Nutritional and Food-Related Health Conditions Flashcards
Glucose
- the building block of all carbohydrates
- converted to energy for use in the body
Insulin
- hormone synthesised and secreted by pancreas
- stimulates the absorption of glucose from the bloodstream to body cells
- causes blood glucose level to drop again
Glycaemic Index
- GI
- measure (1-100) given to foods containing carbohydrates
- based on the effect they have on blood glucose levels
High GI foods
- 70+
- cause blood glucose levels to rise quickly and sharply
- eg cake, potatoes, pumpkin
Medium GI foods
- 56-69
- cause moderate increase in blood glucose level
- eg rye bread, bananas, cooked beetroot
Low GI foods
- 50 or less
- release glucose slowly into bloodstream
- keeps glucose level constant for a few hours
- eg tomatoes, green beans, low GI brown bread
Low Blood Glucose Levels
- hypoglycemia
- when blood glucose level drops abnormally low:
1) after eating blood glucose level rises very quickly
2) a lot of insulin in released into bloodstream to counter sudden rise
3) insulin causes blood glucose level to drop below normal
Symptoms of hypoglycemia (4)
shakiness
palpitations
sweating
headache
High Blood Glucose Levels
- hyperglycemia
- when blood glucose level rises abnormally high
Causes of hyperglycemia (3)
- eating foods high in sugar
- too little exercise
- sustained stress
What is Diabetes (mellitus)?
chronic condition where the body cannot control the blood glucose level because too little/no insulin is produced
Type 1 diabetes
- pancreas does not synthesise insulin
- insulin injections are necessary to control blood glucose level
- usually develops in children and young adults
- immune system attacks and destroys pancreas cells that produce insulin
Type 2 diabetes
- pancreas does not synthesise enough insulin to control the blood glucose level effectively OR
- body cannot use the insulin effectively
- body cells become resistant to insulin
- usually develops in people age 40+ who are inactive with a poor diet
Diabetes can cause (6)
blindness kidney failure nerve damage coronary heart disease stroke death
Prevention and Management of Diabetes (7)
- follow a healthy diet
- exercise regularly
- maintain a healthy body weight
- control blood pressure and cholesterol
- avoid stress
- regularly monitor blood glucose levels
- use medication
Coronary Heart Disease
- develops when coronary arteries are damaged or dysfunctional
- plaque accumulates in damaged areas
- plaque hardens, narrows arteries, decreasing blood flow to heart
- leads to heart attack
atherosclerosis
build up of plaque inside coronary arteries decreasing blood flow to the heart
may cause gangrene, heart attacks or stroke
Cholesterol
- soft waxy substance
- made by liver
- forms part of cell membranes
- used to build healthy cells
- should be less than 5.0mmol/l
Good cholesterol
- HDL (High Density Lipoprotein)
- carries excess cholesterol to liver where it gets broken down to be excreted
- lowers risk of heart disease
- more than 1.2mmol/l
Bad cholesterol
- LDL (Low Density Lipoprotein)
- builds up in inner walls of arteries
- hardens and narrows arteries
- atherosclerosis
- less than 3.0mmol/l
2 Fats that raise cholesterol
- saturated fats (full cream, butter)
2. trans fatty acids (pastries, fried foods)
2 Fats that lower cholesterol
- polyunsaturated fats (seed oils, fish)
2. mono-unsaturated fats (avo, nuts)
Prevention and Management of Cholesterol (5)
a) maintain healthy body weight
b) healthy eating (limit fat, whole grains, veg, read labels)
c) drink less alcohol
d) exercise regularly
e) do not smoke
High Blood Pressure
- hypertension
- determined by how much the heart pumps and how much resistance the arteries provide
- can lead to heart attack or stroke
5 Factors that cause hypertension
- high sodium intake
- stress
- high alcohol intake
- smoking
- inactive lifestyle
Prevention of hypertension (6)
a) follow a healthy diet (limit salt, eat low fat)
b) maintain healthy body weight
c) exercise more
d) drink less alcohol and caffeine
e) do not smoke
f) manage stress
Osteoporosis
- skeletal disease
- bones become porous due to lack of calcium
- breakdown of bone tissue occurs faster than rebuilding
Causes of Osteoporosis (4)
- gender- women have lower bone mass then men
- lack of calcium, phosphorus, vitamin D
- excessive smoking and alcohol intake
- excessive weight loss (anorexia)
Prevention and Management of Osteoporosis (5)
a) balanced diet rich in Calcium, Vitamin D and C, Phosphorus and Fluoride
b) avoid protein rich foods
c) do not smoke
d) avoid excessive use of alcohol
e) do regular weight-bearing exercise
Anaemia
- lack of red blood cells in blood OR
- lack of haemoglobin in red blood cells due to lack of iron
- blood loses capacity to carry oxygen
Causes of anaemia (2)
- blood loss = loss of red blood cells (through injury/ menstruation)
- insufficient production of red blood cells (diet lacks iron through poor diet, pregnancy, infection, lack of vitamin B12)
Prevention and Management of Anaemia (4)
a) healthy diet rich in iron, vitamins and folic acid
b) monitor growth of children, as growth = need for iron
c) monitor blood loss during menstruation
d) blood transfusion if condition is serious
