Chapter 1 Flashcards
What’s the leading cause of death in America? What other chronic diseases are connected to a poor diet and sedentary lifestyle?
Heart Disease
Overweight and obesity, cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, cancer
Definition of a nutrient
substances essential for health that the body cannot make or that the body makes in quantities too small to support life
What makes a nutrient essential?
-it has a specific biological function
-removal from diet leads to decline in human biological function
-returning the nutrient to the diet before permanent damage occurs; repairs function
6 main classes of nutrients
-carbohydrates
-lipids
-proteins
-water
-vitamins
-minerals
Carbohydrates (CHOS)
-major fuel source for body
-provide 4kcal/g
-C6H12O6 = glucose
-organic
Lipids
-fats and oils
-provide 9kcal/g
-glycerol+ 3 fatty acid molecules-> triglyceride
-major form of fat in foods
-major form for energy storage in body
-organic
Protein
-contains nitrogen
-provide 4kcal/g
-made up of chains of amino acids
-organic
Vitamins
-enables chemical reactions in the body
-13 vitamins
-deficiencies lead to fatigue
-4 fat-soluble vitamins= A, D(sun), E, K (can be toxic)
-break down and metabolize other macronutrients
-organic
Minerals
-simple, inorganic structures
-not easily destroyed
-major and trace
-breaks down and metabolizes other macronutrients
Water
-macronutrient needed in largest amounts
-acts as solvent in body, lubricant, transport medium, temperature regulation medium, and a medium for chemical reactions
-body at least 50%
-inorganic
Macronutrients
-needed in large quantities (grams)
-carbohydrate, lipids, protein, water
Micronutrients
-needed in small quantities (mcg or mg)
-vitamins and minerals= no kcals
What are the 3 most common nutrient deficiencies seen worldwide?
iron, iodine, and vitamin A
What is goiter?
iodine deficiency= thyroid gets huge
What is cretinism?
iodine deficiency= retardation
Why don’t we see iodine-deficiency in America?
iodine salt
What deficiency causes night blindness?
vitamin A deficiency= nyctalopia
Saturated Fatty Acids
-every bond on every carbon in the chain is filled
-solid @ room temp
-primarily come from animal sources
Unsaturated Fatty Acids
-double bonds
-liquid @ room temp
-primarily come from plant sources
Monounsaturated Fatty Acids
one double bond
best type of fat to consume
Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids
more than one double bond
Trans fats
unsaturated fats that have been processed to change their structure from the cis form to the trans form
-inflammation/heart disease
-partially hydrogenated vegetable oils liquid-> solid (extends shelf-life)
-naturally found in beef & dairy products
Simple carbohydrates
-monosaccharides
-glucose, fructose (fruit sugar) , galactose
Complex Carbohydrates
-chains of monosaccharides
1. Oligosaccharides= typically 3-10 monosaccharides
2. Polysaccharides= many monosaccharides
-cellulose, glycogen, starch
Disaccharides
-double sugars
Lactose=milk sugar (glucose + glucose)
Sucrose=table sugar (glucose + galactose)
Maltose (glucose + fructose)
Starch
storage of glucose in plants
Glycogen
-storage of glucose in humans
-liver glycogen= regulate blood glucose (sugar) levels
-muscle glycogen= metabolic fuel
Alcohol
7kcal/g
Fibers are?
indigestible carbohydrates
Soluble fiber
may reduce blood cholesterol levels and blood glucose levels
EX: gums, pectin, mucilage found in beans, fruits, oats
Insoluble fiber
adds bulk to the stool, promotes bowel health and regularity
EX: cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin found in whole grains and vegetables
Essential Fatty Acids
- Linoleic Acid (omega 6)
helps create inflammation - Alpa-Linolenic acid (omega 3)
helps with inflammation
How many amino acids in food? Essential?
20 different amino acids in food
9 essential (PVT TIM HLL)
Are fat-soluble or water-soluble nutrients more easily destroyed?
Water-soluble because they are sensitive
Which vitamin can the body produce when the skin is exposed to adequate sunlight?
Vitamin D
Major Minerals
calcium, potassium, sodium
Trace Minerals
Iron, Zinc, Copper, Iodine
Phytochemical
physiologically active compounds found in plant foods
-reduce inflammation, improve immunity, protect against cancer
Zoochemical
physiologically active compounds found in animal foods
-omega-3 fatty acids, probiotics
Would a phytochemical in a supplement work as well in the body as the same phytochemical found in fruit?
may not be as easily absorbed by the body as those from food sources
Functional Foods
dietary items that, besides providing nutrients and energy, beneficially modulate one or more targeted functions in the body, by enhancing a certain physiological response and/or by reducing the risk of disease
What proportion of Americans consume enough fruits and vegetables every day?
