Balanced diet

Question 1

What does a balanced diet contain?

Answer 1

Proteins
Carbohydrates (main energy source)
Lipids
Vitamins
Minerals
Water
Non-digestible carbohydrate

Question 2

What is malnutrition?

Answer 2

1. Malnutrition includes undernutrition, inadequate vitamins or minerals, overweight, obesity, and resulting diet-related noncommunicable diseases.
   1.9 billion adults are overweight or obese, while 462 million are underweight.
2. Undernutrition includes wasting (low weight-for-height), stunting (low height-for-age), and underweight (low weight-for-age).
3. Micronutrient-related malnutrition includes micronutrient deficiencies (a lack of vitamins and minerals) or micronutrient excess.
4. Overweight, obesity, and diet-related noncommunicable diseases (e.g., heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and some cancers)

Question 3

What are the causes of malnutrition?

Answer 3

1. Physical illness – including cancer, cystic fibrosis, ulcerative colitis, and Crohn’s diseases.
2. Mental illness including - Anorexia nervosa, depression.
3. Poor diet- poverty, homelessness, social isolation.
4. Alcohol related

Question 4

What are the types of malnutrition?

Answer 4

1. Kwashiorkor - severe protein deficiency, loss of muscle mass, an enlarged tummy (“pot belly”), regular infections, red, inflamed patches of skin, dry, brittle hair that falls failure, tiredness or irritability.
2. Marasmus - protein and energy undernutrition, weight loss, stunted growth, dry skin and eyes, brittle hair, diarrhoea, lower immunity, stomach infection, and lactose intolerance.

Question 5

What are the biological uses of carbohydrates?

Answer 5

Store and use for energy, main energy source.
Monosaccharides - glucose and fructose contained in fruit, vegetables, honey, and natural syrups.
Disaccharides included lactose (dairy products).
Polysaccharides - starch, glycogen cellulose.
Non-starch polysaccharides - containing mixtures of glucose and other monosaccharides: non-digestible dietary fibres.
Some can be fermented by colonic bacteria to short-chain fatty acids and lactate.

Question 6

What are the five different types of carbohydrates?

Answer 6

1. Monosaccarides
2. Disaccharides
3. Polysaccarides
4. Non-starch polysaccharides
5. Short chain-fatty acids

Question 7

What are the biological uses of lipids?

Answer 7

Energy storage, membranes, hormones needed to make oestrogen.
1. Good unsaturated fats — monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats - e.g. vegetable oils (such as olive, canola, sunflower, soy, and corn), nuts, seeds, and fish.
2. Bad fats — trans fats or hydrogenated unsaturated fats — trans unsaturated fats – those with Trans fats are unsaturated fats with trans double bonds instead of cis bonds and increase disease risk, even when eaten in small quantities.
3. Saturated fats - saturated fat - red meat, butter, cheese, and ice cream, coconut oil and palm oil are also rich in saturated fat.

Question 8

3 different types of fats

Answer 8

Good unsaturated fats - nuts
Bad fats - trans fats - have trans double bonds
Saturated fats - red meat

Question 9

What are the biological uses of cholesterol?

Answer 9

1. Made in our own bodies, helps to keep the shape of our red blood cell membranes, hormones, and steroids.
2. HDL cholesterol - transported to the liver and broken down and is a constituent of bile, has more protein than LDL.
3. LDL cholesterol - deposited into cells.
   Too many lipids cause obesity, infertility

Question 10

Give 4 examples of mineral deficiencies

Answer 10

Calcium deficiency - stunted growth in children
Iron deficiency - anaemia
Iodine deficiency - hypothyroidism and goitre
Fluoride deficiency - tooth decay

Question 11

Give 4 examples of vitamin deficiencies

Answer 11

1. Vitamins D deficiency - leads to rickets,
2. Folic acid deficiency - leads to anemia, birth defects - neural tube defects and spina bifida
3. Vitamin A deficiency - can lead to night blindness and keratosis
4. Vitamin C deficiency - can lead to scurvy