutritionists *Member of SGE - Schweiz Gesellschaft für Ernährung *Member of NS - Nutrition Society - UK