Nutrition Concepts & Controversies - Chapters 1-3 Flashcards

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards covering fundamental terminology, dietary standards, label claims, and human digestive anatomy from Chapters 1, 2, and 3 of Nutrition Concepts & Controversies.

Nutrition

The science and study of how food nourishes the body.

Diet

The collection of foods and beverages a person usually consumes over a period of time.

Hunger

A recurrent involuntary lack of food that over time may lead to malnutrition.

Appetite

The desire to consume specific foods that is independent of physiological hunger.

Malnutrition

A condition resulting from an energy or nutrient intake either above or below that which is optimal.

Phytochemicals

Non-nutrient bioactive compounds found in plant foods that confer color, taste, and other characteristics, and may reduce chronic disease risk.

Zoochemicals

Substances found in animal-derived foods that possess health-promoting properties.

Essential Nutrients

Nutrients that the body cannot make for itself in sufficient quantities and must be provided in the diet.

Macronutrients

Energy-yielding nutrients required in large amounts, comprising carbohydrate ($4\text{ cal/g}$), fat ($9\text{ cal/g}$), and protein ($4\text{ cal/g}$).

Micronutrients

Nutrients needed in smaller amounts, comprising vitamins and minerals, which yield no energy but serve as body structures or regulators.

Whole Foods

Basic, unprocessed, natural, or farm foods—such as milk, meats, vegetables, fruits, and grains—that form the basis of a nutritious diet.

Ultra-Processed Foods

Highly palatable manufactured food products high in industrial ingredients and additives, such as sugary refined cereals, candies, and soft drinks.

Functional Foods

Whole or modified foods containing bioactive components believed to provide health benefits beyond what their nutrients confer.

Nutrient Density

A measure of the nutrients a food provides relative to its caloric energy content.

Scientific Method

A systematic process involving observations, hypothesis formulation, experimentation, and data analysis used to answer scientific questions.

Blind Experiment

An experiment in which the subjects do not know whether they are members of the experimental group or the control group.

Double-Blind Experiment

An experiment in which neither the subjects nor the researchers know to which group members belong until the end of the experiment.

Control Group

A group of subjects similar in all possible respects to the experimental group who receive a sham or imitation treatment.

Epidemiological Studies

Studies of population groups often used to search for correlations between dietary habits and disease incidence.

Quackery

The promotion, for financial gain, of devices, treatments, services, plans, or products claimed to improve health without proof of safety or effectiveness.

Dietary Reference Intakes (DRI)

A set of lists of nutrient intake values for healthy people in the United States and Canada, including RDA, AI, UL, EAR, AMDR, and CDRR.

Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDA)

Nutrient intake goals for individuals that meet the known needs of nearly all ($97\%$ to $98\%$) healthy people in a particular life stage and gender group.

Adequate Intakes (AI)

Nutrient intake goals set when scientific data are insufficient to establish an RDA value.

Tolerable Upper Intake Levels (UL)

The highest average daily nutrient intake levels that are likely to pose no risk of toxicity to almost all healthy individuals.

Estimated Average Requirements (EAR)

The average daily nutrient intake estimated to meet the requirement of half ($50\%$) of healthy individuals in a particular life stage and gender group.

Acceptable Macronutrient Distribution Ranges (AMDR)

Healthy intake ranges expressed as calorie percentages: $45\%$–$65\%$ from carbohydrates, $20\%$–$35\%$ from fat, and $10\%$–$35\%$ from protein.

Daily Values (DV)

Nutrient standards used on food labels based on an average daily consumption of $2,000\text{ calories}$.

Estimated Energy Requirements (EER)

The average daily energy intake predicted to maintain energy balance in a healthy adult of a specific age, gender, height, weight, and activity level.

Discretionary Calories

The remaining calories available in a person's allowance after meeting nutrient needs with healthy choices from all food groups.

MyPlate

An online educational tool developed by the USDA that uses a visual plate icon to guide diet planning based on food group proportions.

Nutrition Facts Panel

A required panel on packaged foods that displays serving size, calories, and nutrient content in absolute amounts and percentages of Daily Values.

Nutrient Claims

FDA-approved food label statements describing the level of a nutrient in a food, such as "fat free" or "low sodium".

Health Claims

FDA-approved food label statements linking food components directly to a reduced risk of a disease or health-related condition.

Structure-Function Claims

Permitted food label statements describing the effect of a substance on the structure or function of the body, omitting any direct reference to disease.

Antioxidants

Compounds that protect other substances from damaging oxygen reactions by reacting with oxygen themselves.

Probiotics

Live beneficial bacteria found in foods or supplements that support intestinal mucosa health and alter gut microbiota composition.

Prebiotics

Nondigestible carbohydrates that serve as food for beneficial bacteria residing in the human intestine.

Genes

Sections along strands of DNA in cell chromosomes that contain instructions for making proteins.

Lymph

The fluid that moves from the bloodstream into tissue spaces and travels through lymphatic vessels until emptying back into the bloodstream.

Extracellular Fluid

Fluid residing outside cells that permits exchange of materials to and from cells and forms lymph.

Intracellular Fluid

Fluid residing inside cells that provides a medium for cellular reactions and maintains cell shape.

Insulin

A hormone produced by the pancreas that lowers blood glucose levels when they are elevated.

Glucagon

A hormone produced by the pancreas that raises blood glucose levels when they fall too low.

Digestive System

The flexible muscular body system composed of organs that break down food, absorb nutrients, and excrete waste.

Peristalsis

Wavelike muscular squeezing of the esophagus, stomach, and small intestine that pushes contents along the GI tract.

Chyme

The fluid mass of digested food resulting from the mashing and churning actions of the stomach.

Bile

A digestive fluid made by the liver, stored in the gallbladder, and released into the small intestine to emulsify fat.

Microbiota

The collection of microorganisms and bacteria residing within the human digestive tract.

Villi

Fingerlike projections lining the folds of the small intestine that increase surface area for nutrient absorption.

Microvilli

Tiny, hairlike projections covering each absorptive cell of a villus to trap and absorb nutrient particles.

Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD)

Chronic heartburn caused by the backflow of acidic stomach contents into the esophagus through the lower esophageal sphincter.

Peptic Ulcer

An eroded spot in the lining of the stomach, esophagus, or small intestine, most commonly caused by the bacterium Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori).

Cirrhosis

An advanced, irreversible liver disease characterized by scar tissue formation, often resulting from chronic heavy alcohol consumption.

Wernicke-Korsakoff Syndrome

A severe neurological syndrome caused by thiamin deficiency associated with chronic alcohol abuse.