Final Exam - Nutrition & Health

6 Categories of Nutrients

1. Carbohydrates

2. Protein

3. Fat

4. Vitamins

5. Minerals

6. Water

1-3 are Energy Nutrients, Sources of fuel for the body.

4-6 are chemicals that the body needs to convert carbs, proteins, and fats into energy and for building and maintaining muscles, blood components, bones, and tissues of the body.

Calculation of the calorie value of a food from it’s content of carbs, proteins, and fats.

(fat - 9 cals/g, protein - 4 cals/g, carbs - 4 cals/g)

Cosmic Brownie - Fat = 11g, Carbs = 41g, Protein = 2g

11g fat x 9 cal/g = 99 calories

41g carbs x 4 cal/g = 164 calories

2g protein x 4 cals/g = 8 calories

271 calories (box indicates 270)

Carbohydrates

• Chemical substances in foods that consist of a simple sugar molecule or multiples of them in various forms

• Major source of energy

Complex Carbohydrates

• Found in starchy veggies, grains, dried beans, and in many types of dietary fiber

• Contains many molecules of monosaccharides (one saccharide) linked together

Simple Sugars

• Monosaccharides - Mono = 1, saccharide = sugar

  • Simple sugars consisting of one sugar molecule

  • Glucose, fructose, and galactose are common monosaccharides

• Disaccharides - Di = 2, saccharide = sugar

  • Simple sugars consisting of two sugar molecules

  • Sucrose, maltose, and lactose are common disaccharides

Artificial Sweetners

• Not significant sources of energy or nutrients

• 160 - 13,000 times sweeter than sucrose

• Does not promote tooth decay

Saccharin

Aspartame

Sucralose

Acesulfame Potassium

Neotame

Stevia

Saccharin

• First artificial sweetener (1800s)

• 300 times sweeter than sucrose

Aspartame

• Contains amino acids called phenylalanine

• Four cals/g but takes very small amounts to sweeten

• 200 times sweeter than sucrose

• Broken down with heat

• Should not be consumed by people with phenylkletonuria

Sucralose

• Made from sucrose

• 600 times sweeter than sucrose

• used in hot and cold products

Acesulfame

• 200 times sweeter than sucrose

• Does not break down with heat

Neotame

• Made from phenylalanine and aspartame but not harmful to people with PKU

• 7,000-13,000 times sweeter than sucrose

Stevia

• Derived from the herb, Stevia, of which it’s leaves contain Rebina (Reb A)

• Used to sweeten beverages

Three Main Types of Complex Carbohydrates

1. Starch

2. Glycogen

3. Polysaccharides

Glycemic Index

A measure of the extent to which blood glucose is raised by a 50g portion of carbs containing food compared to 50g of glucose

• High glycemic index foods raise blood glucose levels to a greater extent than low glycemic index foods

• Intake of low glycemic index foods are associated with decreased blood glucose and insulin levels, increased feeling of fullness, decreased food intake, decreased activation of brain regions that motivate people to eat, increased weight loss, and decreased blood levels of glucose and insulin

Some types of simple and complex carbs in foods elevate blood glucose levels more than others.

Carbs & Dental Health

• Tooth decay due to acids produced by bacteria in the mouth that feed on sugar

• Did not become an issue until sugar became widely available in the late 17th century

• Enzymes in the mouth break down starches into simple sugars

• Stickiness and frequent consumption of sugary/starchy foods increases tooth decay

Lactose Maldigestion

A disorder characterized by reduced digestion of lactose due to low availability of the enzyme lactase

Lactose Intolerance

Gastrointestinal symptoms (tootin, bloating, abdominal pain, diarrhea, and tummy rumbles)

Results from consuming more lactose than can be digested with available lactase

What to Eat if You Suffer From Maldigestion

• Fortified soy or rice milk

• Low-lactose cow’s milk

• milk pretreated with lactase drops

• yogurt and other fermented milk products

• Ready-to-eat cereals

• fruit juices fortified with calcium and vitamin D

Protein

An essential structural component of all living matter

The average intake of protein by adults is 98g/day, about twice the daily recommendation

• Chemical Substance in foods made up of chains of amino acids

• Involved in almost every biological process that occurs in cells

• High-Protein diets are usually high in fat and low in fiber

Functions of Protein

• Integral structural component

• Comprises enzymes in the human body

• Major component of hormones such as insulin and growth hormones

• performs biological functions

Nitrogen Balance

The difference between nitrogen intake and excretion.