1/10
What are some issues with the North American diet?
-too many kcals
-too much protein and fat from animal sources; too little plants
-too many simple sugar; not enough complex carbs
-diet is high in sodium
What are some ways we can improve our diets?
-eat more fruits, vegetables, whole-grains, reduced-fat dairy
-more fiber, vitamin, minerals
-decrease sodium
-moderate intake of sugary soft drinks and fatty foods
Which factor is most important for food choices?
taste
What is the difference between hunger and appetite?
appetite is triggered by memories, thoughts, emotion, or mood
How does household spending on food in America compare with other locations throughout the world?
US spends the least
Undernutrition (malnutrition)
subclinical v clinical
Desirable nutrition
The body tissues have enough of a nutrient to support normal functions and enough to build and maintain body stores that can be used in
times of need
Over nutrition (malnutrition)
Consumption of more nutrients or calories than the body needs
Some nutrients are easily stored in the body and can lead to toxicity!
Is it possible to be overweight and undernourished?
too many calories, too few micronutrients yes
What is Healthy People 2030?
10-year plan for addressing our nation’s most critical public health priorities and challenges
- reduce proportion of adults with obesity
- reduce household food insecurity and hunger
ABCDEs of Nutritional Assessment
-anthropometric (body measurements)
-biochemical labs
-clinical assessments
-dietary assessments
-environmental assessments
What are some of the limitations of nutritional assessment?
-many signs and symptoms of nutritional problems are vague and hard to diagnose
-nutrition research is challenging to conduct
Experimental studies
introduce an intervention and study effects; randomized
Observational studies
can be prospective or retrospective
Prospective
observe a group of people to look for relationships between lifestyle factors or environmental exposures and the development of conditions or diseases
Retrospective
compare study subjects who have already been diagnosed (cases), with study subjects that don’t have a diagnose (controls). Cases and controls are asked about past exposures to identify associations between exposure and disease
What’s at the top of the evidence pyramid?
systematic reviews and meta-analyses of randomized controlled trials
Epidemiology
study of disease across populations
Meta-Analysis
statistical analysis that combines the data/results from multiple scientific studies
Systematic Review
study that provides a summary of the available literature on a specific topic
Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT)
study design that randomly assigns participants into an experimental or control group
What makes RCT the “gold standard”?
randomization eliminates much of the bias inherent with other study designs
Cohort Study
Observational study in which a cohort is followed prospectively for a long period of time
What is the Framingham Heart Study?
This long-term, multigenerational study is designed to identify common factors or characteristics that contribute to cardiovascular disease
cohort study
Case- Control Study
Observational study that compares patients who have a disease or outcome of interest (case) with patients who don’t have the disease or outcome (control)
Cross-Sectional Study
Observational study that analyzes data from a population at one specific point in time.
Case Report
Article that describes and interprets an individual case, often written in the form of a detailed story
Migrant Study
Look at changes in health in people who move from one country to another
Double-Blind Study
-hypothesis developed around cause, a research group chosen, participants randomly assigned to a group
-placebo given to control group
-intervention given to experimental group
Why are Double-Blind Studies difficult to conduct in nutrition?
Hard to disguise food
Placebo effect
a beneficial effect produced by a placebo drug or treatment, which cannot be attributed to the properties of the placebo itself, and must therefore be due to the patient’s belief in that treatment
Peer-Review
evaluation of scientific, academic, or professional work by others working in the same field
-needs to be unbiased and objective
-essential to the integrity of science; used to maintain scientific rigor and standards, and prove credibility
-best research is published in peer-reviewed journals
What does the abstract of a research article tell you?
summarizes the study
Correlation VS Causation
can suggest relationships but cannot prove cause and effect
-only randomized, controlled trials comparing intervention and control groups can definitively confirm causation
Cognitive Bias
A flaw or error in your thinking or reasoning that leads you to misinterpret information from the
world around you and to come to an inaccurate conclusion
Confirmation bias
Favoring or seeking out information that confirms your pre-existing beliefs
What is the Dietary Supplement and Health Education Act (DSHEA) of 1994?
classified vitamins, minerals, amino acids, herbal
remedies, and many other supplements as “foods” – this prevents the FDA from regulating them as rigorously as food
additives and drugs
Unlike drugs which must be proven ____ for their intended use before marketing, the FDA must prove a supplement is ____ before it can remove the product from the marketplace or take action to restrict its use.
safe and effective
unsafe
