Nutrition Flashcards
Food substances required in large amounts to supply energy; include protein, carbohydrate, and fat.
Macronutrients
Vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients. These are nonenergy yielding nutrients that have important regulatory functions in metabolic pathways.
Micronutrients
Group of organic compounds required in small quantities in the diet to support growth and metabolic processes.
Vitamins
Inorganic, natural substances, some of which are essential in human nutrition. There are two kinds of minerals: major minerals (aka, macrominerals) and trace minerals.
Minerals
A process in which the body breaks down existing proteins and recycles the component amino acids for incorporation into new proteins or other nitrogen-containing compounds.
Protein turnover
A measure of assessing proteins, based on the amount of weight gained by a test subject divided by the amount of intake of a protein food.
Protein efficiency ratio (PER)
A reference amount used to describe the extent to which the amino acids in a protein source are absorbed.
Biological value (BV)
A measure for evaluating a protein source based on the composition of amino acids and its digestibility.
Protein digestibility corrected amino acid score (PDCAAS)
Compares the ratio of amino acids that are turned into proteins to the ratio of amino acids provided via dietary intake.
Net protein utilization (NPU)
Intestinal cells that absorb nutrients.
Enterocyte
Ranges of intake for nutrients that are estimated to meet the needs of 97–98% of the population and that are associated with a reduced risk of chronic disease. AMDRs are established by the National Academy of Medicine.
Acceptable macronutrients distribution range (AMDR)
Simplest form of carbohydrate; single sugar molecules (e.g., glucose).
Monosaccharides
Two monosaccharides joined together to form a simple sugar. Of nutritional importance include lactose, sucrose, and maltose.
Disaccharides
A type of carbohydrate composed of long chains of glucose units; e.g. starch and glycogen
Polysaccharides
Glucose that is deposited and stored in bodily tissues, such as the liver and muscle cells; the storage form of carbohydrate.
Glycogen
Plant-derived food (also known as roughage) that cannot be completely broken down by the digestive system. Fiber provides several health benefits and includes two types: soluble and insoluble.
Fiber
Number (0–100) assigned to a food source that represents the rise in blood sugar after consuming the food.
Glycemic index (GI)
Similar to glycemic index but takes into account the amount of food (carbohydrate) eaten.
Glycemic load (GL)
The chemical or substrate form in which most fat exists in food as well as in the body.
Triglycerides
Type of lipid (fat) comprised of glycerol, two fatty acid chains, and a phosphate group.
Phospholipids
A group of lipids with a ringlike structure. (e.g. Cholesterol)
Sterols
Fatty acids with one or more points of unsaturation (double bond) in their chemical structure.
Unsaturated fats
Molecules of fat that contain triglycerides, phospholipids, cholesterol, fat-soluble vitamins, and protein. They are formed by intestinal cells after the digestion of lipid-containing foods.
Chylomicrons
A group of soluble proteins that combine with and transport fat or other lipids in the blood plasma.
Lipoprotein
