Principles of Nutrition - Basic Concepts in Nutrition

Vocabulary flashcards covering key definitions, nutrient classifications, food quality concepts, and assessment methods from Chapter 1.

Nutrients

Substances required by the body to perform its basic functions that must be obtained from the diet because the human body does not synthesize or produce them.

Six Classes of Nutrients

The six categories required for the body to function and maintain overall health: carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, water, vitamins, and minerals.

Macronutrients

Substances needed by the body in large amounts, which include carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, and water.

Calorie (Kilocalorie)

A unit of measurement for food energy; on nutrition labels, one Calorie (capital C) represents a kilocalorie, which equals $1{,}000\,\text{calories}$ (small c).

Carbohydrates

Organic molecules composed of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen that yield $4\,\text{kilocalories}$ of energy per gram.

Glucose

A type of simple sugar that circulates in human blood and is stored, used to make energy, or used to build macromolecules.

Fiber

A complex carbohydrate that cannot be broken down by digestive enzymes in the human intestine and adds bulk to the diet as it passes undigested.

Glycogen

The carbohydrate storage molecule found in humans.

Starch

The carbohydrate storage molecule found in plants.

Lipids

A family of water-insoluble organic compounds composed of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen that yield $9\,\text{kilocalories}$ of energy per gram.

Three Main Types of Lipids

Triglycerides, phospholipids, and sterols.

Protein

Macromolecules composed of chains of organic monomeric subunits called amino acids that provide $4\,\text{kilocalories}$ of energy per gram and serve structural and functional roles.

Amino Acids

Simple organic monomers composed of carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen; $20$ different amino acids bind together to form thousands of proteins.

Micronutrients

Nutrients needed in smaller amounts that are essential for bodily functions, consisting of $13$ vitamins and $16$ essential minerals.

Nutrient Dense Foods

High-quality foods that contain significant amounts of one or more essential nutrients relative to the amount of calories they provide.

Empty Calorie Foods

Foods that provide many calories and very little, if any, other nutrients, such as carbonated sugary soft drinks.

Adequate Diet

A dietary pattern providing all nutrients, fiber, and energy in amounts sufficient to maintain good health and body weight.

Balanced Diet

A diet where foods rich in one nutrient leave room for foods rich in other nutrients, avoiding consuming one nutrient at the expense of another.

Calorie Control

Controlling energy intake so that energy requirements are met but not exceeded.

Scientific Method

A process of inquiry involving asking a question, background research, forming a hypothesis, testing the hypothesis, analyzing data, and determining a conclusion.

ABCD Method

A approach to nutritional assessment standing for Anthropometry, Biochemical methods, Clinical methods, and Dietary methods.

Anthropometry

Body measurements taken to assess growth and body composition, including height, weight, head circumference, and skin fold thickness.

Biochemical Methods

Laboratory assessment methods that involve measuring a nutrient or its metabolite in blood, feces, urine, or other tissues.

Clinical Methods

Nutritional assessment based on observing physical signs and asking about symptoms of potential nutrient deficiencies.

Sign vs. Symptom

A sign is an objective, visible feature that can be seen, heard, or measured (e.g., vomiting), while a symptom is a subjective experience described by the person (e.g., nausea).

Dietary Methods

Assessment tools evaluating past or current nutrient intakes, including $24\text{-hour}$ recalls, food frequency questionnaires, food diaries, and observed food consumption.

Nutritional Genetics

An evolving field of science that aims to identify what nutrients to eat to turn on healthy genes and turn off genes that cause disease.