Chapter One - The Science of Nutrition Flashcards
Risk Factor
Factors contributing to the development of disease. Includes inherited characteristics, lifestyle choices, and nutritional habits that affect the chances of developing a particular disease.
Nutrition
The science of food; the nutrients and substances therein; their action, interaction, and balance in relation to health and disease; and the process by which the organism ingests, digests, absorbs, transports, utilizes and excretes food substances.
Nutrient
Chemical substance in food that contributes to health. They nourish us by providing energy, materials for building body parts, and factors to regulate necessary chemical processes in the body.
3 Characteristics of a Nutrient
- Has a specific biological function
- Removing it from the diet leads to a decline in human biological function
- Adding the substance back to the diet before permanent damage occurs restores impaired human biological functions back to normal
3 Functional Categories of Nurients
- Those that primarily provide energy (expressed in kcals)
- Those that are important for growth and development (and later maintenance)
- Those that keep body functions running smoothly
Macronutrient
Nutrients needed in gram quantities in the diet
ex: fat, protein, and carbohydrates
Micronutrient
Nutrient needed in milligram or microgram quantities in the diet
ex: vitamins and minerals
Element
Substance that cannot be separated into simpler substances by chemical processes.
ex: carbon, oxygen, hydrogen, nitrogen, calcium, phosphorus, and iron
Atom
The smallest unit of an element that still has all of the properties of the element. Contains protons, neutrons, and electrons.
Compound
Atoms of 2 or more elements bonded together in specific proportions
Molecule
Atoms bonded together; the smallest part of a compound that still has all the properties of a compound
Enzyme
Compound that speeds the rate of a chemical process but is not altered by the process. Almost all enzymes are proteins.
Chemical Reaction
Interaction between 2 chemicals that changes both chemicals
What is the composition of carbohydrates?
Carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen
What foods are carbohydrates primarily found in?
Fruits, vegetables, grains, and beans
What are the two types of carbohydrates?
Simple carbohydrates (or sugars) and complex carbohydrates
What is a major source of energy in most cells?
Glucose (4 kcal/g)
When there isn’t enough glucose, the body makes it from what?
Proteins
What is the composition of lipids?
Carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen
What are some examples of lipids?
Fats, oils, cholesterol
Fats are ____ at room temperature while oils are _____ at room temperature.
Solid; Liquid
What is the average yield of lipids (in kcal/g)?
9 kcal/g
Lipids are _______ in water
insoluble
Triglyceride
Major form of lipid in the body and food; composed of 3 fatty acids bonded to glycerol (an alcohol)
Fatty Acids
Long chains of carbon flanked by hydrogen with an acid group attached to the end opposite glycerol
What are the two classifications of lipids?
Saturated (unhealthy) and Unsaturated (healthy)
trans Fatty Acids
Unsaturated fats that have been processed to change their structure from typical cis form to trans form
What is the composition of proteins?
Carbon, oxygen, hydrogen, and nitrogen
What is the purpose of proteins?
- Main structural material in the body
* Important component in blood, cell membranes, enzymes, and immune factors
What is the average yield of proteins (in kcal/g)?
4 kcal/g
What elements can vitamins contain?
Carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen, phosphorus, sulfur, and others…
What do vitamins do?
Enable many chemical reactions to occur
Do vitamins yield usable energy?
No
What are the 2 groups that the 13 vitamins are divided into?
Fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, K) and water-soluble vitamins (C and the Bs)
Which are excreted more readily: water-soluble vitamins or fat-soluble vitamins?
Water-Soluble Vitamins
Which vitamins are prone to accumulating more more excessively, which can cause toxicity: water-soluble vitamins or fat-soluble vitamins?
Fat-Soluble Vitamins
Minerals
Elements used in the body to promote chemical reactions and to form body structures.
What kind of a substance are minerals?
Inorganic substances
Do minerals yield usable energy?
No
Can minerals be destroyed during cooking?
No
What are the two groups of minerals?
Major minerals (needed in daily gram amounts) and trace minerals (less than 100mg needed daily)
Organic Compound
Substance that contains carbon atoms bonded to hydrogen atoms in the chemical structure
Inorganic Substance
Substance lacking carbon atoms bonded to hydrogen atoms in the chemical structure
What is the 6th class of nutritents?
Water
Which nutrient is needed in the largest quantity?
