Lesson 2- Nutrient Standards and Guidelines

Question 1

What is a DRI?

Answer 1

Dietary Reference Intake - it is the basis for food guides

Question 2

What are the problems the DRIs addressed & address now?

Answer 2

In the past, DRIs addressed deficiency diseases
Nowadays, it addresses chronic diet-related illnesses

Question 3

What are the 3 objectives of DRIs?

Answer 3

1. Prevent Deficiency Diseases
2. Reduce the Risk of Chronic Diseases
3. Safety Supplement Use & Fortification

Question 4

What are the DRIs that concern most nutrients?

Answer 4

Estimated Average Requirement (EAR)
Recommended Dietary Allowance (DRA)
Adequate Intake (AI)
Tolerable Upper Level (UL)

Question 5

What are the DRIs that concern only energy and macronutrients?

Answer 5

Estimated Energy Requirement (EER)
Acceptable Macronutrient Distribution Ranges (AMDR)

Question 6

Which DRIs target the #1 objective of DRIs, aka preventing deficiency diseases?

Answer 6

Estimated Average Requirement (EAR)
Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA)
Adequate Intake (AI)

Question 7

Which DRI targets the #3 objective of DRIs, aka safety supplement use & fortification?

Answer 7

Tolerable Upper Intake Level (UL)
Estimated Energy requirements (EER)
Acceptable macronutrient distribution ranges (AMDR)

Question 8

What are the factors influencing DRIs?

Answer 8

Gender (M=10 stages, F= 16 stages)
Life Stage (Pregnancy & Lactation are taxing = more nutrients, no EAR or RDA on infants (non-ethical))

Question 9

What is an EAR?

Answer 9

Estimated Average Requirement
This DRI is about the nutrient requirement that meets the needs of 50% of the population
Requirement, not recommendation

Question 10

What is an EAR based on?

Answer 10

On a diagnostic test measuring adequate amounts in the human body

Question 11

What is an RDA?

Answer 11

The Gold standard, it is the nutrient requirements meeting the needs of 98% of the population in a life stage or gender group
EAR * x = RDA

Question 12

What is an AI?

Answer 12

Based on intake levels of healthy group of people in particular life stage & gender group
AI is higher than EAR, but somewhere near/above RDA, but below UL

Question 13

What is an UL?

Answer 13

Highest level of usual daily nutrient intake likely to be
If you’re over the UL, risk of toxicity/death
Meant to avoid excesses, especially when using supplements
Most Canadians exceed UL for sodium

Question 14

Are nutrient recommendations fix measures?

Answer 14

They vary across different countries but are meant for the population
We don’t need to worry about the exact intake

Question 15

What is an EER?

Answer 15

Average dietary energy intake maintaining energy balance in a healthy person
Not based on a group or life stage, but more on an individualized estimate

Question 16

What are the variables of the EER equation?

Answer 16

Physical Activity
Height in meters
Weight in kilograms
Age in years
Gender

Question 17

What are the AMDR percentages for CHO, FAT, PTN?

Answer 17

CHO 45-65%
FAT 20-35%
PTN 10-35%

Question 18

Who uses DRIs?

Answer 18

Registered dieticians
Food industry
CFIA (canadian food inspection agency) –> in charge of nutrition facts (13 base nutrients), % based on 2000 kcal/day diet

Question 19

What are the 4 main food groups?

Answer 19

Grains
Fruits & vegetables
Milk & alternatives
Meat & alternatives

Question 20

What are grains?

Answer 20

grains are seeds, and they are all from the grass family
they are rich in
carbohydrates
fibre (if whole grain)
vitamins (folate, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, E)
minerals (magnesium and iron)
they are often enriched/fortified to make up for lost nutrients when transforming the grain
bran = fibre
germ = nourishes from CHO in endosperm

Question 21

What are milk & alternatives?

Answer 21

(pretty self explanatory)
Fortified vitamin A&D
protein
calcium
riboflavin, D, B12

Question 22

What are meat & alternatives?

Answer 22

Meat:
proteins
vitamins B6 & B12
minerals Iron and Zinc

Alternatives: (legumes, eggs, nuts, seeds)
Minerals: magnesium & potassium
protein
fibre

Question 23

What are legumes?

Answer 23

Enclosed seeds in a pod (ex: peanuts)
Store-bought often not a lot of nutrients and full of sodium

Question 24

What are vegetables & fruits?

Answer 24

Includes vegetables
contain seeds (which are storage organs used by plant when needed)
Dark leafy greens
mushrooms

Question 25

What can we say about the recommendations of vegetables & fruits?

Answer 25

They have the highest recommendation/day
This is for an evolutionary purpose: we need carbs to move around, and plants need us to move around to grow & spread