Chapter 1: The Science of Nutrition - Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary flashcards covering core concepts, nutrient classes, nutritional assessment methods, dietary reference standards, and scientific evaluation principles from Chapter 1.

Nutrition

The study of food, how food nourishes our body, and how it influences our health.

Wellness

An active process that individuals work on each day by making choices to enhance their lives, involving both nutrition and physical activity.

Kilocalorie (kcal)

The amount of heat required to raise the temperature of $1\,\text{kg}$ of water by $1\,^\circ\text{C}$, equal to 1,000 calories.

Macronutrients

Nutrients required by the body in large amounts—specifically carbohydrates, lipids, and proteins—that break down and reassemble into fuel to support normal body functions.

Carbohydrates

The primary fuel source for the body composed of chains of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen, providing $4\,\text{kcal/g}$.

Lipids

An important energy source insoluble in water, composed of carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, and sometimes phosphorus and nitrogen, providing $9\,\text{kcal/g}$.

Proteins

Nutrients containing carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen assembled into amino acids, which provide $4\,\text{kcal/g}$ and are not a primary energy source.

Vitamins

Organic compounds that assist in regulating the body's physiological processes, categorized as either fat soluble or water soluble.

Fat-Soluble Vitamins

Vitamins A, D, E, and K, which are soluble in fat, stored in the human body, and capable of causing toxicity when consumed in excess.

Water-Soluble Vitamins

Vitamin C and the B-vitamins, which are soluble in water, not stored to any extent in the human body, and excreted in urine when in excess.

Major Minerals

Minerals needed in amounts greater than $100\,\text{mg/day}$ in the diet, with a total amount in the human body greater than $5\,\text{g}$ ($5,000\,\text{mg}$).

Trace Minerals

Minerals needed in amounts less than $100\,\text{mg/day}$ in the diet, with a total amount in the human body less than $5\,\text{g}$ ($5,000\,\text{mg}$).

Water

An essential macronutrient that provides no energy, but is required for fluid balance, body temperature regulation, nerve impulses, muscle contractions, nutrient transport, and waste excretion.

Functional Foods

Foods containing biologically active ingredients that provide health benefits, such as probiotic foods.

Phytochemicals

Non-nutrient plant compounds beneficial for health, found in fruits, vegetables, soy products, dark chocolate, coffee, tea, wine, and beer.

Nutrition Care Process

A four-step process consisting of nutritional status assessment, nutrition diagnosis, nutrition intervention, and nutrition monitoring and evaluation.

Diet History

A food/nutrition history assessment method conducted by a trained professional that evaluates weight goals, appetite factors, eating patterns, economic status, education level, living arrangements, and physical activity.

Twenty-Four-Hour Dietary Recall

An assessment of recent food intake conducted by a trained nutrition professional that gathers serving sizes, preparation methods, and brand names, relying on memory and portion estimation.

Food-Frequency Questionnaire

An assessment tool containing a list of foods and questions regarding consumption frequency to determine a person's typical dietary pattern over a predefined period.

Diet Record

A log of all foods and beverages consumed over a set time period (typically 3 to 7 days), most accurate when items are weighed or measured.

Anthropometric Assessments

Measurements of human beings, such as height, weight, infant head circumference, and circumferences of limbs and waist.

Malnutrition

A state in which a person's nutritional status is out of balance due to consuming too little or too much of a particular nutrient or energy.

Overnutrition

A state of malnutrition occurring when excess energy or nutrients are consumed over time, causing conditions such as obesity, heart disease, or nutrient toxicity.

Undernutrition

A state of malnutrition occurring when too little energy or too few nutrients are consumed over time, leading to weight loss or deficiency disease.

Primary Deficiency

A nutrient deficiency that occurs directly as a result of an inadequate dietary intake of a nutrient.

Secondary Deficiency

A nutrient deficiency that occurs when the body cannot absorb enough, excretes too much, or inefficiently utilizes a nutrient as a consequence of another disorder.

Subclinical Deficiency

A nutrient deficiency in its early stages that presents few or no symptoms.

Covert Symptoms

Signs or symptoms hidden from a client that typically require laboratory tests or invasive procedures to detect.

Overt Symptoms

Signs or symptoms of a condition that are obvious to the client, such as pain, fatigue, or a bruise.

Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs)

A set of dietary standards for healthy people in the United States and Canada aimed at reducing chronic disease risk and preventing nutrient deficiency.

Estimated Average Requirement (EAR)

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

Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA)

The average daily nutrient intake level that meets the nutritional requirements of 97% to 98% of healthy individuals in a particular life stage or gender group.

Adequate Intake (AI)

The recommended average daily nutrient intake level based on observed or experimentally determined estimates of intake, used when an RDA cannot be determined.

Tolerable Upper Intake Level (UL)

The highest average daily nutrient intake level likely to pose no risk of adverse health effects to almost all individuals in a particular life stage and gender group.

Estimated Energy Requirement (EER)

The average daily energy intake predicted to maintain energy balance in a healthy individual based on age, weight, height, and physical activity level.

Acceptable Macronutrient Distribution Range (AMDR)

The range of intake for energy-providing macronutrients associated with reduced risk of chronic disease, expressed as a percentage of total energy.

Conflict of Interest

A situation in which a person can derive personal benefit and unfair advantage from actions or decisions made in their official capacity, compromising research impartiality.

Bias

Any factor that might prejudice or influence a researcher or process to favor certain results.

Registered Dietitian (RD)

A healthcare professional requiring at least a bachelor's degree, clinical experience, a passing score on a national exam, and registration with the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.