Food in Health Preservation and Promotion

Abstract

Association between food and health is complex. Healthy food can promote and maintain good human health. Healthy food and nutrition is a key regulating factor for boosting the immunity and therapeutic effectiveness of a treatment strategy. Oxidative stress is well involved in the pathogenesis of diverse diseases and aging. Food always considered as good source of nutrients, protein, fat, carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. Consumed as part of a normal diet, phytochemicals present in food like vitamins (vitamin C & E), minerals (like, zinc, selenium), phytoconstituents (phenolic compounds, flavonoids, carotenoids) confer additional health benefits, by virtue of their antioxidant property. A diet rich that rich in antioxidant molecule reduces the risk of several oxidative stress related diseases. Numerous antioxidant molecules isolated from food showed the curative and health promotion effect. This chapter majorly deals with the role antioxidant/pro-oxidant substances present in different foods on human body.