1: Intro To Nutrients Flashcards
Diet
total food a person regularly eats
What are Nutrients
Food substances required for our maintenance, growth, and survival
Diets determine what
Which nutrients we consume
Essential nutrients are
One that the body requires but cannot make itself
Examples of essential nutrients
Essential amino acids, essential fatty acids, vitamins, minerals, and water
Other nutrients
Important roles in the body to help us thrive but are NOT required from the diet for growth and survival
What are the 6 categories of nutrients
Water, carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, vitamins, and minerals
What factors group nutrients into categories
structural or functional similarities
What is the difference between organic vs inorganic nutrients
Organic nutrients are made of carbon chains, whereas, inorganic do not contain carbon
Examples of organic nutrients
Carbohydrates, lipids, protein, and vitamins
Examples of inorganic nutrients
Water and mineral
Nutrients can be divided into what two categories
Macronutrients and micronutrients
Define Macronutrients
- energy yielding nutrient
- Found in higher proportions in the body and require larger quantities from the diet
Define Micronutrients
Found in smaller quantities in the body and require smaller amounts from the diet
Examples of macronutrients
Water, carbohydrates, lipids, and proteins
Examples of micronutrients
Vitamins and minerals
Examples of Carbohydrates
- Organic, energy yielding macronutrient
Ex: Sugars, starches, fibre
Examples of lipids
- Organic, energy yielding macronutrient
- Triglycerides, fatty acids, sterols, and phospholipids
Proteins
Organic, energy yielding macronutrient
Made of amino acids
Water
Inorganic - no carbon
Vitamins
Organic containing carbon chains
Fat soluble and water soluble
Minerals
- Inorganic
- Chemical elements
Are nutrients food?
No. Food contains nutrients but health effects of a food or diet cannot always be predicted by knowing its nutrient content
Nutritionism
Describes why reducing the effects of foods to the sum of their parts can be problematic
Understanding nutrition requires what
- how nutrients and other substances in food interact with each other,
- how the effects of nutrients differ between people
Non-nutrients
Found in food that are not considered nutrients because they are not required for growth and survival
Examples of non-nutrients
Phytochemicals, alcohol, caffeine, and toxins
Non-nutrients have what effects
Positive effects (phytochemcials)
Negative effects (alcohol, toxins)
Both (caffeine)
Phytochemcials
Plant chemicals found in wide variety of plants responsible for their bright colours
Phytochemicals positively effect health by decreasing what risks
Believed to reduce risk of cardiovascular disease and cancer in those who consume higher amounts of fruit and vegetables
What food are phytochemicals found in
Fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans, legumes, nuts, and spices
Why do plants make phytochemicals
To promote their growth and reproduction
What may cause plants to produce more phytochemicals
More environmental stressors can cause a plant to produce more phytochemicals
What are the two main categories of phytochemicals
Flavonoids and carotenoids
Flavonoids
- Give plants bright blue, red, or dark pigmentation
- anti-inflammatory, anti-tumour, and antioxidant effects
Foods that are abundant in flavonoids
Parsley, blueberries, black tea, citrus fruits, wine, and cocoa
Carotenoids
- gives pants yellow, orange, and red colour
- antioxidants effects
Carotenoids
- gives pants yellow, orange, and red colour
- antioxidants effects
Foods with Carotenoids
Pumpkins, sweet potatoes, carrots, and squash
What are Toxins and where are they found
Naturally occurring substances found in plants and animals as part of their metabolism or defence against predators
Where are toxins found in
- Many foods contain toxins and are unavoidable
- harmful effects on body if consumed in excessive amounts
- consuming low enough amounts so that they don’t become poison
Ways we can help limit risk of food toxins?
- discard old, mouldy, bruised, damaged, or discoloured food
- discard foul-smelling food or food with unusual taste
Fortification of food
Enriched foods, increasing amount of nutrients in foods by the food manufacturer
Why are foods fortified?
Mandatory - government regulations: add iodine to table salt
Voluntary - increase marketability: adding vitamins, minerals, essential fatty acids, fibres into food
Whole foods
Most foods have some degree of processing but whole foods are the least amount of processing, associated with reduced disease risk
Processed foods
Food that have undergone significant changes to their original form
What are the health risks of ultra processed foods?
Higher risk of type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, mortality
NOVA classification system is used for what?
Used to differentiate between different degrees of processed foods
NOVA Group 1:
Unprocessed or minimally processed foods
- plants/animals with minimal alterations
- typically found intact with minimal packaging
What are the ways NOVA Group 1 is processed?
Processed meant to preserve food close to their natural form: dried, crushed, roasted boiled, refrigerated, pasteurized
NOVA Group 2
Processed culinary ingredients
- typically used in combination with foods from group 1 and are not typically consumed on their own
What are the ways NOVA Group 2 is processed?
made from foods found in first category: pressing, refining, and grinding them
NOVA Group 3
Processed foods
- more than one processed culinary ingredient added to a formerly unprocessed or minimally processed food
- made to enhance shelf life, taste, and marketability
How is NOVA Group 3 processed?