Water
What does water do?
- is a solvent and lubricant
- is a medium for transporting nutrients to cells
- regulates body temperature
Water is a by-product of what?
Metabolism
Metabolism
Chemical processes in the body that provide energy in useful forms and sustain vital activities
Phytochemicals
Physiologically active compounds found in plants that may provide health benefits
Zoochemicals
Physiologically active compounds found in foods of animal origin that may provide health benefits
Nutrients create energy in order to… (4 things)
- Build new compounds
- Perform muscular movements
- Promote nerve transmission
- Maintain ion balance within cells
Ion
Atom with an unequal number of electrons (negative charges) and protons (positive charges). Negative ions have more electrons than protons; Positive ions have more protons than electrons
calorie
The amount of heat energy it takes to raise the temperature of 1 gram of water 1 degree Celsius
kilocalorie (kcal)
Heat energy needed to raise the temperature of 1000 grams of water 1 degree Celsius
Food calories can be measured with a ____ _______
Bomb calorimeter
How can you estimate food calories?
By multiplying the amounts of carbs, proteins, lipids, and alcohols by their physiological fuel values
What is the fuel value of carbohydrates?
4 kcal/g
What is the fuel value of lipids?
9 kcal/g
What is the fuel value of protein?
4 kcal/g
What is the fuel value of alcohol?
7 kcal/g
Hunger
Primarily physiological (internal) drive for food
Appetite
Primarily physiological (external) influences that encourage us to find and eat food, often in the absence of obvious hunger.
Appetite and food choices depend on… (8 things)
- Food flavor, texture, and appearance preferences
- Culture
- Lifestyle
- Routines and habits
- Food cost and availability
- Environment
- Food marketing and advertising
- Health and nutrition concerns, knowledge, and beliefs
What is the total daily intake of protein, fat, and carbohydrates in a well nourished person?
450 g (~1 pound)
What is the total daily intake of minerals in a well nourished person?
20 g (4 teaspoons)
What is the total daily intake of vitamins in a well nourished person?
300 mg (1/15th teaspoon)
Desirable Nutritional Status
State in which body tissues have enough of a nutrient to support normal functions and to build and maintain surplus stores
Undernutrition
Failing health that results from a longstanding dietary intake that doesn’t meet nutritional needs
Overnutrition
State in which nutritional intake greatly exceeds the body’s needs
Subclinical
Present but not severe enough to produce signs and symptoms that can be detected or diagnosed
Sign
Physical attribute that can be observed by others
ex: bruise
Symptom
Change in physical status that is noted by the individual with the problem
ex: stomach pain
What are the ABCDEs of assessing nutritional status?
Anthropometric assessment, Biochemical assessment, Clinical assessment, Dietary assessment, Environmental assessment
Anthropometric Assessment
Measuring body weight and lengths, circumferences, and thicknesses of body parts
Biochemical Assessment
Measuring the concentration of nutrients and their by-products in the blood, urine, feces, and specific blood enzyme activities
Clinical Assessment
Looks at physical evidence of diet-related diseases
Dietary Assessment
Focuses on person’s typical food choices, relying mostly on the person’s recounting of their usual intake or a record of their previous day’s intake
Environmental Assessment
Focuses on one’s education and economic background and other factors that affect their ability to purchase, transport, and cook food and follow healthcare instructors’ directions
Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA)
Site of hereditary information in cells. Directs the synthesis of cell proteins.
Genes
Hereditary material on chromosomes that makes up DNA. Provide the blueprints for the production of cell proteins.
Mutation
Change in the chemistry of a gene that is perpetuated in subsequent divisions of the cell where it occurred; a change in the sequence of DNA
Animal Model
Lab animal useful in medical research because it can develop a health condition that is comparable to one occurring in humans and thus can be utilized to learn more about causes of a condition and its diagnosis in humans, as well as assess the usefulness and safety of new treatments or preventative actions
Peer-Reviewed Journal
Journal that publishes research only after researchers who were not part of the study agree that the study was carefully designed and executed and the resulted are presented in an unbiased, objective matter. Thus, the research has been approved by peers of the research team.
Epidemiology
Study of diseases in populations
Nutrition Care Process
A systematic approach used by registered dieticians to ensure patients receive high quality, individualized nutrition care. This process involves nutrition assessment, diagnosis, intervention and monitoring and evaluation.
