Functions of Food

Question 1

What are the major components of food?

Answer 1

protein (amino acids)
carbs 
glucose (CHO)
lipids (fat) (fatty acids)
alcohol is technically a macronutrient

Question 2

What does nutraceutical mean?

Answer 2

• Extract nutrient that helps prevent disease
• Might be able to get the amount in foods but not enough for it to help
• So, taken as a supplement may be more help (e.g. may need 50 oranges for enough vitamin C, so need a supplement)

Question 3

What does pharmaceutical mean?

Answer 3

drugs used in the treatment of disease

Question 4

What is a disadvantage of nutraceuticals?

Answer 4

Levels of accuracy of amount of nutrient in capsule may vary – may be quality issues between different products and the same product at different items of the year.

Question 5

The LT effects of diet on cog are difficult to prove - what approach is often used?

Answer 5

epidemiological

Question 6

Why is the link between nutrition and cog limited/hard to prove?

Answer 6

• Often confounded by other factors
• Health behaviours e.g. smoking, exercise
• Lifestyle/class
• Genes – nutrigenomics – genes you have may influence your response to your diet

Question 7

Which macronutrients have been far less studied?

Answer 7

• Protein and Fat

Question 8

What are some possible modifying effects of macronutrients on cognition?

Answer 8

• time of day
• circadian rhythms
• type of task
• habitual diet
• vulnerability of the population

Question 9

Why are studies on macronutrients difficult to draw conclusions from?

Answer 9

proportions of protein and fat differ greatly between studies, and comparisons are frequently performed with no food at all

Question 10

What type of task is more affected by hypoglycaemia?

Answer 10

• complex tasks that require speed and sustained attention

Question 11

? levels of blood glucose is associated with better recall then ? levels?

Answer 11

Rising; falling

Question 12

How may amino acids aid cognition?

Answer 12

They may minimize central and mental fatigue during and after sustained exercise

Question 13

In rats, a diet high in sat fat can do what?

Answer 13

Impair learning acquisition

Question 14

In the systematic review by Hoyland, which tasks were identified as consistently sensitive to glucose manipulations?

Answer 14

• Serial Sevens (WM)
• Free word recall (STM)
• cued work recall (delayed verbal memory)