Nutrition

A comprehensive set of vocabulary flashcards covering key definitions, macronutrients, DRIs, dietary guidelines, scientific methods, labelling standards, and nutritional assessment tools from Chapters 1 and 2.

Nutrition

A science that studies the interactions between living organisms and the food they consume.

Macronutrients

Nutrients required by the body in large amounts each day, which include energy-yielding nutrients (carbohydrates, lipids, and proteins) as well as water.

Kilocalorie (kcalorie or kcal)

A unit of measure for energy provided by food, where $1\,\text{kcal} = 4.18\,\text{kJ}$.

Kilojoule (kjoule or kJ)

A metric unit of measure for energy, where $4.18\,\text{kJ} = 1\,\text{kcal}$.

Carbohydrates

A class of macronutrients that includes sugars, starches, and fibre; yields $4\,\text{kcal/g}$ ($16.7\,\text{kJ/g}$) of energy, except for fibre which provides no energy.

Lipids

A class of macronutrients commonly called fats or oils that provide a concentrated source of energy at $9\,\text{kcal/g}$ ($37.6\,\text{kJ/g}$).

Triglyceride

A major type of lipid/fat found in abundance both in the human body and in food.

Proteins

A class of macronutrients made up of amino acids required for growth, maintenance, and structural repair of the body that also supply $4\,\text{kcal/g}$ ($16.7\,\text{kJ/g}$) of energy.

Amino Acids

The basic building block units that join in various combinations to form proteins.

Micronutrients

Nutrients including vitamins and minerals needed by the body in small amounts that provide no energy but are essential for proper body regulation and functioning.

Metabolism

The sum total of all biochemical reactions that occur inside a living organism.

Homeostasis

The proper physiological regulation of metabolic reactions and internal body systems to maintain a stable environment.

Malnutrition

A state of health resulting from consuming either too little or too much of one or more nutrients or total energy.

Undernutrition

A form of malnutrition resulting from eating insufficient amounts of energy-providing foods or specific nutrients.

Overnutrition

A form of malnutrition resulting from eating an excess of energy-providing foods or nutrients.

Nutrient Density

A measure of the nutrients a food provides relative to its energy (kcalorie) content.

Scientific Method

An unbiased systematic process used to investigate relationships between food, nutrients, and health through observation, hypothesis testing, and theory formation.

Pellagra

A disease identified through dietary deficiency research to be cured and caused by a lack of nicotinic acid, better known as the B vitamin niacin.

Treatment Group

The group of study participants in an experiment who receive the experimental intervention or treatment being evaluated.

Control Group

A group of experimental participants identical to the treatment group that does not receive the experimental treatment, serving as a baseline comparison.

Placebo

A harmless, inactive fake treatment designed to look identical to the actual experimental intervention, possessing no therapeutic value.

Epidemiology

An observational scientific discipline that studies diet, health, and disease patterns within human populations.

Correlation (Association)

A statistical relationship between nutrient intake and disease outcome, which may be direct (positive) or inverse (negative), but does not prove direct causation.

Prospective Cohort Study

An observational study where dietary intake of a healthy population is recorded at baseline and their health state is tracked over multiple years.

Randomization

The practice of assigning trial participants to either a treatment or control group entirely by chance to eliminate selection bias.

Single-Blind Study

An experimental study design in which the subjects do not know which treatment group they have been assigned to.

Double-Blind Study

An experimental trial in which neither the study participants nor the scientific investigators know who is receiving the experimental treatment or the placebo.

Depletion-Repletion Study

A trial method that feeds subjects a diet devoid of a nutrient until deficiency symptoms appear, then reinstates the nutrient until symptoms clear and health is restored.

Balance Study

A nutritional research methodology comparing the total quantity of a nutrient entering the body against the total amount exiting the body.

Dietary Pattern

A comprehensive description of a way of eating that outlines the types and amounts of recommended foods and food groups, rather than individual isolated nutrients.

Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs)

A set of nutrient reference values used for planning and assessing the diets of healthy individuals in Canada and the United States.

Estimated Average Requirement (EAR)

The DRI value representing the intake amount of a nutrient estimated to meet the needs of $50\%$ of healthy individuals within a specific sex and life-stage group.

Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA)

The DRI nutrient target calculated to meet the nutritional requirements of nearly all healthy individuals in a specific life-stage and sex group.

Adequate Intake (AI)

The DRI value established as a recommended nutrient intake target when scientific evidence is insufficient to set an EAR and RDA.

Tolerable Upper Intake Level (UL)

The maximum daily intake level of a nutrient that is unlikely to pose a risk of adverse health effects to almost all individuals.

Estimated Energy Requirement (EER)

The calculated average daily energy intake (kcalories) required to maintain energy balance and body weight in a healthy individual.

Acceptable Macronutrient Distribution Range (AMDR)

The healthy range of intake for a macronutrient expressed as a percentage of total energy intake: $45\%$ to $60\%$ for carbohydrates, $10\%$ to $35\%$ for protein, and $20\%$ to $35\%$ for fat.

Chronic Disease Risk Reduction Intake (CDRR)

A DRI methodology value established to define nutrient intake thresholds that reduce chronic disease risk (currently set for sodium).

Canada's Food Guide 2019

A food-based guide utilizing a plate layout (approx. $50\%$ vegetables/fruits, $25\%$ protein foods, and $25\%$ whole grains) with water as the drink of choice.

Food Literacy

An expanded concept incorporating practical food skills along with understanding broader environmental, social, cultural, and historical food contexts.

Mediterranean Dietary Pattern

A regional eating pattern visualized as a pyramid, emphasizing whole grains, fruits, vegetables, olive oil, beans, nuts, and fish, while consuming meats and sweets less often.

% Daily Value (% DV)

A benchmark percentage listed on Nutrition Facts tables to show nutrient amount relative to standard daily recommendations, where $5\%$ or less is a little and $15\%$ or more is a lot.

Nutrient-Content Claim

Regulated label statements describing the amount of a nutrient in a food, such as 'free', 'low', 'source of', 'good source of', or 'excellent source of'.

Disease-Risk-Reduction Claim

Scientific statements permitted on food labels linking a food or nutrient to a reduced risk of developing a chronic disease.

Natural Health Products Directorate

The branch of Health Canada responsible for regulating vitamin/mineral supplements, herbal remedies, traditional medicines, and homeopathic products.

Natural Product Number (NPN)

An eight-digit license number required on packaging to verify that a natural health product has been assessed and approved for sale by Health Canada.

Nutritional Status

An individual's state of health as influenced by their intake, absorption, and utilization of nutrients.

Nutritional Assessment

A comprehensive evaluation of dietary intake, medical history, physical examination, laboratory tests, and anthropometric data to determine nutritional health.

24-Hour Recall

A dietary assessment tool in which an individual reports all foods and beverages consumed during the preceding 24-hour period.

Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ)

A dietary assessment survey that measures how often an individual consumes specific foods or food categories over a designated time period.

Anthropometric Measurements

Physical measures of the human body—such as height, weight, and body composition—used to assess overall growth and nutritional status.

Stages of Nutrient Deficiency

The progressive stages of deficiency beginning with inadequate intake, leading to decreased stores/tissue levels, altered biochemical functions, and finally physical symptoms.

Food Disappearance Surveys

Statistical instruments that estimate total food availability for a national population by tracking production, imports, and distribution over time.

Canadian Healthy Eating Index (CHEI)

A scoring system measuring dietary quality relative to official food guide recommendations, in which the average score for Canadians is $58.8\%$.