Typically made by combining group 1 and 2 foods
- canned foods, cheese, breads, and fruits in syrup
NOVA Group 4
Ultra-processed foods
- often include lower cost ingredients like sugar and salt
- found in brightly coloured packages and sold in convenience stores
- manufacturers made to improve shelf life, taste, marketability, and ultimately profit
How is NOVA Group 4 processed?
Give example foods
- minimal amounts of group 1 ingredients but rather almost entirely made from processed ingredients in group 2 and 3
Ex: sugar-sweetened beverages, chocolate bars, candy, pre-packaged frozen dinners and deli meats
Are toxins found in organic or inorganic foods?
Toxins are found in both
Enriched foods are in which NOVA group
Either NOVA 3 - processed foods
Or NOVA 4 - ultra-processed foods
Why are living things like plants and animals organic?
Innately organic because they are made up of carbon-containing compounds
Define the term organic food
The way the food was grown, raised, or processed
Food additives
- Substances added to food to affect taste, appearance, safety, freshness
- amounts are controlled in foods
- common in group 3/4
- must first be approved through an evidence review
Organic foods
Minimal synthetic or artificial inputs and are grown, raised, and harvested in a way that preserves biodiversity
Ex: use manure, compost, crop rotation to promote nutrient content of soil
When can companies display an organic label on a food?
If the food contains at least 95% organic contents
Are organic foods genetically modified?
No, organic foods are not GMF
- farmed without use of hormones and unnecessary antibiotics
- contain lower amounts of pesticide residues
T/F: Food that is organic is dictated healthy
False, ultra processed organic foods like Mac and cheese, cheese, or cookies are still ultra-processed foods
- may be no difference in nutritional quality of organic foods compared to conventional foods
T/F: Organic foods are proven to enhance nutrition and improve health
False, not enough long-term studies on the exclusive consumption of organic foods and their effects on health
Which NOVA Group does organic foods fall under?
Organic foods can be found in all NOVA categories
Genetically Modified Foods (GMFs)
Foods that have undergone alterations to their DNA through the process of genetic engineering
T/F: Consumption of GMFs does not change our genetics
True, plants or animals genetics are slightly altered, but it does not incorporate into our own DNA
What methods are used to GMF?
Selective breeding: seedless grapes/watermelons, broccoflower
Use of vector: golden rice, RoundUp ready soy
Use of Vector
Implant desirable traits into an organism to improve the growth of that food and make it more resilient to environmental threats or to boost its nutritional quality
Cash Crops
Those that are heavily produced, sold and traded
Ex: corn and soy
How does GMF using a vector work?
- DNA of organism with a desired trait
- Remove the desired gene
- A plasmid vector is used for gene transfer
- Gene is incorporated into vectors
- Target organism grows with the desired gene from vector
- Target organism has new gene incorporated in DNA
What do published studies suggest about GMF?
GM foods currently available on the international market have passed safety assessments and are not likely to present risks for human health
What health concerns are related to GMFs?
- biodiversity, allergic potential, ethics, labelling
Food additives examples
Preserving agents: sodium nitrate
Thickening agents: guargum
Sweeteners: high-fructose corn syrup
Why do we eat?
- Sustenance: maintenance of our bodies/lives
- enjoyment
- psychological reasons
Nutrients contribute to sustenance under what three categories?
- Body structure
- Body function
- Energy provision
All nutrients can be found within most body cells expect for what nutrient category
Vitamins
What body structure does protein give
- Adds structure to our muscles, bones and teeth
- embedded within cell membranes
What body structure does lipids give
- provide body structure and cushioning when they are stored in adipose tissue
- embedded within cell membranes
What body structure do lipids give
- provide body structure and cushioning when they are stored in adipose tissue
- cell membranes are made of lipids
What body structure do minerals give
- hardens our bones and teeth, making them stronger
- minerals like potassium and chloride are found in cytoplasm
What body structure do carbohydrates give
- embedded in cell membranes
What body structure does water give
- cytoplasm of a cell is made of water
- body is 60-70% water by weight, giving structure to cells
What is anatomy
Study of body structure
What is physiology
Study of body functions
How does nutrients contribute to physiology?
Being involved in various reactions and processes aimed at maintaining homeostasis
Homeostasis
State of dynamic equilibrium that allows out bodies to function optimally
Basal metabolism
Body needs energy in order to perform its various functions and keep us alive
What THREE nutrients provide energy to the body
Carbohydrates, lipids and proteins are energy yielding nutrients
Besides using energy to fuel the body for activities, what else is energy used for?
