Lecture 1: Nutrition Basics

What are the 10 principles of the Science of Nutrition?

• #1: Food is a basic need of humans

• #2: Foods provide energy (calories), nutrients, and other substances needed for growth and health

• #3: Health problems related to nutrition originate within cells

• #4: Poor nutrition can result from both inadequate and excessive levels of nutrient intake

• #5: Humans have adaptive mechanisms for managing fluctuations in food intake

• #6: Malnutrition can result from poor diets and from disease states, genetics

• #7: Some groups of people are at higher risk of becoming inadequately nourished than others

• #8: Poor nutrition can influence the development of certain chronic diseases

• #9: Adequacy, variety, and balance are key characteristics of healthy diet

• #10: There are no “good” or “bad” foods
  

What are the 4 types of DRIs?

• Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDAs)

• Adequate Intakes (AIs)

• Estimated Average Requirements (EARs)

• Tolerable Upper Intake Levels (ULs)

  
  

What nutrients do we want “a lot” of?

• Calcium

• Iron

• Fibre

What nutrients do we want “less” of?

• Fat

• saturated fat

• sugars

• sodium

What’s the % of carbs we should have in our diet? How much fibre do we need?

• 45-65%

• Women- 21-28 g fibre

• Men-30-38 g fibre

How much added sugar should we be eating?

• No more than 10% of total calories a day

What’s the % of protein we should have in our diet? What are the building blocks called?

• 10-35%

• Aminos are building blocks

What are triglycerides and essential fatty acids?

• Triglcerides

• Essential Fatty Acids

  • linolenic acid (omega 3)

  • linoleic acid (omega 6)

What’s the % of fat we should have in our diet? How much from saturated fats?

• 20-35%

• less than 10% or less from saturated fats

What are the fat soluble vitamins?

• A

• D

• E

• K

What are the water soluble vitamins?

• B vitamins

• Vit C

What are phytochemicals? What are some examples?

• Chemical substances in plants

• Like antioxidants or poison in green potatoes/puffer fish

How many cups of water should we drink? What should our pee look like?

• Men: 15-16

• Women: 11

• Urine should be pale yellow

What factors influence nutrient needs?

• Age

• biological sex

• growth

• pregnancy and lactation

What’s the ripple effect of deficiency/toxicity?

Deficiency:

• Weakened immune system

• Fatigue and low energy levels

• Impaired cognitive function

• Increased risk of chronic diseases

Toxicity:

• Organ damage

• Neurological problems

• Digestive issues

• Increased risk of cancer

What’s primary vs secondary malnutrition?

• Primary: from diet

• Secondary: from disease, surgery, meds

What’s nutrigenomics?

• Nutrient-gene interactions and their effect on health

What’s the main cause of death? How many people have it?

• Chromic disease!

• 45% of Canadian population (overweight, obese, arthritis, high BP)

What are priority food allergens for food labels?

• Eggs

• Fish

• Milk

• Mustard

• Peanuts

• Shellfish

• Sesame

• Soy

• Tree nuts

• Wheat