Nutrition & Vitamins
What is Nutrition?
Nutrition is the provision, to cells and organisms, of the materials necessary (in the form of food) to support life.
Many common health problems can be prevented or alleviated with good nutrition.
The diet of an organism refers to what it eats. Dieticians are health professionals who specialize in human nutrition,
meal planning, economics, preparation, and so on. They are trained to provide safe, evidence-based dietary advice and
management to individuals (in health and disease), as well as to institutions.
Poor diet can have an injurious impact on health, causing deficiency diseases such as scurvy, beriberi, and many others;
health-threatening conditions like obesity and metabolic syndrome, and such common chronic systemic diseases as cardiovascular
disease, diabetes, and osteoporosis.
Overview
Nutritional science investigates the metabolic and physiological responses of the body to diet. With advances in the fields of
molecular biology, biochemistry, and genetics, the study of nutrition is increasingly concerned with metabolism and metabolic
pathways, the sequences of biochemical steps through which the many substances of living things change from one form to another.
The human body contains chemical compounds, such as water, carbohydrates (sugar, starch, and fibre), amino acids (in proteins), fatty acids (in lipids),
and nucleic acids (DNA/RNA). These compounds, in turn, consist of elements such as carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, phosphorus, calcium, iron, zinc,
magnesium, manganese, and so on. All of these chemical compounds and elements occur in various forms and combinations (e.g. hormones/vitamins,
phospholipids, hydroxyapatite), both in the human body and in organisms (e.g. plants, animals) that humans eat.
The human body consists of elements and compounds ingested, digested, absorbed, and circulated through the bloodstream. Except in the
unborn foetus, it is the digestive system which carries out the first steps in feeding the cells of the body. In a typical adult, about
seven litres of digestive juices enter the lumen of the digestive tract. They break chemical bonds in ingested molecules and modulate their
conformations and energy states. Though some molecules are absorbed into the bloodstream unchanged, digestive processes release them from the
matrix of foods in which they occur. Unabsorbed matter is excreted in the feces.
Studies of nutritional status must take into account the state of the body before and after experiments, as well as the chemical composition
of the diet and the products of excretion. Comparing the food to the waste can help determine the specific compounds and elements absorbed in
the body. Their effects may only be discernible after an extended period of time, during which all food and waste must be analyzed. The number
of variables involved in such experiments is high, making nutritional studies time-consuming and expensive, which explains why the science of
human nutrition is still slowly evolving.
In general, eating a wide variety of fresh, whole (unprocessed), foods has proven favourable compared to monotonous diets based on processed foods.
In particular, the consumption of whole plant foods slows digestion and provides higher amounts, and a more favourable balance, of essential
nutrients per Calorie, resulting in better management of cell growth, maintenance, and mitosis (cell division), as well as better regulation of
appetite and blood sugar. Regularly scheduled meals (every few hours) have also proven more wholesome than infrequent, haphazard ones.
Nutrition for Optimal Wellness
The NOW mission is - To provide value in products and services that empower people to lead healthier lives.
NOW Foods is an award-winning and highly respected manufacturer of vitamins, minerals, dietary supplements and natural foods.
NOW has spent the past 40 years developing the industry's most diverse line of dietary supplements and health food products.
By following the vision of founder Elwood Richard, we have never lost sight of NOW's commitment to superior product quality at reasonable prices.
...that some companies overcharge for their products. We just don't get it. By making smart purchasing and operational decisions,
along with state-of-the-art in-house manufacturing and testing, NOW is able to maintain low overhead. We are proud to pass these savings on to you.
...that quality, safety, and potency are of great concern. We couldn't agree more. After all, we use our products too. This is why we invest so heavily in
quality control, science, product development, and testing. Long before they make it to the shelves, NOW products are subject to strict quality tests
including, identity, potency, microbial, and organoleptic.
...that your nutritional needs are unlike anyone else's. With this as our motivation, we offer many of our most popular products in a wide variety
of potencies and forms. Our CoQ10, for example, is available in softgels, Vcaps, pure powder, liquid, and chewable lozenges. Whatever your needs
may be, you can trust that NOW has a formula that's just right.