What is the Difference Between Food and Nutrition?

It is common that many people use the terms “food” and “nutrition” interchangeably; However, although both are closely related, they do not mean the same thing.

Nutrition is a vital process for human beings, through which our body takes advantage of those nutrients that we have ingested so that the body functions correctly, for example, so that the cells remain alive and have the necessary energy to do their job well. Although we sometimes talk about human nutrition, animals and plants are also nourished. As we will see later, it is possible to talk about different forms of nutrition: autotrophic nutrition or heterotrophic nutrition are some examples.

On the other hand, food is made up of actions that we consciously carry out and voluntarily, whose purpose is to select, prepare and eat food.

In the following lines we will go into greater detail the difference between food and nutrition and we will explain the different types that exist.

What are nutrients and foods

To understand the difference between food and nutrition, it is ideal to start by understanding the difference between food and nutrient. Food is any nutritious substance or product that is intended to be ingested by human beings, whether they have been completely transformed or not (for example, if they have been cooked).

Foods include:

Not included: feed, live animals (except those that are marketed for human consumption, for example, oysters), plants before harvest, medicines or cosmetics.

On the other hand, nutrients are the substances found in food that They are useful for organic metabolism Nutrients are classified into macronutrients and micronutrients. The former include proteins, carbohydrates and lipids; and the latter are vitamins and minerals. Some experts include water within the group of nutrients, but exclude alcohol.

The concept of nutrition

Taking into account the definition of nutrients, Nutrition is the unconscious and involuntary processes through which the body digests, transforms and makes use of the aforementioned nutrients. Likewise, it also includes the process of eliminating substances that are part of the food ingested and that the body does not need.

Nutrition is key to life, since without consuming food or water, we would die. Having said that, You cannot talk about bad or good nutrition, Well, this would refer to food. If possible, instead, talk about poor nutrition.

On the other hand, there are two essential types of nutrition: autotrophic and heterotrophic.

1. Autotrophic nutrition

It occurs when a living being It feeds after synthesizing inorganic substances That is, only those living beings that manage to produce their own food can do it, for example, plants through photosynthesis (these living beings are called photolithoautotrophs) or some bacteria that use chemical elements and are called chemolithotrophs.. For example: bacteria.

2. Heterotrophic nutrition

Heterotrophic living beings They need an elaborate food source Humans and other animals, fungi and many microorganisms belong to this group.

Heterotrophic nutrition can be divided into:

exist three types of holozoic nutrition:

Herbivorous nutrition differs from vegetarian nutrition, because herbivorous nutrition is one in which the body is biologically prepared to decompose vegetables; and a vegetarian diet is one in which the person chooses to eat vegetables.

Food: why it is not the same as nutrition

After observing the previous example, it is clear that eating is a conscious and voluntary process, in which the person chooses what they are going to eat and how they are going to do it. In addition, Food is an educable and modifiable act throughout life, which allows us to change habits.

Some types of food are:

• Infant feeding: one that focuses on obtaining the best nutrition for children who are of growing age.
• Pregnant woman nutrition: the most appropriate for the pregnancy process.
• Sports nutrition: a selection of foods that maximize the energy level and muscle recovery of individuals who practice sports or perform physical exercise.
• Healthy nutrition: the eating habits or customs that help to have a life with greater physical health.
• Vegetarianism: Vegetarianism is an ideology that influences eating habits, since these people basically consume vegetables and fruits. In addition to strict vegetarians, there are lacto-ovo vegetarians, who consume eggs and dairy products in addition to vegetables; and lacto-vegetarians, who only eat dairy products in their diet in addition to vegetables.
• Veganism: it is the ideology of not eating food products of animal origin, that is, not eating meat and fish products, nor eggs, dairy products or honey, but it goes beyond food; Nothing that comes from animals is consumed.

Classification of nutrients

If you want to know more about the different types of nutrients that exist, you can read these articles:

• The 20 types of proteins and their functions in the body
• Types of fats (good and bad) and their functions
• Types of vitamins: functions and benefits for your body