Food’s Journey through the Human Digestive System – Key Nutrition Vocabulary

25 vocabulary flashcards covering key nutrient types, dietary guidelines, and food-label terminology from the lecture notes.

Nutrients

Molecules in food that provide energy and materials essential for the body’s growth, development, and functions.

Carbohydrates

Chief energy source that supports cell structure, aids mucus production and DNA formation; broken down into monosaccharides.

Monosaccharides

Simple sugars produced when carbohydrates are completely broken down for absorption.

Proteins

Macromolecules made of 20 amino acids, necessary for many body functions; digested into amino acids before use.

Amino Acids

Building blocks of proteins; nine are essential and must be obtained from food, while others are synthesized by the body.

Essential Amino Acids

Nine amino acids (e.g., threonine, lysine) that the body cannot manufacture and must obtain from dietary protein.

Non-essential Amino Acids

Amino acids (e.g., alanine, aspartic acid) that can be synthesized within the body.

Fats and Lipids

Nutrients that supply and store energy, insulate organs, and help build cell membranes; broken down into fatty acids.

Fatty Acids

Smaller units formed when fats and lipids are digested, later used for energy or cell-building.

Vitamins

Organic compounds that help the body grow and stay healthy; obtained mostly from food.

Fat-Soluble Vitamins

Vitamins A, D, E, K that dissolve in fat and aid in building strong tissues and organs.

Water-Soluble Vitamins

Vitamin C and B-complex vitamins that aid energy release, healing, and metabolic processes.

Minerals

Inorganic nutrients that help the body grow and function properly; not produced by the body.

Major Minerals

Macrominerals such as calcium, sodium, and iron required in larger amounts.

Trace Minerals

Microminerals like zinc, iodine, and manganese needed only in tiny amounts.

Water

Most important nutrient, composing ~70 % of the body; transports nutrients and removes waste.

Fiber (Roughage)

Indigestible plant material (cellulose) that aids food movement in the digestive tract and prevents constipation.

Balanced Diet

Eating pattern that supplies all necessary nutrients in proper proportions for normal growth and development.

New Food Pyramid (2005)

Educational tool encouraging balanced intake from varied food portions without counting calories, replacing the old hierarchical pyramid.

MyPlate (USDA, 2011)

Simple plate graphic showing healthy meal proportions of fruits, grains, vegetables, proteins, and dairy.

Pinggang Pinoy

Philippine Food and Nutrition Institute’s local healthy food-plate model inspired by USDA’s MyPlate, highlighting GO, GROW, GLOW foods.

Nutrition Facts Label

Mandatory food-package panel listing serving size, calories, nutrients, and percent Daily Values to inform consumers.

Percent Daily Value (%DV)

Label figure showing how much a nutrient in one serving contributes to a 2,000-calorie diet (5 % low, 20 % high).

Serving Size

Standardized quantity of food on a nutrition label used to calculate nutrient and calorie information.

Calories

Unit measuring the energy provided by food; listed per serving on Nutrition Facts labels.