Functions of Food and Nutrients

Functions of Food and Nutrients

To survive in life, food is inevitable. Various nutrients which we get from foods perform different functions in our body. Functions of foods are:

1.They build our body and help us to grow

2.Prevent decays

3.Produce heat and give us energy for work

4.Regulate internal functions of our body

5.Produce preventive to fight against diseases.

1.Build Body and Help to Grow:

Protein in food builds up our body. Nutrients are the vital elements of our biological structure. A child grows up from a single cell in a mother's womb. By receiving nutrients from the mother this single cell gradually grows up and divides to form two cells. Innumerable cells are developed by this process and later on a whole of a human child is borne this way. Thus while being in mother's womb a child needs foods for nutrients. Foods help us to grow by building our body. Different nutrients present in food perform the job.

2.Prevent Decays:

Every single moment we are going through decaying. To prevent and repair this decay, is a major function of food. Old cells die and some of the nutrients pass out from our body. The rest of the nutrients take part in producing new cells. New nutrients which we get from food, unite and help them in this function. We can understand this fact from a simple example. If we use the same pair of shoes regularly then they are eroded but our feet are not. This is because every moment new cells are produced in place of old decayed cells. When we get hurt or become ill new cells are produced in our body and our wounds get healed this way.

Functions of Food

3.Produce Heat and Energy:

For example a car needs fuel, such as petrol or gas, to run its engine. This fuel burns to produce energy so that it can run. We can compare our body with an engine. The nufrients of food burn as fuel in our cells and produce energy. This energy keeps us moving and helps us doing our actions properly. Heat which is produced in our body gives us the power to work. Heat is necessary for blood circulation, respiration, digestion, defecation and some other vital functions of life. Loss of energy occurs even when we are asleep. Energy is required to maintain normal body temperature, build up cells, produce fluids in the body, produce milk in lactating breast feeding mothers and for many more internal works. Moreover we need energy for moving around, playing, interacting with others and many more external functions.

4.Regulate Internal Functions:

Several chemical reactions take place in our body for which we must have food. When we take food it burns to produce energy. This energy is used for muscle movements, new cell and fluid production, fluid ejection and many more. Some nutrients are very important considering these chemical reactions. These are vitamins, minerals, proteins and water. Proteins and minerals take part in producing several enzymes and hormones in our body. Our internal reactions and processes are controlled by these enzymes and hormones. Thus we can say, we cannot deny the necessity of food for our internal functions and processes.

5.Produce Preventive Power to Fight Against Diseases:

Everyday we are attacked by different microorganisms or contagious agents. Our body's natural defence system give us protection against this attack. Our defence mechanism is built up by taking in different nutritious foods. Proteins, vitamins and minerals play the vital parts in developing our own immune system. Food keeps us healthy. On the other hand our body becomes malnourished if we do not take enough food for longer period. Our body loses its natural power to fight against diseases and different symptoms of various diseases expose. We get ill very often. When any contagious agents attack us some of our cells die and sometimes even tissues are affected. Tissue replaces this loss by building up new cells in our body and to do this job it needs energy, proteins and other nufrients.


From the above discussion it can be said that food not only fulfils our hunger but performs many other functions in our body that are of foremost importance. So to be healthy we must take foods in adequate amounts.

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