Chapter 10 - Nutrition Basics Flashcards
Nutrition
The science of food and dietary supplements, and how the body uses them in health and disease.
Essential Nutrients
Dietary components the body must get from foods or supplements because it cannot manufacture them to meet its needs.
There are about 45
ex. proteins, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals, and water
Macronutrients
An important nutrient required by the body in relatively large amounts.
ex. proteins, fats, carbohydrates, and water
Micronutrients
An important nutrient required by the body in minute amounts.
ex. vitamins and minerals
Digestion
The process of breaking down foods into compounds the gastrointestinal tract can absorb and the body can use.
Kilocalories (kcal)
A measure of energy content in food; 1 kilocalorie represents the amount of heat needed to raise the temperature of 1 liter of water 1°C; commonly referred to as a calorie.
What percentage of the world is undernourished?
~10% (768 million) {2021}
Energy
The capacity to do work, measured by calories. We get energy from certain nutrients in food.
Nutrient Density
The ratio of a food’s essential nutrients to its calories.
Proteins
An essential nutrient that forms important parts of the body’s main structures (muscles and bones) as well as blood, enzymes, hormones, and cell membranes; also provides energy.
Amino Acids
One of the building blocks of proteins; 20 common amino acids are found in foods. 9 of which are essential (indispensable)
Complete Protein Sources
Protein sources that supply all the essential amino acids in adequate amounts.
Incomplete Protein Sources
Protein sources that do not supply all the essential amino acids in adequate amounts.
Triglycerides
- most fats in food
- similar is basic composition
( a glycerol [alcohol] molecule with three fatty acid chains attached) - Both animal fats and plant fats (oils) are made of primarily
- Different structures of fatty acids result in different types
Saturated
- Animal Fats ( Especially fatty meats and poultry fat and skin)
- Butter, cheese, and other high-fat dairy products
- Palm and coconut oils
Monounsaturated
- Olive, canola, and safflower oils
- Avocados and olives
- Peanut butter (without added fat)
- Many nuts, including almonds, cashews, pecans, and pistachios.
Polyunsaturated omega-3 (alpha-linolenic)
- Fatty fish, including salmon, white albacore tuna, mackerel, anchovies, and sardines
- Compared to fish, lesser amounts are found in canola and soybean oils; tofu; walnuts; flaxseeds; and dark green leads vegetables
Polyunsaturated omega-6 (linoleic acid)
- Corn, soybean, and cottonseed oils (often used in margarine, mayonnaise, and salad dressings)
Hydrogenation
A chemical process by which hydrogen atoms are added to molecules of unsaturated fats, increasing the degree of saturation and turning liquid oils into solid fats. Hydrogenation produces a mixture of saturated fatty acids, and cis (standard) and trans forms of unsaturated fatty acids.
Trans fatty Acids
A type of unsaturated fatty acid produced during the process of hydrogenation; trans fats have an atypical shape that affects their chemical activity. Trans fats are associated with an increase in LDL cholesterol and with endothelial dysfunction, attributes associated with risk of heart disease.
Low-Density Lipoproteins
Blood fat that transports cholesterol to organs and tissues; excess amounts result in the accumulation of deposits in artery walls, causing hardening of the arteries and potentially cardiovascular disease.
Carbohydrates
An essential nutrient, required for energy for cells; sugars, starches, and dietary fiber are all carbohydrates.
Simple Carbohydrates
Single sugar molecules (monosaccharides) and double sugar molecules (disaccharides).
The monosaccharides are glucose (common sugar used by plants and animals), fructose (sweet sugar found in fruits), and galactose (sugar found in milk).
Disaccharides are pairs of simple sugars
ex. sucrose/table sugar (fructose + glucose), maltose or malt sugar (glucose +glucose) and lactose/milk sugar (galactose + glucose)
Complex Carbohydrates
Include starches, which are found in a variety of plants, especially grains (wheat, rye, rice, oats, barley, and millet), legumes (dry beans, peas, and lentils), and tubers (potatoes and yams) , and also dietary fiber found in grains, fruits, vegetables, legumes, and nuts.
Glucose
A simple sugar that is the body’s basic fuel.
Glycogen
A complex carbohydrate stored in the liver and muscles.
