Nutrition, Metabolism, and Weight Management

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards covering basic nutrition principles, dietary guidelines, digestive anatomy, macronutrients, energy metabolism, and weight regulation based on the lecture notes.

Feeding vs. Nutrition

Feeding refers strictly to eating food, whereas nutrition is the broader biological process of obtaining, distributing, and utilizing nutrients, and eliminating waste.

Kilocalorie (kcal)

A unit of food energy equivalent to $1\text{ kcal} = 1{,}000\text{ cal} \approx 4{,}190\text{ joules}$.

Macronutrients

Nutrients that provide energy to the body, consisting of carbohydrates, fats, and proteins.

Micronutrients

Vitamins and minerals that provide no energy directly but regulate essential body functions.

Essential Nutrients

Nutrients that must be obtained from food because the human body cannot manufacture enough of them.

ABCMV Principles

A core diet-planning framework representing Adequacy (enough nutrients), Balance (no excess emphasis on one food), Calorie control (appropriate energy), Moderation (limit excess fat, salt, sugar), and Variety (different foods).

Epidemiological Studies

A research design that investigates populations and looks for correlations between factors.

Intervention Studies

A research design where researchers actively alter conditions to observe experimental effects.

Dietary Reference Intakes (DRI)

Nutritional standards established for nutrient and energy intake, encompassing RDA, AI, UL, EAR, and AMDR.

Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA)

Recommended nutrient intake target designed to meet the physiological needs of approximately $97\text{--}98\%$ of healthy people.

Adequate Intake (AI)

A nutrient intake guideline utilized when there is insufficient scientific evidence to establish an RDA.

Tolerable Upper Intake Level (UL)

The highest level of regular daily nutrient intake considered safe for most healthy people, serving to prevent toxicity and excessive consumption.

Estimated Average Requirement (EAR)

A nutrient intake value estimated to satisfy the requirements of $50\%$ of healthy individuals within a specific group.

Estimated Energy Requirement (EER)

The estimated daily energy intake necessary to sustain energy balance based on individual physical traits and activity levels.

Acceptable Macronutrient Distribution Ranges (AMDR)

Recommended percentage ranges of total energy intake contributed by carbohydrates, fats, and proteins.

Nutrient Density

The proportion of beneficial nutrients provided in a food relative to its total caloric content.

Daily Values (DV)

FDA standard reference values appearing on food labels based on a $2{,}000\text{-calorie}$ reference diet.

Nutrient Claims

Statements on food packages that describe the specific nutrient content of a food, such as 'fat free.'

Health Claims

Food package statements that explicitly link a specific food or nutrient to disease risk.

Structure/Function Claims

Claims describing the effect that a substance has on normal bodily functions, such as 'calcium builds strong bones.'

Small Intestine

The primary anatomical site for chemical digestion and nutrient absorption in the gastrointestinal tract.

Villi and Microvilli

Projections along the small intestine lining that dramatically increase surface area for nutrient absorption.

Monosaccharides

Single sugar molecules consisting of glucose, fructose, and galactose.

Disaccharides

Sugars composed of two monosaccharide molecules bonded together, including sucrose, lactose, and maltose.

Sucrose

Table sugar; a disaccharide formed by the chemical combination of glucose and fructose.

Lactose

Milk sugar; a disaccharide formed by the combination of glucose and galactose.

Maltose

Malt sugar; a disaccharide composed of two linked glucose molecules.

Soluble Fiber

A dietary fiber category that dissolves in water to form a gel, assisting in regulating blood glucose and blood cholesterol.

Insoluble Fiber

Dietary fiber that does not dissolve in water; it promotes regular bowel movements by adding bulk to stool and preventing constipation.

Insulin

A pancreatic hormone that decreases blood glucose by facilitating cellular glucose uptake and encouraging nutrient storage.

Glucagon

A pancreatic hormone that elevates blood glucose by signaling the liver to release stored glucose.

Protein-Sparing

The metabolic role of carbohydrates in supplying energy, which spares dietary protein from being combusted so it can serve in tissue growth and repair.

Triglycerides

The primary form of lipid in food and the human body, composed of a glycerol backbone attached to three fatty acids.

Saturated Fatty Acids

Fatty acids that lack carbon-carbon double bonds, making them generally solid at room temperature.

Unsaturated Fatty Acids

Fatty acids containing one or more double bonds in their carbon chains.

Phospholipids

Lipids that compose the structural framework of cellular membranes and enable fats to interact with water.

Chylomicrons

Lipoproteins that package and carry dietary fats from intestinal cells through the lymphatic system and into systemic circulation.

Low-Density Lipoproteins (LDL)

Lipoproteins that deliver cholesterol to peripheral tissues; elevated levels are associated with arterial plaque formation.

High-Density Lipoproteins (HDL)

Lipoproteins that facilitate the transport of cholesterol back toward the liver for disposal or recycling.

Macronutrient Energy Density

The caloric yield per gram of energy-yielding nutrients: Carbohydrates provide $4\text{ kcal/g}$, Protein provides $4\text{ kcal/g}$, and Fat provides $9\text{ kcal/g}$.

Denaturation

A structural transformation in a protein's three-dimensional shape that impairs or alters its biological function.

Gluconeogenesis

The biochemical pathway responsible for synthesizing glucose from non-carbohydrate precursors.

Limiting Amino Acid

An essential amino acid that is present in insufficient quantity relative to the body's protein synthesis requirements.

Complementary Proteins

Two or more incomplete protein sources that supply each other's lacking essential amino acids when consumed together.

Adipokines

Hormones secreted by adipose tissue that assist in modulating inflammation and systemic energy metabolism.

Visceral Fat

Adipose tissue deposited within the abdominal cavity enveloping internal organs.

Subcutaneous Fat

Adipose tissue deposited directly underneath the skin layers.

Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR)

The baseline energy expended to support involuntary, life-sustaining bodily functions at complete rest.

Thermic Effect of Food (TEF)

The energy expended by the body to digest, absorb, transport, and metabolize ingested nutrients.

Ghrelin

A physiological hormone that stimulates appetite and the physical sensation of hunger.

Leptin

A hormone secreted by adipose tissue that communicates energy storage levels to the brain to regulate appetite.

Satiation vs. Satiety

Satiation is the feeling of fullness during a meal that causes eating to stop, whereas satiety is the sustained fullness that persists following meal completion.

Set Point Theory

The regulatory hypothesis stating that the human body physiologically defends a predetermined, specific body weight.

Brown Adipose Tissue (BAT)

A specialized form of fat tissue enriched with mitochondria that functions primarily to generate heat.

Food Deserts

Geographic regions characterized by limited access to nutritious, affordable, and fresh food.

Weight Cycling

A repetitive pattern of alternating between losing body weight and subsequently regaining it.