Energy to help process the food we eat and to make heat
How many kilocalories per gram do carbs provide
4 kcal/g
How many kilocalories per gram do lipids provide
9 kcal/g
How many kilocalories per gram do proteins provide
4 kcal/g
Alcohol is NOT a nutrient but a DRUG.
How many kilocalories per gram does alcohol provide?
7 kcal/g
How does diet affect our body in the short term?
Affect our energy levels and how our body feels
How does diet affect our body in the long term?
What we regularly eat can affect our risk for developing certain diseases like cancer, heart disease, diabetes, and stroke
Modifiable risk factors that affect our disease risk
Smoking, physically inactive, experiences high degrees of stress
Unmodifiable risk factors that affect our disease risk
Gender, age, and genetics
Unmodifiable risk factors that affect our disease risk
Gender, age, and genetics
How does genetic makeup influence our appetite?
availability of nutrients, how those nutrients are used/effects on the body, how we taste and experience food
Nutritional epigenetics
Diet cannot change the sequence of DNA in our cells but can affect the way genes are expressed.
- whether a segment of DNA will be coded into a functional protein
How does the Agouti mouse represent nutritional epigenetics
Changing the diets of pregnant mice affected gene expression in their offspring
T/F: Methyl groups do not alter DNA codes, but they alter whether DNA can be expressed or not
True
Choosing a healthy diet:
Dietary balance
Consuming nutrients and energy in proportions that promote health
T/F: balanced diet means finding the right equilibrium between food, meaning we should eat 50/50
False. Balanced diet is finding the right proportions. A good rule is 80/20. 80% of nutritional decision should promote health, while 20% can be less healthy
Choosing a healthy diet:
Dietary variety
consuming a diversity of foods
- The greater variety of foods we consume, the less likely we are to develop symptoms of deficiency
Choosing a healthy diet:
Moderation
Not too much, not too little
- helps avoid nutritional deficiencies, and health complications
Choosing a healthy diet:
Nutrient density
amount of nutrients in a food or meal compared to a reference amount
Ex: 100 kcal of 2% milk vs 100 kcal of cola
Nutrient profiling
science of ranking foods based on nutrient density
- differentiate foods that are high in essential nutrients (protein/vitamins) and lower in nutrients that may increase risk of disease when consumed excessively (trans fat)
T/F: whole foods tend to be more nutrient dense than processed and ultra-processed foods
True, can increase the nutrient density and healthfulness of our diets
T/F: we compare foods based on the content rather than nutrient density
False. We compare foods on nutrient density and not content
Why is it difficult to study nutrition
- People change their diet constantly
- We can’t force people to eat a certain way
- It is difficult to know for certain what people eat
- Other factors beyond nutrition also affect health
- Difficult to establish causation
Nutrition
study of the foods we eat and their effects on us and our environment
How does scientific method used to study nutrition
Experiments and epidemiological research are the most common types of nutrition studies using the scientific method
What are the 7 steps of the scientific method
Define problem —> observation —> hypothesis —> develop study methods —> take detailed results —> analyze data —> draw conclusions
Experimental studies
Also called randomized control trials
- making inferences from research by controlling all variables but one factor
What are the two groups in an experimental study or a randomized control trial
Experimental group: undergoes the experiment
Control group: doesn’t undergo but given a placebo
Blind study
neither the experimental nor control group knows which group they are in. They just know what the experiment
is about and that they might receive an active treatment or a placebo
Double blind study
neither the scientists nor the subjects know which group is receiving the experimental treatment and which is receiving the placebo. This reduces the chance for bias from the experimenters as well
Pros and cons of experimental studies
Pro: establishing causality
Con: human nutrition studies are difficult to perform, difficult to force a person do something, people may drop out of study
Epidemiological studies
Also known as population based studies
- look at trends in populations without manipulating any variables
Cons of epidemiology
Association does NOT equal causation
- results could be for other reasons to
- people change their diet overtime
Anecdotal evidence
- typically used to sell products and sway opinions
- personal testimonies drawn from direct or indirect casual experiences
- not scientific, not peer-reviewed
Peer review
- skilled research team whose work is further reviewed and assessed
- Before a scientific article can be published, experts in the field not involved in the study process must review it to ensure the study was properly conducted, results were properly analyzed, and conclusions were properly drawn
Impact factor
determining a journals importance and rank based on how many times its articles have been cited by other researchers
List the credibility of sources from Highest to lowest
- Systemic reviews
- Randomized control trials
- Epidemiological evidence
- Expert opinions
- Anecdotal evidence
Systemic reviews
panel of topic experts reviewing a wide range of primary research studies and evaluating the strength of evidence to support or not support a phenomenon
VETO is used for evaluating nutrition and other claims to assess their credibility. What does it stand for?
V- is it valuable?
E- is it evidence based?
T- is it trustworthy?
O- is it opinion based?
