Thesis Abstract

Thesis Overview

INTRODUCTION

The need for food consumption by man has been since the origin of creation when man made to depend on other creatures for its food.

Food, a provision from God is made to supply the need for growth, and development, energy replacement and worn out tissues in the body, and for the improvement of the body’s immune system.

According to Dorland, 1985, food is defined as anything which when taken into the body, serves to nourish or build up the tissues or to supply body heat, nutriment. Bonder, 1979, states that foods are ‘substances taken in by mouth which maintains life and growth, i.e supply energy, build and repair tissue’.

The essence of these definitions is that unless what we eat fulfils the functions stated, it should not be classed as a food. The distortion in the smooth flow of body activity can be adversely affected or otherwise by the body in general.

However, the distortion in the normal body activities can be called disease. When food supply to the body is withheld, the body suffers from a state called hunger. But when the body accumulate much nutrient then it is needed, it can destabilize the storage capacity of an organ responsible for that and the body suffers from over accumulation.

Food disease can be caused by microorganisms; bacteria, mould, yeast, which may not be noticed before consuming it.

Hence food is relation to disease can either be food intolerance, food allergy, celiac disease, anorexia nervosa and obesity.

1.1   FUNCTIONS OF FOOD

The functions of food are to supplies energy, growth and repair tissues, and control of body processes. The chemical components of food which performs these functions are called nutrients and it follows that no substance can be called a food unless it contains at least one nutrient. Some particularly valuable foods, such as milk contains such a variety of nutrient that can fulfill all the functions of food mentioned above, while others, such as glucose are composed entirely of a single nutrient and have only a single function. The study of the effect upon the human body is called nutrition.

Types of Nutrients
The six types of nutrients are:- fat, carbohydrate, protein, water, mineral elements of vitamins.