Nutrition

Question 1

Name some fat soluble vitamins, the signs of their deficiency, their excess and the way to test it.

Answer 1

Vitamin A: Retinol

• Colour blindness
• Exfoliation and hepatitis
• Serum levels

Vitamin D: Chole-calciferol

• Osteomalacia and ricket’s
• Hyper-calcaemia
• Serum levels

Vitamin E: Tocopherol

• Anaemia and neuropathy
• Excess is rare
• Serum levels

Vitamin K: Phyto-menadione

• Defective clotting
• Hypercoagulation
• PTT

Question 2

Name some water soluble vitamins, the signs of their deficiency, their excess and the way to test it.

Answer 2

B1: Thiamine

• Beri-beri, neuropathy, Wernicke’s syndrome
• Excess is rare
• Test in RBC transketolase

B2: Riboflavin

• Glossitis
• Excess is rare
• RBC glutathione reductase

B3: Niacin

• Pellagra (dementia, dermatitis, dirrhoea)
• Excess is rare
• Serum tryptophan

B6: Pyroxidine

• Dermatitis and anaemia
• Neuropathy
• RBC AST activation

B12: Cobalamin

• Pernicious anaemia
• Excess rare
• Serum levels

Vitamin C: Ascorbate

• Scurvy
• Renal stones
• Plasma levels

Folate:

• Megaloblastic anaemia and neural tube defects
• Excess is rare
• RBC folate

Question 3

Name some elements that are found in traces in our blood, the signs of their deficiency, their excess and the way to test it

Answer 3

Iron

• Hypochromic anaemia
• haemochromatosis
• Iron, Ferritin, FBC

Iodine

• Goitre and hypothyroid
• Excess is rare
• TFT

Zinc

• Dermatitis
• Excess is rare

Copper

• Anaemia
• Wilson’s disease
• Copper levels and caeroplasmin

Flouride

• Dental caries
• Flourosis
• Serum levels

Question 4

What are the body compositions of water, fat, protein and minerals?

Answer 4

Water: 60-70%
Fat: 10-35%
Protein: 10-15%
Minerals: 3-5%

Question 5

How is obesity measured?

Answer 5

Weight and height, BMI
BMI >30 = obese
BMI >40 = morbidly obese

Question 6

What are the different ways someone can measure adiposity?

Answer 6

• BMI
• Waist to hip ratio (around umbilicus)
• Wait circumference

Question 7

At what waist circumference levels are risks of CVD increased?

Answer 7

Males: >94 and very at >102
Females: >80 and very at >88

Question 8

What is the best way to measure risk of MI?

Answer 8

Lipoprotein levels and cholesterol levels

Question 9

What is the best way to measure adiposity and CVS risk?

Answer 9

Waist circumference

Question 10

What kind of fatty acids are good/bad?

Answer 10

Cis > trans

Poly > mono > saturated