ABSTRACT
Nutrition is the process of securing the dietary requirements of an individual or of a population. The study of nutrition therefore encompasses food production, food choices, appetite and digestion, as well as the metabolism and biochemistry of food for the purposes of growth and tissue replacement. The components of the diet may be categorised as
●● Macronutrients, which are required in comparatively large amounts (fat, carbohydrate, protein, and water)
●● Micronutrients, which are required in far smaller quantities (minerals and vitamins)
Appropriate nutrition is essential for health, and a surplus or decit of any nutrient can lead to illness. Most of human history was spent as huntergatherers and therefore evolution is thought to have rendered the body best suited to this type of diet. Compared with the modern, ‘Western’ diet, the hunter-gatherer diet contained more carbohydrates, protein, and bre and considerably less fat.