• Means nitrogen intake equals nitrogen excreted

• Nitrogen content of protein is about 16% of the weight of the protein consumed

• Excreted in urine in the form of Urea

Amino Acids

The building blocks of proteins, contains nitrogen

There are 20 Amino Acids

• 9 are essential

• Eleven are non-essential

Essential Amino Acids

The body cannot produce them or produce enough of them. They must be provided in the diet.

Non-Essential Amino Acids

The body can produce them, and a dietary source is not required for them.

Complete Proteins

Contains all of the essential amino acids in amounts needed to support growth and tissue maintenance (animal products such as meat, milk, and eggs).

Incomplete Proteins

Deficient in one or more essential amino acids. Proteins in plants are incomplete, however soybeans are considered complete protein for adults.

Amino Acid Supplements

High intake of individual amino acids can disrupt normal protein production.

For example; Methionine

• Worsens symptoms of schizophrenia

• promotes hardening of arteries

• Impairs fetal and infant development

• Causes nausea, vomiting, bad breath, and constipation

Adverse effects have been reported with several amino acid supplements.

Food Allergy

The body’s immune system reacts to a substance in food that it identifies as harmful

Food Intolerance

Adverse reactions to normally harmless substances in food. The immune system is not involved.

The Big 8 in Food Allergies

1. Nuts

2. Eggs

3. Wheat

4. Milk

5. Peanuts

6. Soy

7. Shellfish

8. Fish

Celiac Disease

An autoimmune disease characterized by inflammation of the small intestine lining resulting from a genetic gluten intolerance.

• Causes diarrhea, fatty stool, weight loss, vitamin and mineral deficiencies

• Treated with gluten free diet

• Diagnosed with a small bowel biopsy and examination of cells for signs of damage caused by disease

Non-Celiac Gluten Sensitivity

• Symptoms may vary but include gastrointestinal pain, headache, joint pain, foggy mind, and numbness in arms, legs, or fingers

• Most individuals with this condition report an improvement of symptoms with a gluten free diet

Triglycerides

Makes up 98% of our dietary fat intake and most of our body’s fat stores

• Transported in blood attached on protein carriers

• Used for energy and tissue maintenance

Saturated Fats

Carbon chains saturated with maximum number of hydrogen atoms (all single bonds)

• Solid at room temp

• Found in animal products and also in palm and coconut oil

Unsaturated Fats

Contains fewer hydrogens than the maximum

• Monounsaturated: one double bond

• Polyunsaturated: two or more double bonds

Linoleic Acid

Essential fatty acid

• Component of all cell membranes, especially in nerves and brain

• Required for growth, skin, reproductive system

• Involved in regulating blood pressure, clotting

• Found in vegetable oils, nuts, grains, and meats

Alpha-Linolenic Acid

Essential fatty acid

• Component of all cell membranes, especially in nerves and brain

• Opposite effects of linoleic acid on regulation of blood pressure and clotting

• Found in walnuts, dark green leafy veggies, flaxseed, canola, and soybean oils

EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid)

Important fatty acid

• Precursor of compounds used for blood clotting, blood pressure regulation, and anti-inflammatory reactions

• Limits damage from inflammatory and oxidative reactions

DHA (docosahexaenoic acid)

Important fatty acid

• Needed for brain and eye formation

• structural component of the brain and found in the retina of the eye

Trans Fats

• Unsaturated fatty acids that contain atoms of hydrogen attached to the opposite sides of carbons joined by a double bond

• The bulk of trans fats in our diets comes from industrially hydrogenated veggie oils

  • Hydrogenation causes some of the unsaturated fats to be converted from their naturaly occurring cis to the trans form

• The repositioned hydrogen molecules in trans fatty acids appear to be responsible for these fatty acid’s specific adverse effects

Iodine Test

Tests for starch or polysaccharides

Benedict’s test

Tests for simple sugars

Biuret test

Tests for proteins

Sudan III Test

tests for fats