Nutrition
Nutrition is the study and process of obtaining and using nutrients to support growth, health, energy, and bodily function.
Nutrient: A substance an organism needs for energy, growth, maintenance, or regulation of bodily processes. Nutrition centers on obtaining these substances and using them to sustain the body.
Dietary pattern: The overall combination of foods and drinks a person habitually consumes. Nutrition assessment considers recurring combinations, not only isolated foods.
Malnutrition: A condition caused by inadequate, excessive, or imbalanced intake of energy or nutrients. It captures the health consequences of nutrition falling short or exceeding needs.
Dietary supplement: A product taken to add nutrients or other substances to the diet rather than serve as conventional food. Supplements differ from ordinary foods in form, use, and regulation.
Personalized nutrition: The tailoring of dietary advice or interventions to individual characteristics and responses. It asks whether personal biology can improve on broad dietary guidance.
Macronutrient: A nutrient needed in relatively large amounts, chiefly carbohydrate, fat, and protein. These nutrients provide energy and materials for tissue growth and repair.
Dietary assessment: The systematic estimation of a person's or population's food and nutrient intake. It helps identify intake patterns and evaluate nutrition-related needs.
Protein-energy malnutrition: A form of undernutrition involving insufficient energy and protein intake. It illustrates how inadequate intake can impair growth and bodily function.
Nutritional epidemiology: The study of relationships between diet and health in populations. It often identifies dietary associations, but observational findings alone do not prove causation.
Gut microbiome: The community of microorganisms and their genes inhabiting the digestive tract. Microbial variation may help explain why people respond differently to the same diet.