Ch1 - Nutrition Flashcards
Nutrition
The study of food;
how food nourishes our bodies; how food influences our health.
Food
The plants and animals we consume.
Chronic diseases
Diseases that come on slowly and can persist for years, often despite treatment
Wellness
A multidimensional, lifelong process that includes physical, emotional, social, occupational, and spiritual health.
Nutrients
Chemicals found in foods that are critical to human growth and function.
Organic
A substance / nutrient that contains the elements carbon and hydrogen.
Inorganic
A substance / nutrient that does not contain carbon and hydrogen.
Macronutrients
Nutrients that our body needs in relatively large amounts to support normal function and health. Carbohydrates, fats, and proteins.
Carbohydrates
fuel source for body, particularly for our brain and for physical exercise.
Fats
energy source for body at rest and during low-intensity.
Proteins
Large, complex molecules made up of amino acids and found as essential components of all living cells.
Micronutrients
Nutrients needed in the daily diet in relatively small amounts; vitamins and minerals.
Vitamins
Organic compounds that assist in regulating body processes.
Minerals
Inorganic substances that are not broken down during digestion or absorption; they assist in regulating body processes.
Metabolism
The process by which large particles: carbohydrates, fats, and proteins, are broken down via chemical reactions into smaller chemicals that can be used as fuel, stored, or assembled into new compounds the body needs.
Fat-soluble vitamins
Vitamins that are not soluble in water but are soluble in fat, including vitamins A, D, E, K.
Water - soluble vitamins
Vitamins that are soluble in water, including vitamin C and the B - vitamins.
Major minerals
Minerals we need to consume in amounts of at least 100 mg/day and of which the total amount in our body is at least 5g.
Trace minerals
Minerals that must be consumed in amounts of less than 100mg/day and that are present in the body at the level of less than 5g.
Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs)
A set of nutritional reference values for the US and Canada that applies to healthy people.
Estimated Average Requirement (EAR)
daily nutrient intake level estimated to meet the requirement of half the healthy individuals in a particular life stage or gender group.
Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA)
The average daily nutrient intake level that meets the nutrient requirements of 97-98% of healthy individuals in a particular life stage and gender group.
Adequate Intake (AI)
A recommended average daily nutrient intake level based on observed or experimentally determined estimates of nutrient intake by a group of healthy people.
Tolerate Upper Intake Level (UL)
The highest average daily nutrient intake level likely to pose no risk of adverse health effects to almost all individuals in a particular life stage and gender group.
Estimated Energy Requirement (EER)
The average dietary energy intake that is predicted to maintain energy balance in a healthy adult.
Acceptable Macronutrient Distribution Range (AMDR)
The range of macronutrient intakes that provides adequate levels of essential nutrients and is associated with a reduced risk for chronic disease.
Hypothesis
An educated guess as to why a phenomenon occurs.
Theory
A conclusion / scientific consensus, draw from repeated experiments.
Observational studies
Studies that indicate relationships between nutrient habits, disease trends, and other health phenomena of large populations of humans.
Case control studies
Complex observational studies with additional design features that allow us to gain a better understanding of factors that may influence disease.
Clinical trials
Tightly controlled experiments in which an intervention is given to determine its effect on a certain disease or health condition.
Placebo
An imitation treatment having no active ingredient that is sometimes used in a clinical trial.
Quackery
The promotion of an unproven remedy, such as a supplement or other product or service, usually by someone unlicensed and untrained.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
The leading federal agency in the US that protects the health and safety of people. Its mission is to promote health and quality of life by preventing and controlling disease, injury, and disability.
National Institutes of Health (NIH)
The world’s leading medical research center and the focal point for medical research in the US.
Nutrigenomics
A scientific discipline studying the interactions between genes, the environment, and nutrition.
Human genome
The complete set of genes making up the DNA in the nucleus of a human cell.
Human microbiome
The complete set of genes belonging to the trillions of microorganisms that inhabit the human body.
Whole Foods
Foods that have been modified as little as possible, remaining in or near their natural state.
Processed foods
Foods that are manipulated mechanically or chemicals.
Probiotics
Foods / food supplements containing microorganisms that beneficially affect consumers by improving the intestinal microbial balance.
Prebiotics
Nondigestible food ingredients that beneficially affect the consumer by selectively stimulating the growth and/or activity of one or a limited # of bacteria in the colon.
Phytochemicals
Compounds found in plants believed to have health-promoting effects in humans.
Functional foods
Components of a typical diet which may have biologically active ingredients that provide health benefits beyond basic nutrition.
