Basic concepts Flashcards
Nutrition, definition
- The study of food, nutrients and other substances within food and the body’s handling of them.
- The study of the environment and of human behavior as relevant
Macronutrients vs micronutrients
Macronutrients (lipids, proteins, carbohydrate, needed in big amounts)
Micronutrients (vitamins and minerals, needed in small amounts milligrams,micrograms)
How do the causes of death in Canada differ from poor areas?
Canada: Lifestyle diseases (cancer, heart disease, stroke) Poor Areas: infectious diseases
Is fibre a micronutrient or macronutrient?
Neither, just a necessary one.
Everything we need to take is..
- Micronutrient
- Macronutrient
- Water
- Oxygen
Phytochemicals are
- Plant-based
- May have effects on our body( positive and negative)
From what source we get calories?
Macronutrients
Groups of phytochemicals
- Polyphenols
- Terpenes
- Sulfur compounds
- Saponins
How can we activate or disactivate the phytochemicals?
Through cooking
Nowadays, what do nutrition experts want us to focus on?
Nutrition to prevent chronic diseases
Define a risk factor.
Condition or characteristic associated with an outcome (NOT necessarily causal)
Give examples of risk factors.
- Diet/Obesity - Tobacco + smoking - Lifestyle
What is the #1 preventable cause of death?
obesity
Give some(5) examples of reasons that influence our food choices.
- Habit
- Heritage/Tradition
- Availability/Economy
- Emotional comfort
- Values
What is the health cascade?
Regular exercise -> better stress management -> better sleep -> better food decisions -> more energy -> less chronic disease
Define energy balance.
The relation between intake of food and output of work (as in muscular or secretory activity).
What are some arguments for a meatless diet?
- Physical health
- Ecological responsibility
- Philosophical concerns
What is AMDR? and its value for macronutrients
AMDR( acceptable macronutrient distribution ranges) Protein 10-35% Fat 20-35% Carbohydrate- 45-65% Women 2000 calories, men 2500
What is a nutrient?
Chemical substances obtained from food and used in the body to provide energy, structural materials, and regulating agents to support growth, maintenance, and repair of the body’s tissues.
What is an essential nutrient?
Must be obtained from food since the body cannot make them for itself in sufficient quantity to meet physiological needs.
What are the three rules that make up an essential nutrient.
1) Accomplish a biological function 2) Cannot be taken out of the body 3) Either not produced, or not produced in sufficient quantities by the human body
We need nutrients as…
1)Raw material( maintenance and repair of tissues)
Growth
Regulate vital processes in the body
2) Source of energy
Name the six classes of nutrients found in food.
Carbohydrates, lipids, protein, minerals, water, vitamins
Which nutrients are inorganic?
Minerals and water
Discuss the distinction between organic and inorganic nutrients.
- Inorganic: no carbon - Organic: carbon, element found in living things
Which nutrients yield energy?
Carbohydrates, fats, and protein (alcohol –> not a nutrient)
How much energy, per gram, does each nutrient yield?
Carbs: 4kcal/g Protein: 4kcal/g Fat: 9kcal/g (Alcohol): 7kcal/g
Apart from diet, what other subjects does nutrition touch upon?
- How foods act, are processed, affect our health - Epigenetic - Environmental issues - Behavioural issues
Name the 4 main deficiency issues today.
- Protein & energy( stunting, wasting
- Iron (anemia)
- Vitamin A (xerophthalmia) –> blindness
- Iodine (goiter)
What do deficiency diseases cause?
Immune problems, which lead to infections and parasites
Thiamin is
Vitamin b1
Niacin is
Vitamin b3
Ascorbic acid
Vitamin c
What is the link between nutrition and immunity?
Malnutrition & infection worsen each other
Folate is
vitamin b9
Pyrodoxine
vitamin b 6
Apart from preventing chronic diseases, what else does nutrition focus on nowadays?
Eating disorders, GMOs, eating local
What is the centrepiece of medicine?
Nutrition, Hyppocrates
Name some types of company claims
“Natural”, quick fixes, meaningless medical jargon
What are the three types of epidemiological studies?
- Cross-Sectional ( researchers observe how much and what kinds of foods a group of people eat and how healthy those people are.Their findings identify factors that might influence the incidence of a disease in various populations)
- Case-Control (researchers compare people who do and do not have a given condition such as disease, closely matching them in age,gender,and other key variables so that differences in other factors will stand out)
- Cohort ( researchers analyze data collected from a selected group of people ( a cohort) at intervals over a certain period of time( Denmark and Greenland omega 3 and omega 6)
What is an epidemiological study?
Research the incidence, distribution, and control of disease in a population.
What are the three types of experimental studies?
- Laboratory-based animal
- Lab-based in vitro ( researchers examine the effects of a specific variable on a tissue, cell, or molecule isolated from a living)
- Human Intervention (clinical) trial
What is an experimental study?
Test cause-and-effect relationships between variables.
Cornerstones for nutrition research
- Randomized placebo-controlled double-blinded clinical trials
- Sample size
- Representative sample
- Replication
How does research reach the population?
Nutrition research -> expert review -> public health message (Health Canada) -> change in behaviour?
Explain how variables might be correlational but not causal.
Correlational evidence proves only that variables are associated, not that one is the cause of the other.
Define DRI.
Dietary Reference Intakes are a set of nutrient intake values used to plan and evaluate diets for healthy people.
Define the EAR
Estimated Average Requirements define the amount of a nutrient that supports a specific function in the body for HALF of the population.
Define the RDA.
Recommended Dietary Allowances are based on the EAR + 2 standard deviations, meets 97.5% of population needs.
Is cholesterol an essential nutrient?
No, we can make it in the liver
Define AI.
Adequate Intake serves a similar purpose when there is not enough scientific evidence to determine an RDA.
Define UL.
Tolerable Upper Intake Level establishes the highest amount that appears safe for regular consumption.
What is the purpose of DRIs.
Meet requirements for most, not setting a recommendation too high (toxicity), based on evidence
Which DRI is better for groups? Which is better for individuals?
Groups: EAR Individuals: RDA
WHO,FAO,UNU
WHO-world health organization
FAO- food and agriculture organization
UNU- union nations university
Standard deviation
the difference in population for most metabolic reactions( approximately for all the reactions 12.5% of the population)
Why is there no DRI for energy?
Because ANY excess will result in weight gain (toxicity). Instead, we prescribe a number for a population group. ( energy efficiency rating)
What happens when people get either too little or too much energy or nutrients?
Malnutrition develops when people get too little, too much, or an imbalance of energy or nutrients.
What we want to avoid with the recommendations
To avoid toxicity. We dont want anyone to cross UL,because sometimes the toxicity symptoms are severe
Children need more… than adults
Protein ( in dairy)
