Exam 1 Study Guide

Question 1

What are the six classes of nutrients?

Answer 1

Macros:
Carbohydrates
Proteins
Fats

Micros:
Vitamins
Minerals

Water

Question 2

How many calories per gram?

Answer 2

Carbohydrate = 4 kcal/gram
Protein = 4 kcal/gram
Fat = 9 kcal/gram

Question 3

Be able to calculate using the above values

Answer 3

Example:

5g CHO (5x4) = 20 kcal
5g Fat (5x9) = 45 kcal
5g Protein (5x4) = 20 kcal

Question 4

What is the RDA?

Answer 4

Recommended Dietary Allowance. Goal for 98% of the total population. Varies by age, gender, health, etc.

Question 5

What does “energy dense” mean? Give an example

Answer 5

Foods that are high in energy (kcal) relative to their weight

E.g. starbursts, cinnamon rolls, etc.

Question 6

What does “nutrient density” mean? Give an example

Answer 6

Foods that are high in nutritional content relative to their weight

E.g. bananas, spinach, etc.

Question 7

What are the 4 stages of the digestive process?

Answer 7

Ingestion - intake of food
Digestion - breakdown of food into molecules small enough for absorption (mechanical digestion, chemical digestion)
Absorption - transport of nutrients into blood
Elimination - defecation of undigested waste

Question 8

Be familiar with the general absorption model:

Answer 8

Stomach, small intestine (villi), liver, gallbladder, pancreas, colon

Question 9

What is blood sugar?

Answer 9

Glucose, which serves as the essential energy source for all the body’s activities

A part of every disaccharide

Question 10

What is glycogen?

Answer 10

Storage form of energy in the body, stored in the liver and muscles

(long chains of glucose)

Question 11

What disaccharide is table sugar?

Answer 11

Sucrose (glucose + fructose)

Question 12

What are probiotics vs. prebiotics?

Answer 12

Probiotic = food that contains bacteria (fermented, cultured)

Prebiotic = fibrous foods (fruits and vegetables) that feeds microbiome

Question 13

What the 3 types of lipids? What doe we eat and store?

Answer 13

Triglycerides (fats and oils)
Phospholipids (cell membranes)
Sterols (cholesterol)

Triglycerides are found in the foods we eat and are also how we store fat in our bodies

Question 14

What is the difference between oil and fat?

Answer 14

Fat = solid at room temperature (butter)

Oil = liquid at room temperature (olive oil)

Question 15

What is a good source of omega-3 fatty acids?

Answer 15

Fatty fish (salmon, sardines, anchovies), Flaxseed, Chia seed

Question 16

Cholesterol–where does it come from?

Answer 16

A compound that the body makes and uses. Endogenous cholesterol = made in the body.

The liver makes 800-1500mg of cholesterol per day

Cholesterol is only found in animal products, but consumption of cholesterol from food sources does not affect total cholesterol in the body.

Question 17

Omega 6 / Omega 3 fatty acid ratio

Answer 17

Omega 6 = Linoleic acid (seed oils)
Omega 3 = Linolenic acid

Ideal ratio is 1:1, processed food results in 15:1 ratio for the typical American diet

Omega 6 = inflammatory
Omega 3 = anti-inflammatory

Question 18

Gut microbiome

Answer 18

Majority is contained within the large intestine (colon)

Critical to numerous aspects of health: immune system, breakdown of undigested fiber, vitamin conversion, gut/brain access (neurotransmitters), mental health, metabolism

Question 19

Trans fats

Answer 19

An unsaturated fat that has been lab-altered (PHO) to make it more shelf-stable

Have been banned by the FDA from the food supply due to links to heart disease

Question 20

Food Politics–why is the message of “eat less” a problem for the food industry?

Answer 20

Overall lower consumption of food does not fit into a profit-driven model. The food industry needs people to eat more food than is necessary in order to grow revenues YOY.

Question 21

What is Diabetes - Type 1?

Answer 21

An autoimmune-disease wherein the pancreas fails to produce insulin. Individuals must inject insulin in order to maintain body function. Affects ~5% of the diagnosed population.

Question 22

What is Diabetes - Type 2?

Answer 22

A lifestyle and diet disease. Insulin delivery and/or resistance is dysregulated and their effectiveness is disrupted. Affects ~95% of the diagnosed population.

Question 23

What is Insulin?

Answer 23

A hormone which enables glucose intake into our cells