Digestive system Flashcards
Diet…
the food we eat
Balanced diet…
contains an adequate amount of all the nutrients required by the body to grow, remain healthy and be disease-free
The food groups…
Food can be divided into separate categories:
-Carbohydrates
-Fats and Oils (Lipids)
-Protein
-Vitamins
-Minerals
-Fibre
-Water
Carbohydrates and what foods provide it?
To provide energy (quick release).
Cereals, bread, pasta, rice and potatoes.
Protein and what foods provide it?
For growth and repair of our body tissues.
Fish, meat, eggs, beans, pulses and dairy products.
Fats and Oils and what foods provide it?
To provide energy (slow release). Energy can also be stored in the body as fat and provides insulation against the cold.
Butter and some dairy products, oil and nuts.
Vitamins and what foods provide it?
We only need small amounts of vitamins but they are essential for keeping our bodies healthy.
Different vitamins are needed for different reasons, e.g. vitamin A is needed for healthy skin and bones. Vitamin B12 helps us to make red blood cells.
Dairy products, fruit and vegetables
– the greater range of colours of fruit and vegetables you eat each day the better, because different coloured fruit and vegetables contain different vitamins and minerals.
Minerals and what foods provide it?
We need lots of different minerals to help keep our bodies healthy.
Each mineral is needed for a different reason, e.g. iron to help us make red blood cells and calcium for healthy bones and teeth. We only need small amounts of each mineral.
Salt, milk (for calcium), red meat and dark green leafy vegetables (for iron), nuts.
Fibre and what foods provide it?
We cannot digest fibre but it is important because it provides roughage that helps to keep food moving through the digestive system and helps to keep our digestive system healthy
Vegetables and wholegrain products, e.g. bran flakes and wholemeal bread
Water and what foods provide it?
Needed for all the cells in our body to work properly and to clean the digestive system.
Water, milk, fruit and vegetables.
What is the digestive system?
The digestive system converts the foods we eat into their simplest forms, like glucose (sugars), amino acids (that make up protein) or fatty acids (that make up fats) and absorb them into our blood for nutrients and health.
–The digestive system breaks down food into tiny particles which are absorbed into the blood.
–These particles provide energy for the body to grow, repair itself and remain healthy.
–Food that cannot be broken down is released from the body as faeces (poo)
Mouth…
Digestion of food starts in the mouth.
Teeth break down the food and mix it with the enzymes in saliva.
Oesophagus…
thin tube that connects the mouth to the stomach
Liver…
releases a chemical called bile into the intestines.
Bile breaks down lipids in the food
Stomach…
muscular bag which mixes food and drink with acid
