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The science of nutrition and healthy eating
The science of nutrition and healthy eating

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3 How much food do we need?

Have you ever thought that most people go through life without ever knowing how much of the various sorts of nutrients, including vitamins and minerals, they actually need? And yet they manage to obtain just the right amount of nutrients to stay healthy.

The human body has an amazing ability to keep the nutrients it needs and dispose of those it does not. As long as we eat a reasonably mixed diet, most people need not worry about precisely how much of the various nutrients they take in. However, today, with tempting foods everywhere in developed countries, the main concern is that we take in too much of some of the dietary components, rather than not enough.