Tag: Oxygen in food

According to the National Institutes of Health, oxygen is a critical and quantitatively major nutrient often overlooked in nutritional science. So, while you don't 'breathe' oxygen from your lunch, the element is intrinsically part of the molecules that make up nearly all food.

Every biological process in the human body, from metabolism to cellular repair, depends on oxygen. When people ask what nutrient has lots of oxygen, the immediate answer often points toward carbohydrates, which contain oxygen, carbon, and hydrogen in a specific ratio. However, a more comprehensive look at food composition reveals key differences in how the body uses these oxygen atoms for energy.