Medical research

Pungent ginger compound puts immune cells on heightened alert

Ginger has a reputation for stimulating the immune system. New results from the Leibniz Institute for Food Systems Biology at the Technical University of Munich (Leibniz-LSB@TUM) now support this thesis. In laboratory tests, ...

Health

Chemical found in common sweetener damages DNA

A new study finds a chemical formed when we digest a widely used sweetener is "genotoxic," meaning it breaks up DNA. The chemical is also found in trace amounts in the sweetener itself, and the finding raises questions about ...

Health

Experts recommend caution on the use of non-sugar sweeteners

Despite ongoing concerns about the health impacts of non-sugar sweeteners such as aspartame, sucralose and stevia, these sweeteners are increasingly found in a variety of foods and beverages, including those aimed at children. ...

Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes

What to do when sick with norovirus or 'stomach flu'

If you went out for the evening and woke up with a sudden bad stomach, chances are you might be experiencing viral gastroenteritis. That's the broad term for an infection in the intestines. Some call it "stomach flu."

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Food

Food is any substance, usually composed of carbohydrates, fats, proteins and water, that can be eaten or drunk by an animal or human for nutrition or pleasure. Items considered food may be sourced from plants, animals or other categories such as fungus or fermented products like alcohol. Although many human cultures sought food items through hunting and gathering, today most cultures use farming, ranching, and fishing, with hunting, foraging and other methods of a local nature included but playing a minor role.

Most traditions have a recognizable cuisine, a specific set of cooking traditions, preferences, and practices, the study of which is known as gastronomy. Many cultures have diversified their foods by means of preparation, cooking methods and manufacturing. This also includes a complex food trade which helps the cultures to economically survive by-way-of food, not just by consumption.

Many cultures study the dietary analysis of food habits. While humans are omnivores, religion and social constructs such as morality often affect which foods they will consume. Food safety is also a concern with foodborne illness claiming many lives each year. In many languages, food is often used metaphorically or figuratively, as in "food for thought".

This text uses material from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA