Basic Nutrition & Digestion Flashcards
Carbohydrate
The body’s preferred energy source.
Dietary sources include sugars (simple) and grains, rice, potatoes, and beans (complex).
Carbohydrate is stored as glycogen in the muscles and liver and is transported in the blood as glucose.
The only energy source for the brain and red blood cells. Carbohydrates also store energy, and in the case of fiber, may improve digestion.
Carbon + water
Digestion
The process of breaking down food into small enough units for absorption.
Absorption
The uptake of nutrients across a tissue or membrane by the gastrointestinal tract.
Nutrient
Components of food needed by the body. There are 6 classes of nutrients: water, minerals, vitamins, fats, carbohydrates, and protein.
Macronutrients
A nutrient that is needed in large quantities for normal growth and development.
Micronutrient
A nutrient that is needed in small quantities for normal growth and development.
Fat
An essential nutrient that provides energy, energy storage, insulation, and contour to the body. 1 gram of fat = 9 kcal
Vitamins
An organic micronutrient that is essential for normal physiologic function.
Minerals
Inorganic substances needed in the diet in small amounts to help regulate bodily functions.
Monosaccharides
The simplest form of sugar; it cannot be broken down any further.
Amino acids
Nitrogen-containing compounds that are building blocks of proteins.
Fatty acids
Long hydrocarbon chains with an even number of carbons and varying degrees of saturation with hydrogen.
Cholesterol
A fatlike substance found in the blood and body tissues and in certain foods.
Can accumulate in the arteries and lead to a narrowing of the vessels. (Artherosclerosis)
Protein
A compound composed of a combination of 20 amino acids that is the major structural component of all body tissue.
Glucose
A simple sugar; the form in which all carbohydrates are used as the body’s principal energy source.
Fructose
Fruit sugar; the sweetest of the monosaccharides; found in varying levels in different types of fruits.
Galactose
A monosaccharide; a component of lactose.
Lactose
A disaccharide; the principle sugar found in milk.
Disaccharide
Double sugar units called sucrose, lactose and maltose.
Oligosaccharide
A chain of about 3 to 10 or fewer simple sugars.
Polysaccharides
A long chain of sugar molecules.
Maltose
Two glucose molecules bound together. Used to make beer.
Sucrose
Table sugar; a disaccharide formed by glucose and fructose linked together.
Enzyme
A protein that speeds up a specific chemical reaction.
Insulin resistance
An inability of muscle tissue to effectively use insulin, where the action of insulin is “resisted” by insulin-sensitive tissues.
Diabetes
A disease of carbohydrate metabolism in which an absolute or relative deficiency of insulin results in an inability to metabolize carbohydrates normally.
Empty calories
Calories that provide very little nutritional value; should be limited in the diet.
Solid fats and added sugars (sofas)
SoFAS are added to foods or beverages to make them more appealing, but they also can add a lot of calories. The foods and beverages with soFAS provide the most empty calories for Americans.
Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA)
A large, double-stranded, helical molecule that is the carrier of genetic information.
Fructooligosaccharide
A category of Oligosaccharides that are mostly indigestible, may help to relieve constipation, improve triglyceride levels, and decrease production of foul smelling digestive by-products.
Triglycerides
Three fatty acids joined to a glycerol (carbon and hydrogen structure) backbone; how fat is stored in the body.
Glycogen
The chief carbohydrate storage material; formed by the liver and stored in the liver and muscle.
Starch
A plant carbohydrate found in grains and vegetables.
Complex carbohydrates
A long chain of sugar that takes more time to digest than a simple carbohydrate.
Simple carbohydrates
Short chains of sugar that are rapidly digested.
Glycemic index (GI)
A ranking of carbohydrates on a scale from 0-100 according to the extent to which they raise blood sugar levels.
Large intestines
A component of the digestive system where certain minerals and a large amount of water are reabsorbed into the blood.
Dietary fiber
Fiber obtained naturally from plant foods.
Functional fiber
Fiber obtained in the diet from isolated fibers added to food products.
High viscosity fibers
A type of fiber that forms gel in water; may help prevent heart disease and stroke by binding bike and cholesterol; diabetes by slowing glucose absorption; and constipation by holding moisture in stools and softening them.
Soluble fiber
See high viscosity fiber
Gastric emptying
The process by which food is emptied from the stomach into the small intestines.
Cardiovascular disease
A general term for any disease of the heart, blood vessels or circulation.
Low viscosity fibers
The structural part of the plant that does not form a gel in water; it reduces constipation and lowers risk of hemorrhoids and diverticulosis by adding bulk to the feces and reducing transit time in the colon. Also called insoluble fiber.
Adenosine teiphosphate ( ATP)
A high-energy phosphate molecule required to provide energy for cellular function. Produced both aerobically and anaerobically and stored in the body.
Carbohydrate loading
Up to a week long regimen of manipulating intensity of training and carbohydrate intake to achieve maximum glycogen storage for an endurance event.
Antibodies
An immunoglobulin molecule produced by lymphocytes in response to an antigen and characterized by reacting specifically with the antigen.
Peptide bonds
The chemical bond formed between neighboring amino acids, constituting the primary linkage of all protein structures.
Essential amino acids
Eight to 10 of the 23 different amino acids needed to make proteins. Called essential because the body cannot manufacture them; they must be obtained from the diet.
Non-essential amino acids
Amino acids that can be made by the body.
Bioavailability
The degree to which a substance can be absorbed and efficiently utilized by the body.
Complete protein
A food that contains all of the essential amino acids. Eggs, soy and most meats and dairy products are considered complete proteins.
Incomplete proteins
A protein that does not contain all of the essential amino acids.
Nitrogen balance
A measure of nitrogen consumed (from dietary intake protein) and nitrogen excreted (from protein breakdown). In a healthy body, the amount of protein taken in is exactly matched by the amount of protein lost in feces, urine and sweat.
The muscle tissues undergo continual breakdown and resynthesis, with a fraction of muscle protein destroyed and an equal fraction rebuilt daily using amino acids from the amino acid pool.
Catabolism
Metabolic pathways that break down molecules into smaller units and release energy.
Anabolism
A state in which the body produces more protein than it breaks down; occurs in times of growth such as childhood, pregnancy, recovery from illness, and in response to resistance training when overloading the muscles promotes protein synthesis.
Polyunsaturated fats
A type of unsaturated fat (liquid at room temperature) that has two or more spots on the fatty acid available for hydrogen (eg. Corn, safflower, and soybean oils)
Saturated fats
A fatty acid that contains no double bonds between carbon atoms; typically solid at room temperature and very stable.
Trans fats
An unsaturated fatty acid that is converted into a saturated fat to increase the shelf life of some products
Heterogenous
Non-similar or non-uniform in nature, such as a group of lipids with differing basic structures.
Low density lipoprotein (LDL)
A lipoprotein that transports cholesterol and triglycerides from the liver and small intestine to cells and tissues; high levels may cause artherosclerosis.
Unsaturated fatty acids
Fatty acids that contain one or more double bonds between carbon atoms; typically liquid at room temperature and fairly unstable, making them susceptible to oxidative damage and a shortened shelf life.
Monounsaturated fats
A type of unsaturated fat (liquid at room temperature) that has one open spot on the fatty acid for the addition of a hydrogen atom (eg. Oleic acid in Olive oil(
High density lipoprotein (HDL)
A lipoprotein that carried excess cholesterol from the arteries to the liver.
Essential fatty acids
Fatty acids that the body needs but cannot synthesize; includes linolenic (omega-3) and linoleic (omega 6) fatty acids.
Omega 3 fatty acid
An essential fatty acid that promotes a healthy immune system and helps protect against heart and other diseases; found in egg yolk and cold water fish like tuna, salmon, mackerel, cod, crab, shrimp and oyster. Also known as linolenic acid.
Omega 6
An essential fatty acid found in flaxseed, canola, and soybean oils and green leaves. Also known as linoleic acid.
Dietary reference intake (DRIs)
A generic term used to refer to three types of nutrient reference values: recommended daily allowance (RDA), estimated average requirement (EAR), and Tolerable Upper Intake Level ( UL)
Adequate Intake
A recommended nutrient intake level that, based on research, appears to be sufficient for food health.
Phospholipids
Structurally similar to triglycerides, but the glycerol backbone is modified sonthatbthe molecule is water soluble at one end and water insoluble at the other end; helps maintain cell membrane structure and function.
Estrogen
Generic term for estrous producing steroid compounds produced primarily in the ovaries; the female sex hormones.
Testosterone
In males, the steroid hormone produced in the testes; involved in growth and development of reproductive tissues, sperm and secondary make sex characteristics.
Hypercholesterolemia
An excess of cholesterol in the blood.
Artherosclerosis
A specific form of arteriosclerosis characterized by the accumulation of fatty material on the inner walls of the arteries, causing them to harden, thicken and lose elasticity.
Fat-soluble vitamins
Vitamins that, when consumed, are stored in the body (particularly the liver and fat tissues); includes vitamins ADE and K
Digestive system
The group of organs that break down food and absorb the nutrients used by the body for fuel.
Parasympathetic nervous system
A subdivision of the autonomic nervous system that is involved in regulating the routine functions of the body, such as heartbeat, digestion and sleeping. Opposes the physiological effects of the sympathetic nervous system (eg. Stimulates digestive secretions, slows the heart, constricts the pupils, and dilates the blood vessels)
Autonomic nervous system
The part of the nervous system that regulates involuntary body functions, including the activity of the cardiac muscle, smooth muscles and glands. It has two divisions: the sympathetic nervous system and the parasympathetic nervous system.
Esophagus
The food pipe; the conduit from the mouth to the stomach.
Peristalsis
The wavelike muscular contractions of the alimentary canal or other tubular structures by which contents are forced onward.
Small intestine
The part of the gastrointestinal system that is the site of the majority of food digestion and absorption.
Duodenum
The top portion of the small intestine.
Gallbladder
A pear-shaped organ located below the liver that stores the bike secreted by the liver.
Chyme
The semiliquid mass of partly digested food expelled by the stomach into the duodenum
Macronutrients are broken down into their basic building blocks of…
Monosaccharides, amino acids and fatty acids.
Dietary Reference Intakes (DRI’s)
A generic term used to refer to three types of nutrient reference values: Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA), Estimated Average Requirement (EAR), and Tolerable Upper Intake Level (UL).
Overweight
A term to describe an excessive amount of weight for a given height, using height to weight ratios.
Hypertension
High blood pressure, or the elevation of resting blood pressure above 140/90 mmHg.
Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) eating plan
An eating plan designed to reduce blood pressure; also serves as an overall healthy way of eating that can be adopted by nearly anyone; may also lower risk of coronary heart disease.
Vegetarian
A person who does not eat meat, fish, poultry or products containing these foods.
Socio-ecologic model
A tool that can be used to help the health coach better understand the health behaviors of their clients and more effectively structure behavior-change programs; examines interrelationships between individuals and the environments in which they live and work, as well as the many levels at which individuals are influenced, both in terms of support for healthy behaviors and barriers to improving health behavior.
Estimated Energy Requirement
The dietary reference intake for the daily requirement of energy; measured in calories.
Servings
The amount of food used as a reference on the nutrition label of that food; the recommended portion of food to be eaten.
Satiety
A feeling of fullness.
Recommended Daily Allowances (RDAs)
The levels of intake of essential nutrients that, on the basis of scientific knowledge, are judged by the Food and Nutrition Board to be adequate to meet the known needs of practically all healthy persons.
Estimated Average Requirement (EAR)
An adequate intake in 50% of an age- and gender- specific group.
Tolerable Upper Intake Level (UL)
The maximum intake of a nutrient that is unlikely to pose risk of adverse health effects to almost all individuals in and age- and gender- specific group.