Food is any substance consumed in order to provide nutrition to the organisms, specifically to support the growth and maintenance of the living things. Basically, food is of diverse animal, plant or even fungal source, and has necessary nutrients, including proteins, vitamins, carbohydrates, or minerals. It is said that man should eat food according to his needs rather than according to what is called “nutrient balance.” This term was first used by the American government during the second World War in order to help to control the food supply.
With food scarcity and food prices are increasing dramatically, today there are many people who are suffering from food insecurity. It is an increasing problem that has been affecting people of all ages and social status all over the world, especially in the developed world, where industrialization and globalization have led to significant changes in the way food is produced and exchanged. In the United States, food shortages have reached such severe levels that the federal government has provided billions of dollars in financial assistance to help reduce the impact of food shortages.
Although nutrition is vital to one’s health, in the twenty-first century, with more people being categorized as “food secure” due to increases in obesity, diet deficiency and increased consumption of highly processed foods, nutrition is becoming more important than ever. The lack of nutrients in today’s diets result in an imbalanced immune system, which can cause a variety of serious medical problems, including allergies, chronic fatigue syndrome, cancer, depression, chronic diseases, etc. Just as food is extremely important for the proper growth and development of an individual’s body, it is just as important to meet the daily nutritional requirements of an individual in order to maintain the proper functioning of the body’s immune system.