Basics Successful human civilizations are founded on a nutritionally balanced diet which consists of the proper mixture of food items that provide all of the essential components for complete body functioning. The most critical component of human nutrition is obtaining the proper mixture of proteins, which are constructed of amino acid subunits. There are 20 naturally occurring amino acids. Proteins and Nutrition Protein in our diet is broken down into its component amino acids. Nonessential amino acids - can be manufactured by the human body from the paw materials it takes in.
Most foods derived from plants are naturally low in one or more essential amino acids.
Proper nutrition for a diet that consists of primarily vegetable protein dictates that a judicious mixture of legumes and grains be used. Traditional hunter-gatherer societies utilize a variety of animal and plant foods, such that a balanced nutrition is achieved. With the advent of agriculture, some cultures became overdependent on one or a few food sources for a large portion of their dietary protein intake. Two types of protein deficiency starvations are marasmus and kwashiorkor. Children under the age of two with marasmus often die of measles or other infections.