Diabetes Mellitus
A disorder in which people have problems controlling their blood glucose levels.
Whole grains
The entire edible portion of a grain (such as wheat, rice, or oats), consisting of the germ, endosperm, and bran; processing removes parts of the grain, often leaving just the endosperm.
Processed grains
Usually retain all the calories of their unrefined counterparts, but they tend to be much lower in fiber, vitamins, minerals, and other beneficial compounds
They are less nutrient dense, and even though some of the nutrients lost are replaced when products are fortified or enriched, it still isn’t the same.
Added Sugars
white sugar, brown sugar, high-fructose corn syrup, and other sweeteners added to processed foods.
Dietary Fiber
Nondigestible carbohydrates and lignin that are intact in plants.
Soluble (viscous) Fiber
Fiber that dissolves in water or is broken down by bacteria in the large intestine.
Insoluble Fiber
Fiber that does not dissolve in water and is not broken down by bacteria in the large intestine.
Increases fecal bulk, helps prevent constipation, hemorrhoids, and other digestive problems.
Functional Fiber
Nondigestible carbohydrates either isolated from natural sources or synthesized; these may be added to foods and dietary supplements.
Total Fiber
The total amount of dietary fiber and functional fiber in the diet.
Vitamins
Carbon-containing substances needed in small amounts to help promote and regulate chemical reactions and processes in the body.
Antioxidants
A substance that can reduce the breakdown of food or body constituents by free radicals; the actions of antioxidants include binding oxygen, donating electrons to free radicals, and repairing damage to molecules.
Minerals
Inorganic compounds needed in relatively small amounts for regulation, growth, and maintenance of body tissues and functions.
Anemia
A deficiency in the oxygen-carrying material, hemoglobin, in the red blood cells.
Osteoporosis
A condition in which the bones become thin and brittle over time and break easily; risk factors include age, sex, inactivity, and insufficient calcium intake.
Free Radicals
An electron-seeking compound that can react with fats, proteins, and DNA, damaging cell membranes and mutating genes in its search for electrons; produced through chemical reactions in the body and by exposure to environmental factors such as sunlight and tobacco smoke.
Phytochemicals
A naturally occurring substance found in plant foods that may help prevent and treat chronic diseases like cancer and heart disease; phyto means “plant.”
Cruciferous Vegetables
Vegetables of the cabbage family, including cabbage, broccoli, brussels sprouts, kale, and cauliflower; the flower petals of these plants form the shape of a cross, hence the name. Sulforaphane is a chemical in cruciferous vegetables that renders some carcinogenic compounds harmless.
Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs)
An umbrella term for four types of nutrient standards designed to prevent nutritional deficiencies and reduce the risk of chronic diseases. Adequate Intake (AI) and Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) are levels of intake considered adequate to prevent nutrient deficiencies and reduce the risk of chronic disease for most individuals in a population group; and Tolerable Upper Intake Level (UL) is the maximum daily intake that is unlikely to cause health problems.
Dietary Guidelines for Americans
National nutritional recommendations issued jointly by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services every five years; designed to promote health and reduce the risk of chronic diseases.
MyPlate
The USDA food guidance system designed to help Americans make healthy food choices.
Daily Values
A simplified version of the RDAs used on food labels; also included are values for nutrients with no RDA per se.
Eating Pattern
The result of choices on multiple eating occasions over time, both at home and away from home.
Vegetarians
Someone who follows a diet that restricts or eliminates foods of animal origin.
Pathogens
A microorganism that causes disease.
Organic
A designation applied to foods grown and produced according to strict guidelines limiting the use of pesticides, nonorganic ingredients, hormones, antibiotics, irradiation, genetic engineering, and other practices.
Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs)
A plant, animal, or microorganism in which genes have been added, rearranged, or replaced through genetic engineering.
Food Allergy
An adverse reaction to a food or food ingredient in which the immune system perceives a particular substance (allergen) as foreign and acts to destroy it.
Food Intolerance
An adverse reaction to a food or food ingredient that doesn’t involve the immune system; intolerances are often due to a problem with metabolism.
Fats
- 9 calories per gram
- also known as lipids
- most concentrated source of energy
- insolates body
-helps absorb fat-soluble vitamins
