The early Greeks thought there was one ingredient found in all foods that provided all the nutrition humans needed to live long, healthy lives, according to Purdue University. Modern science has proven this single-nutrient theory to be wrong, but the Greeks were on track with thinking that the human body gains many of the things it needs from food.
Healthy Foods
Healthy foods are those that provide the essential nutrients your body needs without adding any unhealthy components like unnecessary fats, calories or chemicals. It is important to eat the proper quantities of all the food groups, like whole grain products, low-fat dairy, lean meat or other protein sources, fruits and vegetables, to gain all the nutrients your body needs.
Essential Nutrients
Your body gains essential nutrients from the food you eat. Essential nutrients are those that your body cannot manufacture, or cannot produce in enough quantity to serve the body's needs properly. The 5 essential nutrients are carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins and minerals. Healthy eating gives your body the proper amounts of these five essential nutrients. Vitamins are organic, made by plants and animals. Your body needs 13 vitamins to function properly. Your body can make vitamins D and K but you need to gain the other vitamins through the food you eat. The body uses over 80 minerals. Minerals are inorganic elements that come from the earth.
Vitamins and Minerals
A diet with ample amounts of vitamin A is beneficial to vision, bone growth, reproduction and cell development. Most Americans get enough vitamin A, according to the Office of Dietary Supplements. Vitamin C, an antioxidant, protects the body from free radicals formed during digestion of food and from air pollution, exposure to cigarette smoke or ultraviolet light from the sun. Vitamin D deficiency can cause rickets in children and osteomalacia, which causes bone pain and muscle weakness. Iron is a vital part in many proteins and enzymes necessary for human life and plays an important role in your respiratory system. A healthy diet includes calcium, necessary for strong teeth and bones. Your body cannot produce calcium, so you must consume foods rich in calcium, such as dairy products, vegetables that are dark green and leafy, calcium-enriched foods and almonds.
Weight Control
A healthy diet prevents weight gain by delivering the essential nutrients your body needs without adding excessive calories or unhealthy fats. A high-fiber diet, one that focuses on whole grains and vegetables, adds bulk to a meal. This leaves you feeling more satisfied after meals and less likely to snack on fattening foods. Healthy foods also regulate your digestive system.
Disease Prevention
A healthy diet helps prevent many lifestyle diseases, which are medical conditions caused by poor diet, inactivity, smoking and excessive alcohol consumption. A diet high in trans fat, found in many commercially baked products like snack cakes and cookies, is closely associated with high blood cholesterol and heart disease. Eating healthy foods, like fish, oatmeal and olive oil contain elements known to reduce your risk for heart disease. Obesity, often caused by an unhealthy diet containing large amounts of unnecessary calories, is a risk factor for developing diabetes mellitus. A high fiber diet may prevent diverticulitis, a digestive disease.
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