Food and Nutrition in Health and Disease

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The subject of research on 'food and nutrition in health and disease' is not only an area of engagement of only the nutritionists or dieticians or the medical practitioners but it equally remains a fertile ground of academic research for the students of social sciences at large. The intricacies and the varieties of the problem have already been taken up by the researchers in other collateral disciplines. The subject of discussion which was taken up by the editor of this publication originated out of a seminar held at the Asiatic Society on 25.05.2017. It had in its wider scope a macro dimension of both theoretical as well as pragmatic importance. These aspects could highlight also the existing condition of making choice of agri-horticultural production and its cultural condition of the mode of consumption including the impact of increasing commercialisation of the product. Eventually the exchange or replacement of food pattern conditioned by the choice of urban nature vis-à-vis multinational control in the domain of processed food and pharmaceutical products could also become a subject related to the theme. Even though each of this dimension was not reflected at length in the presentation of papers but on the whole there was a touch of it in some individual presentations which bring us to the core issues of the problem outlined. The four major categories of food, nutrition, health and disease attract the attention of the scholars throughout the globe either individually or collectively primarily based on a focus which tries to understand them in a comprehensive manner for the development of human kind. The present publication of the Asiatic Society will, I believe, be very useful for the future researchers in this particular specialised area of human biology and culture.

The history and culture of human nourishment reflect on the ways human life evolves and take shape socially, culturally and economically. Food, the main source of nourishment, is therefore an integral part of every human culture which over ages spontaneously experimented, innovated and developed food habits for survival as well as for building a strong and healthy body and mind. Food and eating practices may be associated with the evolution of human society through various levels of developmental processes. In India traditionally most discourses on food, health and nutrition were integrated into its social, religious and medical practices. According to the early Indian Medical Texts, a good eating practice for proper nourishment from a well-balanced diet was formulated to cater to individual requirement starting from foetal stage. Subsequent phases of growth and development till adulthood and old age were considered to be one of the pre-requisites for attainment of good health, happiness, longevity as well as physical and intellectual productivity of a population. This ancient Indian wisdom is now globally recognised and accepted as necessary for human well-being. Food and nourishment indeed have a strong bearing on the development of human civilisation and culture and is largely associated with many health benefits and also disease occurrence and their remedies. It is important to note that practice of health care is currently highlighting and incorporating the basic knowledge in food and nutritional sciences for prevention, management and control of several diseases with the emergence of the concept of Public Health Nutrition directed towards promotion of health and wellness of a population and primary prevention of illnesses through application of Public Health Principles to influence food and nutritional guidelines. It emphasises that for maintenance of positive health and prevention of diseases use of proper items of food and drinks in the daily diet is absolutely essential; the right kind of food in the diet is also an important adjuvant to therapeutics.