Nutrition Flashcards
Causes of malnutrition
Altered taste/smell Nausea/vomiting Diarrhea/malabsorption Poor food availability/quality Alcoholism
How does acute and chronic alcohol intake cause malnutrition
Decreasing calorie intake Interfering with nutrient digestion and absorption Reduce protein synthesis and secretion Causing breakdown of gut proteins Increasing excretion of nutrients
What are the physical exam findings of malnutrition
Weight loss Low BMI Loss of subcutaneous fat Loss of muscle mass Reduced handgrip strength
What is another name for Vitamin A
Retinol
What are dietary sources of Vitamin A
Liver, fish, eggs, milk
What are Carotenoids
Beta Carotene
Where are carotenoids found
Yellow and leafy greens
What are signs of a Retinol deficiency
Night blindness Xerosis (eye dryness) Corneal ulceration and blindness Perifollicular hyperkeratosis Immune deficiency
What are effects of acute toxicity of Vitamin A
Headache, vomiting, stupor, death
What are the effects of chronic Retinol toxicity
Weight loss, vomiting, dry lips
* bone and join pain, predisposing to fractures
What is something to tell a pregnant woman with too much Retinol
Accutane is contraindicated during pregnancy
What is carotinemia
Excessive vitamin A precursors from eating too many carrots or squash or other green leafy vegetables
Symptoms of carotenemia
yellow-orange colored skin (mostly on palms and soles)
Vitamin D sources
Endogenous synthesis from UVB radiation
Diet - dairy products
Causes of Vitamin D deficiency
Diets deficient in calcium and vitamin D, limited exposure to sunlight
Women heavily veiled
In children born to mothers who have frequent pregnancies followed by lactation
Signs/symptoms of vitamin D deficiency
Rickets in children Osteomalacia in adults Bone pain and tenderness Weakness of proximal muscles Hypocalcemia
Vitamin C function
Antioxidant and formation of collagen
Hydroxylation of procollagen
Deficiency of Vitamin C disease
scurvy
What is scurvy characterized by
bone disease in growing children and hemorrhages and healing defects in both children and adults
who are at risk for scurvy?
Elderly who live alone, alcoholics, infants fed exclusively processed milk
Sources of Vitamin C
Fruits and veggies
Symptoms of Vitamin C deficiency
Weakness, easy fatigue Aching bones, joints, muscles, Acne Defects of hairs on body Easy bruising Loss of teeth
What are the B-complex Vitamins
B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B7, B12 and Folate
What are the water soluble vitamins
The B complex plus vitamin C
What are all the B complex vitamins used for
Coenzymes, needs are tied to energy intake
What is Vitamin B1 also known as
Thiamin
What are symptoms of being Thiamin deficient
B1 - Dry beriberi Wet Beriberi High output heart failure with tachycardia Elevated peripheral venous pressure Edema Peripheral neuropathy Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome
What is Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrom
A severe mental disturbance caused by thiamin deficiency and often associated with alcoholism
Wernicke encepaholapthy
Results from acute thiamine deficiency and generally reversible with large doses of Thiamine
Korsakoff phsychosis
permanet brain damage unaffected by Thiamine supplementation. Loss of memory for distant events and inability to form new memories
Another name for Vitamin B3
Niacin
What are sources of Niacin
Grain, legumes, seed oils
Is there Niacin in corn?
Yes, but not the absorbable kind
What can vitamin B3 be created from in the body?
Tryptophan
Deficiency in Vitamin B3 results in what
3 D’s
Dermatitis, Dimentia (due to atrophy of neurons in brain), Diarrhea
Riboflavin is aka
Vitamin B2
What are sources of Riboflavin?
meat, dairy, vegetables
A deficiency in Vitamin B2 results in what?
cheliosis, chelitis (cracks and fissures at angles of mouth)
Glossitis
Corneal opacities and ulcerations
dermatitis
Pyridoxine is aka
Vitamin B6
Vitamin B6 Deficiency is common in what pop
alcoholics, v rare in general pop
Signs of Pyridoxine deficiency
peripheral neuropathy, cheilitis, glossitis, dermatitis
What is megaloblastic anemia?
Anemia with abnormally large RBCs due to an impairment of DNA synthesis that leads to ineffective hematopoeisis and abnormally large erythroid precursors and red cells
What are the 2 principal types of megaloblastic anemia
Pernicious anemia (vit B12 def) Folate deficiency
Vitamin B12 aka
Cobalamin
Whats the most prominent feature of being cobalamin deficient?
Megaloblastic anemia
What are causes for deficiency of cobalamin?
Inadequate intake (vegetarian) Impaired absorption Intrinsic absorption gastrectomy tapeworm
what are some symptoms of cobalamin deficiency?
Pernicious anemia - caused by autoimmune gastritis that impairs prod of intrinsic factor required for B12 uptake form gut
What are some other signs of B12 deficiency?
Subacute combined degeneration of spinal cord, distal sensory neurotpathy
What are some sources of folate?
whole wheat flour
beans
green leafy veggies
Deficiency of folate is due to
Inadequate intake, malabsorption, increased losses
Deficiency in folate results in symptoms indistinguishable from what other vitamin deficiency
B12
Iron deficiency symptoms
pallor, increasing fatigue, exertional dyspnea, tachycardia, pale mucous membranes, spoon shaped nails
Sources of Iron
Meats (heme iron)
Fortified flour, grains
