ABSTRACT
Throughout his existence, man has pondered the relationship between food and his body. Ancient medicine men and charlatans used plants in attempts to treat or prevent illnesses long before we could even begin to understand atoms, molecules, enzymes, hormones, and cells. Perhaps the field of nutrition dates back this far. However, despite its long existence, without doubt the most remarkable strides in understanding nutrition have occurred within the 20th century. This is largely due to advances in scientific investigative tech niques concomitant with an extraordinarily enhanced ability to share information among scientists. In the last couple of decades alone, the importance of more novel areas of nutri tion has really began to reveal itself. Topics such as fibers, eicosanoids, trans fatty acids, lipoprotein metabolism, nutrition supplements, and phytochemicals are now common conversations among nutritionists. What will the hot topics of the early 21st century be? What, in the year 2020, will be what phytochemicals and omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids are today?
