Nutrients Flashcards
What are the three main types of carbohydrates ?
Simple sugars, complex carbohydrates and non starch polysaccharides
What is the main function of carbohydrate ?
Energy
Simple sugars are made up of ….
Monosaccharides and disaccharides
What are the three monosaccharides
Glucose, fructose and galactose
Where is glucose found
Fruits and veg and can be used in tablet, liquid or powder form for athletes
Where is fructose found
Honey
Where is galactose found
Dosnt exist in foods , produced when lactose is broken down in digestion
What are the three disaccharides
Sucrose, lactose and maltose
Where is sucrose found ?
Ordinary household sugar
Where is lactose found ?
Milk
Where is maltose used ?
The brewing industry
What two different forms of sugar are there
Intrinsic and extrinsic
What is intrinsic sugar
Sugar that is found naturally in the cells of fruit and vegetables
What is extrinsic sugar
Sugars which you can see , such as cans sugar and syrup
What are polysaccharides
Complex carbohydrates formed from hundreds of glucose molecules strung together
What are the two types of polysaccharides ?
Starch or fibre
Where is starch found ?
Bread, rice ,cereals, potatoes, pasta
Give four functions of fibre
Adds bulk to faeces, creates a feeling of fullness, controls blood sugar levels and lowers cholesterol
Give some sources of fibre
Beans , whole grain, wholemeal bread, seeds, nuts, potato skins, dried fruit, bran based cereal
How much fibre should we be eating ?
No less than 18g a day
What is soluble fibre ?
Fibre that can be digested by your body
What is insoluble fibre
Fibre which can’t be digested , it passes through stomach without being broken down and helps other foods move through the digestive system more easily
Give the functions of fat for the body
Supply of energy, important in body structures as a protective layer, heat insulator, allows fat soluble vitamins to be absorbed
What are the 2 types of fats
Saturated and unsaturated
What do the carbon chains look like in SATURATED FATS
Carbon atoms are bonded to as many hydrogen atoms as possible
Give some saturated fat products
Hard cheese, cake, pastries, pie, chocolate, crisps, lard
Too much saturated fat can increase ….
The amount of cholesterol in the blood and increases risk of CHD
Saturated fats are normally ……..at room temp
Solid
Unsaturated fats are usually …..at room temp
Soft or liquid
Unsaturated fats can be divided into what two groups
Monounsaturated and polyunsaturated
What does the carbon chain look like in monounsaturated fats
Has one double bond
Give some monounsaturated fat products
Avocado, olive oil , olive spread and ground nut oil
Monounsaturated products are mainly from ….
Plants
A polyunsaturated fatty acid molecule has ….
Several double bonds in the carbon chain
Give some polyunsaturated fatty acid examples
Corn oil , soya oil, sunflower oil
What are trans-unsaturated fatty acids ?
Unsaturated fatty acids that have been partly saturated through a process of hydrogenation ( adding hydrogen )
What is the purpose of hydrogenation ?
To make a liquid fat into a solid fat. Prolongs the shelf life because saturated fats become rancid more slowly than unsaturated fats
What is cholesterol
A type of fat but it does not produce any energy
Where is cholesterol found ?
All animal cells and tissues but not vegetables or plants
What are the two main types of cholesterol
Low density lipoprotein cholesterol
High density lipoprotein cholesterol
LDL cholesterol is linked to ….
Coronary heart disease. LDL cholesterol causes plaques to form on artery walls which can lead to atherosclerosis and blocked arteries
HDL cholesterol may help to protect against….
Heart disease
How does fibre create bulk to faeces
Causes faeces to become bulky because it hasn’t been digested. Reduces risk of constipation
How does fibre create feeling of fullness
Fibre rich foods absorb a lot of water and expand, making stomach expand, making person feel fuller.
Fibre also stays in stomach longer
How does fibre control blood sugar levels
Controls blood sugar levels by slowing down the rate at which the food leaves the stomach, delays how quickly glucose is absorbed after it is consumed, meaning blood sugar levels don’t rise as quickly.
How does fibre lower cholesterol
Ability to reduce the amount of bile reabsorbed in the intestines. When fibre interferes with absorption of bile, the bile is excreted in faeces . The loss of bile is made up by bile salts. ( the body uses cholesterol to do this )
Functions of water
Avoids dehydration Helps digestion Essential for chemical reactions Lubrication between joints and cells Regulates body temp
