Comprehensive Study Guide for Human Nutrition and Evidence-Based Science

Vocabulary flashcards generated from Chapters 1 and 2 of Human Nutrition, covering major nutrition definitions, nutrient classes, energetic calculations, and scientific research methodologies.

Nutrients

Life-sustaining substances found in food that are necessary for the growth, maintenance, and repair of the body's cells.

Nutrition

The scientific study of nutrients and how the body uses them.

Diet

A person's usual pattern of food choices.

Metabolism

The total of all chemical processes that occur in living cells.

Element

A substance that cannot be separated into simpler substances by ordinary chemical or physical means.

Organic Compounds

Chemical compounds containing carbon, which include carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, and vitamins.

Inorganic Nutrients

Nutrients that do not contain carbon, specifically minerals and water.

Essential Nutrient

A nutrient that must be supplied by food because the body does not synthesize it or make enough to meet its physiological needs.

Deficiency Disease

A state of health characterized by abnormal physiological changes that occur when the body lacks a required nutrient.

Signs

Physical changes associated with a disease state that are observable or measurable by a health professional.

Symptoms

Subjective complaints of ill health reported by an individual that are difficult for others to observe and measure.

Conditionally Essential Nutrients

Nutrients that are normally nonessential but become essential under specific circumstances, such as metabolic disorders, serious illness, or prenatal development.

Macronutrients

Nutrients required by the body in relatively large amounts, comprising carbohydrates, fats, and proteins.

Micronutrients

Nutrients required by the body in very small amounts, comprising vitamins and minerals.

Phytochemicals

Substances found in plants that are not classified as essential nutrients but may yield health benefits.

Carotenoids

Orange, red, and yellow plant pigments that act as phytochemicals to reduce the risk of cancer and macular degeneration.

Phenolics

Phytochemicals present in fruits, vegetables, legumes, tea, coffee, and chocolate that exhibit antioxidant activity and reduce risks of cancer growth and heart disease.

Organosulfides

Phytochemicals found in garlic, onions, leeks, and cruciferous vegetables that provide antioxidant activity, enhance immune function, and lower heart disease risk.

Calorie

The unit of heat energy needed to raise the temperature of $1\,\text{g}$ ($1\,\text{mL}$) of water by $1\,^\circ\text{C}$.

Kilocalorie (kcal)

The amount of heat energy required to raise the temperature of $1000\,\text{g}$ ($1\,\text{L}$) of water by $1\,^\circ\text{C}$, equal to $1000\,\text{calories}$ or $1\,\text{Calorie}$.

Direct Calorimetry

A laboratory technique using a bomb calorimeter device to measure the heat output and calorie content of foods and beverages.

Chronic Diseases

Long-term medical conditions that take many years to develop and stem from complex causes, such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and cancer.

Risk Factors

Personal attributes, genetic backgrounds, environmental conditions, or lifestyle behaviors that increase an individual's likelihood of developing a chronic disease.

Nutritional Genomics

The field of study analyzing how genes influence disease risk preventable by nutrition, and how dietary components, stress, and toxins affect gene expression.

Lifestyle

A routine pattern of living that encompasses an individual's dietary choices and physical activity habits.

Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN)

A college-trained healthcare professional with comprehensive expertise in foods, nutrition, and dietetics.

Dietetics

The practical application of nutrition and food knowledge to manage health and treat nutrition-related medical conditions.

Sustainable Food System

A food system delivering nutrition security without compromising the economic, social, and environmental foundations necessary for future generations.

Nutrient-Dense Food

A food that supplies a high proportion of key beneficial nutrients relative to its total calorie content per serving.

Energy Density

The amount of energy a food provides per unit weight; energy-dense foods generally provide at least $4.0\,\text{kcal/g}$.

Empty Calories

Calories derived from solid fats, added sugars (SoFAS), or alcohol that supply energy with minimal vitamins or minerals.

Dietary Supplement

A product categorized under DSHEA of 1994 containing vitamins, minerals, herbs, amino acids, or dietary substances designed to increase total intake.

Physiological Dose

The amount of a nutrient that falls within the safe intake range and allows the body to function at an optimal level.

Megadose

An intake of a vitamin or mineral that dramatically exceeds standard dietary recommendations, acting like a drug with potential toxic effects.

Functional Foods

Products manufactured with added nutrient or phytochemical ingredients to enhance nutritional intake or manage health issues.

Medical Nutrition Therapies

Specialized, nutritionally modified dietary plans designed by RDNs to manage chronic medical conditions.

Malnutrition

A state of health resulting from improper nourishment, encompassing both undernutrition and overnutrition.

Culinary Medicine

A field merging evidence-based nutrition science with practical culinary techniques to create healthful, appealing food.

Pellagra

A dietary deficiency disease causing scaly skin lesions, diarrhea, weakness, and mental confusion, cured by the vitamin niacin.

Dr. Joseph Goldberger

A U.S. Public Health Service researcher who demonstrated through epidemiology and self-experimentation that pellagra was caused by a nutritional deficiency rather than an infection.

Hypothesis

A proposed, testable explanation for an observation that serves as a foundation for scientific investigation.

Anecdotes

Unverified personal reports regarding the outcome or effectiveness of a healthcare treatment or dietary practice.

Theory

An extensively tested scientific explanation supported by a vast body of evidence, which remains open to revision if new facts emerge.

Treatment Group

The subjects in a scientific experiment who receive the specific intervention being evaluated.

Control Group

The baseline group of experimental subjects in a study who do not receive the active treatment.

Confounding Variables

Uncontrolled factors outside the primary variable being tested that can distort or obscure the true experimental results.

In Vivo Experiments

Scientific experiments performed inside whole, living organisms, such as lab animal models or humans.

In Vitro Experiments

Scientific studies conducted in controlled laboratory vessels using isolated cells or biological components.

Epidemiology

The study of the incidence, distribution, and determinants of health conditions and disease within specified populations.

National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES)

A continuous U.S. survey combining interviews and physical measurements to assess population health and dietary standards.

Case-Control Study

An observational study design comparing individuals with a specific condition to similar individuals without the condition to find underlying differences.

Cohort Study

An epidemiological study tracking a defined group of people over time to identify connections between exposure factors and health outcomes.

Retrospective Cohort Study

An epidemiological study where researchers look back at a population's historical exposures to explain current health statuses.

Prospective Cohort Study

An epidemiological study following healthy participants forward into the future to observe who develops disease and correlate it with past habits.

Direct Correlation

A relationship between two variables where both move in the same direction, simultaneously increasing or decreasing.

Inverse Correlation

A relationship between two variables where an increase in one variable corresponds to a decrease in the other.

Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT)

A rigorous experimental study where subjects are randomly assigned to a treatment or control group to minimize bias.

Pragmatic Trial

A clinical study measuring treatment efficacy in real-world everyday settings rather than strictly controlled laboratory environments.

Federal Trade Commission (FTC)

The federal agency responsible for consumer protection against deceptive advertising and fraudulent business marketing practices in the U.S.

Pseudoscience

The presentation of non-scientific claims or misleading information under the pretense of real scientific fact.