Chapter 1 Flashcards
Nutrition is…
Nutrition is the science of nutrients in food and their actions within the body. It also encompasses human behaviors related to food and eating.
Foods come from…
Foods come from plants and animals, consumed for energy and nutrients to maintain life, grow, and repair tissues.
What is diet?
Diet refers to the foods and beverages a person eats and drinks, not necessarily a weight-loss plan.
What Are Factors Influencing Food Choices?
Personal preferences such as taste (sweet, salty, fatty foods) can be influenced by genetics and hormones.
Habit, ethnic heritage, and social interactions which may lead to eating similar foods as one’s social circle.
Availability, convenience, and cost affect food choices. There may be positive or negative emotional associations with food.
Values such as religious beliefs and environmental concerns also impact choices.
Body weight, image, and health awareness are influential, with an emphasis on distinguishing between science-based nutrition and fads.
Marketing is a multi-billion dollar industry shaping consumer habits.
Nutrients are…
Nutrients are chemical substances in food that provide energy, structural materials, and are regulating agents to support growth, maintenance and repair of tissues.
They may also reduce risk of certain diseases.
Phytochemicals are…
Phytochemicals are non-nutrient compounds found in plants with biological activity.
Essential nutrients…
Essential nutrients must be obtained from food.
Macronutrients
Macronutrients are the nutrients we need in larger quantities that provide us with energy (Carbohydrates, proteins, and fats)
Carbohydrates, proteins, and fats yield energy (measured in kilocalories).
Carbohydrates and protein: 4 kcal/g Fat: 9 kcal/g Alcohol: 7 kcal/g (Alcohol does yield energy but is not a nutrient)
Micronutrients
Micronutrients are vitamins and minerals needed by the body in very small amounts. However, their impact on a body’s health are critical, and deficiency in any of them can cause severe and even life-threatening conditions.
Vitamins
Vitamins are organic compounds that assist in energy release and are vulnerable to destruction by heat, light, or chemicals.
Minerals
Minerals are inorganic and indestructible, though they may leach out during food preparation.
Energy density refers to
Energy density refers to the amount of energy a food provides relative to its weight.
Foods with high energy density can
Foods with high energy density can lead to weight gain, while low-energy-density foods can aid in weight loss.
Macronutrients provide
Macronutrients provide raw materials for tissue building and regulating body activities.
Nutritional genomics
Nutritional genomics studies how nutrients affect genes (nutrigenomics) and how genes affect nutrient processing (nutrigenetics).
The scientific method in nutrition research involves
The scientific method in nutrition research involves observation, hypothesis formulation, experimentation, and theory development.
Epidemiological studies
Epidemiological studies analyze disease incidence, distribution, and control within populations.
Types include cross-sectional, case-control, and cohort studies.
Experimental studies involve
Experimental studies involve lab-based animal studies, in vitro studies, and human intervention trials.
DRI
Dietary Reference Intakes (DRI) provide guidelines for energy, nutrients, and other components.
RDA
RDA (Recommended Dietary Allowance): Sufficient daily intake to meet the needs of 98% of healthy individuals.
EAR
EAR (Estimated Average Requirement): Meets the needs of 50% of the population.
AI
AI (Adequate Intake): A recommended amount used when there isn’t enough evidence to establish EAR and RDA.
UL
UL (Tolerable Upper Intake Level): Maximum safe intake to avoid toxicity.
EER
Estimated Energy Requirement (EER) refers to the average energy intake needed for energy balance.
AMDR
Acceptable Macronutrient Distribution Ranges (AMDR): Recommended ranges for macronutrient consumption to ensure proper energy and nutrient balance.
Nutrition assessment
Nutrition assessment includes diet history, anthropometric measurements, physical exams, and laboratory tests. It helps detect malnutrition and assesses nutrient deficiency development.
National nutrition surveys
National nutrition surveys gather data on food consumption and health to inform national health goals.
Chronic diseases
Chronic diseases like diabetes, heart disease, and obesity are closely related to diet.
Risk factors for chronic disease
Risk factors for chronic disease (e.g., high blood pressure, high cholesterol) tend to persist and cluster.
Nutrition misinformation
Nutrition misinformation is common online; credible sources include the US National Library of Medicine’s PubMed.
Registered Dietitians
Registered Dietitians (RD or RDN) are certified professionals with extensive nutrition training.
Red flags of nutrition quackery
Red flags of nutrition quackery include overly simple solutions, promises of quick results, or lack of credible backing.
Calorie
a unit of energy equivalent to the heat energy needed to raise the temperature of 1 gram of water by 1 °C (now often defined as equal to 4.1868 joules).
