Nutrition for Health Midterm

nutrition

the scientific study of nutrients and how the body uses them

we learn about nutrition to

determine the nutritional quality of our diet and reduce chances of developing serious chronic disease

leading cause of death in the u.s.

heart disease

diet

usual pattern of food choices

nutrients

chemicals necessary for proper
body functioning

chemistry

study of the composition and characteristics of matter and changes that can occur to it

cell

smallest living functional unit in an organism

metabolism

total of all chemical processes that occur in living cells

essential nutrient

must be supplied by food

deficiency disease

state of health that occurs when a nutrient is missing from the diet

six classes of nutrients

carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, vitamins, minerals, water

carbohydrates

provide energy

lipids

energy (fat) physical growth and development - omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids, brain development

proteins

production of structural and functional components - muscles, enzymes, cellular growth, development, maintenance

vitamins

regulation of body processes including cell metabolism, maintenance of immune function

minerals

regulation of body processes, structural and functional components, physical growth eg. Vitamin D

water

maintenance of fluid balance, regulation of body temperature, sweating, most essential nutrient

essential nutrients

must be supplied by food because the body cannot synthesize the nutrient or make enough to meet its needs

elements of an essential nutrient

if the nutrient is missing from the diet, a deficiency disease occurs. when the missing nutrient is added to the diet, the signs and symptoms of the deficiency disease are corrected. scientists can explain why the signs and symptoms occurred when the nutrient was missing from the diet.

non nutrients

substances that are not nutrients, yet have healthy benefits

phytochemicals

substances found in plants that are not classified as nutrients but may be beneficial to human health, give color to plant foods. some are toxic (nicotine in tobacco leaves)

antioxidants

protect the cells and their components from being destroyed by exposure to certain harmful environmental and internal factors

dietary supplements

a product that contains a vitamin, a mineral, an herb, or other plant product that supplements the diet by increasing the total intake

healthy people 2030 main nutrition related goal

promote good health and reduce chronic disease by consuming healthful diets and achieving and maintaining healthy body weights

length

measured in meters

weight

measured in grams

volume

measured in liters

1 inch

2.54 centimeters

1 oz

28 g

1 lb

454g

2.2 lb

1 kg

kilocalorie

heat energy needed to raise the temperature or 1000g or water 1 degree celsuis

1 kilocalorie

1000 calories

carbohydrates kcal

4 kcal per gram

protein kcal

4 kcal per gram

alcohol kcal

7 kcal per gram

fat kcal

9 kcal per gram

macrohutrients

nutrients required in relatively large amounts by the body on a daily basis, do not supply energy

chronic undernutrition

when a person’s long term energy and nutrient intakes are insufficient to meet needs

food insecurity

individuals or families concerned about running out of food or not having enough money to buy more food

biotechnology

the use of living things to manufacture new products

bioengineering

application of scientific methods that change an animal or plant’s hereditary material

sustainable agriculture

includes farming methods that meet the demand for more food without depleting natural resources or harming the environment

vitro experiments

conducted on parts derived from living organisms such as cells

vivo experiments

conducted on whole living organisms

evidence based

based on results of scientific studies

anecdotes

reports of personal experiences

treatment group

group being studies that receives treatment

control group

group being studied that does not receive treatment

variable

characteristic or other feature that changes and can influence an outcome

placebo

fake treatment (sham pill) that mimics treatment

double blind study

neither the participants nor the researchers are aware of each participant’s group
assignment. There is use of codes to identify a subject’s group

single blind study

researchers know which subjects are in the treatment and control groups

epidemiology

the study of the occurrence, distribution, and causes of health problems in
populations

case control study

individuals who have a health condition are compared with individuals with similar characteristics who do not have the condition

cohort study

collects information about people, analyzes the information, and measures changes in variables of a group of people over time

direct correlation

two variables change in the same direction

inverse correlation

two variables change in opposite directions

pseudoscience

presentation of information masquerading as factual and obtained through scientific means

quackery

promoting useless medical treatments

nutrient requirement

smallest amount of a nutrient that maintains a defined level of nutritional health

Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs)

variety of daily energy and nutrient intake standards that nutrition experts in
the U.S. use as references when making dietary recommendations

EAR (Estimated Average Requirement)

daily amount of a nutrient that meets the needs of 50% of healthy people who are in a particular life stage/sex group

EER (Estimated Energy Requirement)

average daily energy intake that meets needs of a healthy person who is maintaining their weight

RDA (Recommended Dietary Allowance)

standards for recommended daily intakes of several nutrients that meet the nutrient needs of nearly all (approximately 98%) of healthy people in a particular life group or sex group.

AI (Adequate Intake)

dietary recommendations for nutrients that scientists do not have enough information to establish RDA e.g vit K has an AI and not RDA

UL (Tolerable Upper Intake Level)

highest average amount of a nutrient that is unlikely
to be harmful when consumed daily

Chronic Disease Risk Reduction Intake (CDRR)

Newest DRI. E.g. adults sodium intake
limit<2300mg/day

Acceptable Macronutrient Distribution
Range (AMDR)

indicates the range of carbohydrates, proteins and fat intake that provide adequate amounts of vitamin and minerals and may reduce the risk of diet related chronic diseases.

Main five general food groups

grains, dairy, protein rich foods, fruits, vegetables

enrichment

replacement of some nutrients that were lost during processing

fortification

addition of any nutrient to a food to boost its level of the nutrient

grains

products made from wheat, rice, and oats (fiber is mostly lost after refining)

dairy

milk, and products made from milk, that retain much of their calcium content after processing

protein rich foods

iron, zinc, vitamins

minimally processed foods

food that has undergone simple kinds of processing like peeling or freezing

ultra processed foods

food that contains one or more additives that are intended to improve its shelf life or other desirable characteristics

consume less than ______mg of sodium per day

2300

exchange system

meal planning technique that categorizes foods into 3 food groups - carbs, meat, fats

organic foods

Organic foods – produced without use of antibiotics, hormones, synthetic fertilizers and pesticides, genetic improvements, or spoilage-killing radiation

protons

positively charged protons in a nucleus

electrons

negatively charged in a cloud that surrounds the nucleus

molecule

forms when 2 or more atoms interact and are held together

chemical bond

attraction that holds atoms together to form a molecule

solution

evenly distributed mixture of 2 or more compounds

acids

donate hydrogen ions

bases

accept hydrogen ions

pH

measure of acidity or alkalinity of a solution

chemical reaction

process that changes the atomic arrangement of molecules

digestion

process by which molecules in food are broken down into smaller ones

metabolism

sum of all chemical reactions occurring in living cells

catabolism

breaking down molecules

anabolism

building up molecules

enzyme

molecule that catalyzes the rate of a chemical reaction but is not altered during the process

anatomy

scientific study of cells and other body structures

major structures of the digestive system

mouth, esophagus, small and large intestine

accessory organs

teeth, tongue, salivary glands, liver, gall bladder, pancreas

GI tract

hollow muscular tube that extends from mouth to anus

bioavailability

extent to which digestive tract absorbs nutrients and how well the body uses them

digestion begins in

the mouth