Nutrition Flashcards
what is the UK life expectancy?
- males: 79yo
- females: 83yo
what are the 4 main factors which influence life expectancy?
- nutrition
- exercise
- smoking
- drinking
- (weight, sleep, drugs, social life)
what are the main factors of diet that affect life expectanacy and health?
- high intake of sodium
- low intake of whole grains
- low intake of fruit
how does social status relate to life expectancy?
- lower socioeconomic status relates to lower life expectancy (poorer diet)
what are the 3 main classes of macronutrients?
- carbohydrates
- proteins
- fats and oils (lipids)
what are the 2 main classes of micronutrients?
- minerals
- vitamins
what amount of vitamin C per day would likely lead to scurvy?
- less than 10mg of vitamin C a day (very rare in UK)
what are good sources of vitamin C?
- fruit and veg (citrus fruits in particular)
what are the recommended daily intakes of vitamin C?
- children: 30mg
- men and women: 40mg
- pregnant: +10mg (for last trimester)
- smokers: +35mg
(optimal is 100mg+)
what can too much vitamin C intake lead to?
- kidney stones and diarrhoea
- (particularly avoid in people with renal problems)
what are some good sources of selenium?
- brazil nuts
- bread
- shrimp, kidney, liver
what are some selenium deficiency conditions?
- Most common: Selenium is needed for the conversion of thyroid hormone thyroxine (T4) into the more active counterpart (T3), therefore if patient has low selenium then check thyroid function
- also dementia links
- more rare: Selenium deficiency in combination with Coxsackie infection can lead to Keshan disease (cardiomyopathy)
what is the danger of too much selenium intake?
- Selenosis: nausea, diarrhoea, fatigue, motor weakness
what are some consequences of dehydration?
- affects mental performance
- low blood pressure
- acute kidney injury
how much protein is the recommended daily intake (per kg)?
- 0.8g per kg
what is a good source of EPA+DHA (omega-3 fats)?
- oily fish (sardine, salmon, mackarel)
- > 450mg per day reccomended
what can carbohydrates be broken down into?
- Simple (monosaccharides and disaccharides): glucose, fructose, galactose, maltose, lactose, sucrose)
- Complex (polysaccharides): starches, fibres, glycogen
what are the 3 components of a wholegrain?
- endosperm (starchy inner part of grain)
- bran (outer part)
- germ
what are the 3 main treatments for obesity?
- Diet: low fat, low carbs, portion control, support groups, higher protein diet is good
- Pharmacotherapy (eg. orlistat - lipase inhibitor)
- Bariatric surgery
what is the Atkins diet and when is it often used?
- high protein and high-fat diet (low carb)
- induces ketosis (body burns fat for energy instead of glucose) and rapid weight loss
what is the DASH diet?
- Diet Approaches to Stop Hypertension
- diet used to treat high blood pressure
- high intake of fruit and veg, high intake of low fat dairy (reduce salts and saturated fats)
what is the mediterranean diet?
- rich in fruit, veg, whole grains, olive oil
- low in meat and confectionery (processed foods)
For osteoporosis, describe two dietary interventions that can be made and the specific advice that the GP would give for each of them
- Calcium: dairy products
- Vitamin D: oily fish, fortified cereals
- Moderate protein intake: red meat, chicken
- Reduce alcohol intake
If patient is lactose intolerant, why can they not digest lactose?
- The patient cannot produce the enzyme lactase
List two treatment options for a patient who is lactose intolerant
- avoid eating lactose-containing foods
- enzyme-replacement therapy (taking lactase before meals)
How can individual clinicians, government and other organisations help patients to eat a healthy diet?
- Health Promotion: vitamin D for breastfed babies and breastfeeding Mums, healthy start vitamins (all children under 5 to have mutivitamin supplement), reduce saturated fats
- Education: part of curriculum
- Government Policies: eg. recent requirement to state calories on menus
- Labeling foods
- Taxes on less healthy foods
- Screening: eg. diabetes and heart disease (with dietary advice for those at increased risk)
Does a Mediterranean diet lead to increased or reduced risk of cardiovascular disease?
- reduced risk of cardiovascular disease
- (more fruit/veg and less meat)
Key micronutrients, sources and effect of deficiency
- Iron: if deficient then anaemia
- Vitamin C: antioxidant, enhances absorption of iron and aids wound healing, deficiency leads to scurvy
- Folate: megaloblastic anaemia, really important in pregnancy to prevent neural tube defects (Spina Bifida) in babies
- Selenium (very high levels in brazil nuts): antioxidant, reduces cancer risk, anti-aging, involved in activation of thyroid hormones, improves cognition and may reduce dementia, improves immune function and fertility
- Vitamin D: good for bones, deficiency can cause rickets/osteomalacia
How to assess nutritional status
- History, Physical examination, Antropometric measurements, Laboratory results, Immune Function
Calculate and interpret BMI
- BMI: weight (kg) / height ² (m)
- underweight: <18.5
- normal range: 18.5 to 24.9
- overweight: >25
- obese: >30
(but note muscle mass may affect BMI so therefore not always accurate representation)
Use of waist measurement
Waist measurement measure of truncal fat
Which vitamin is teratogenic in high doses?
- Vitamin A
What vitamins are alcoholics commonly deficient in?
- folate
- vitamin B6
- thiamine
- vitamin A
