ABSTRACT
Food is simply a vehicle for nutrients, which provide the building blocks and energy for all of the body’s structures and functions. An optimal diet supplies required nutrients in adequate amounts for tissue maintenance, repair, and growth without excess energy intake. Poor nutrition can lead to suboptimal physiological function and poor health. Consuming too little of a nutrient can cause a nutritional deficiency, which can be serious and sometimes fatal. Conversely, consuming too much of some nutrients can also be unhealthy. For example, under-consumption of dietary fiber in conjunction with over-consumption of simple sugar has been linked to many chronic conditions such as obesity, diabetes, and heart disease. Under-and over-nutrition make up the two opposite ends of what is called the nutritional status continuum; both are examples of malnutrition.
