Nutrition, Kwashiorkor and Cachexia

Question 1

What are the essential components of a diet?

Answer 1

Carbohydrates
Fats
Proteins
Minerals 
Vitamins
Roughage

Question 2

Components of Carbohydrates? Function?

Answer 2

Monosaccharides - glucose
Disaccharides - sucrose (glucose, fructose)
Polysaccharides - glycogen

Function: energy, protein spearer, stored in times of excess

Question 3

Examples of fats and there functions.

Answer 3

Milk, butter, eggs, nuts

Function: provide heat energy, transport fat soluble vits, necessary for nerve sheath and formation of bile.

Question 4

What are the functions of proteins? What are first and second class proteins?

Answer 4

They are the building blocks of amino acids - essential amino acids come from diet and non-essential ammonia acids come from the body.

1st class - All necessary amino acids:

• meat
• fish
• eggs
• soya

2nd class:

• peas
• beans
• lentils

Question 5

What are the functions of amino acids?

Answer 5

• Formation of cells
• Growth and repair
• Synthesis of hormones
• Synthesis of plasma proteins

Question 6

What percentage of water is in males and females and what is the function of water?

Answer 6

Female - 50%  Male - 60% 
Functions: 
- Regulation of body temp 
- Component of blood tissue fluid 
- Formation of urine and faeces

Question 7

What is roughage and what is its function?

Answer 7

Roughage is the cellulose of fruit (fibre)

Function:

• Adds bulk to diet
• Stimulates bowel movement

Question 8

What are vitamins and what are the two different types of vitamin called?

Answer 8

Vitamins are chemical components, essential for life.

Water soluble - B1, B2, Nicotic acid, B6, Pantothenic acid, Folates, B12, choline and C.
Function:
- Provide prosthetic groups or cofactors

Fat soluble - A, D, E, K (Alix doesn’t even know)

Question 9

What are the two types of malnutrition?

Answer 9

Food deprivation - protein energy malnutrition

Psychiatric - Anorexia nervosa, dementia

Question 10

Name the four types of protein energy malnutrition.

Answer 10

Kwashiorkor
Cachexia
Phthisis
Marasmus

Question 11

Define Kwashiorkor and Cachexia.

Answer 11

K - due to deficient diet in protein
C - severely low weight associated with chronic disease e.g. Cancer, aids, death usually occurs through erosion of respiratory muscles.

Question 12

List the characteristics of Kwashiorkor.

Answer 12

• Oedema = accessive accumulation of fluid in body tissue.
• Diarrhoea
• Potbelly
• Changes in hair and nails
• Desquamating skin rash
• Decrease in linear growth

Question 13

What are the mechanisms of an oedema?

Answer 13

Decrease in protein –> decrease in amino acid availability for protein synthesis –> decrease in albumin production by liver

Question 14

Definition of diarrhoea. What are the three types of diarrhoea?

Answer 14

Bowel movements of excessive liquidity, volume and frequency. Decreased ability to digest/absorb nutrients due to decrease in digestive enzymes in pancreas and decrease in absorption in intestines.
Osmotic, secretory and malabsorptive

Question 15

What are the two functions of the pancreas?

Answer 15

Endocrine - production of hormones

Exocrine - production of digestive enzymes (amylase, lipase)

Question 16

What is the cause of potbelly?

Answer 16

Hepatomegaly

Question 17

What is a desquamating skin rash?

Answer 17

The outer layer of epidermis of skin is removed by scaling

Question 18

What are the mechanisms of Cachexia?

Answer 18

Hypercatabolism of lipids and proteins.

mediated by cytokines - hormone like substances act in paracrine fashion to mediate immune response.