Part 1 of Nutrition Flashcards
What is malnutrition?
- When a person’s diet does not contain the right amount of nutrients.
- it can include under (malnourishment) and over nutrition (obesity).
According to statistics, deaths in what groups are associated in over and under nutrition?
- Over nutrition leading to obesity is often assocaited with deaths in adults
- Under nutrition associated with 45% of deaths in children under 5.
What groups does malnutrition affect disproportionately and most heavily and what implications does this have?
- Most heavily affects people in poverty
- worsens health inequalities
What are the benefits of having good nutrition?
- Nutrition is a key determinant of how healthy our brain is
- So good nutrition can boost memory and help maintain cognitive function during ageing.
- Good dietary quality can also lower the risk of depression and other mental illnesses.
- Lowers risk of cardiovascular diseases, type 2 diabetes and cancer.
What foods are omega-3 fatty acids found in and what implications do they have for health?
- Oily fish and nuts
- Linked to lower levels of beta-amyloid protein implicated in the development of Alzheimer’s dementia.
What are the wider impacts of nutrition?
- Global warming
- Antibiotic resistance
- Animal welfare
What major categories of nutrients is food composed of?
- Macronutrients - needed in large amongst and provide the body with energy and fulfil vital bodily functions such as body growth and repair.
- Micronutrients - required in very small amounts but deficiency has big consequences including death.
What are the different types of macronutrients?
- Fat
- Carbohydrate
- Protein
- Alcohol (not essential)
What are the different types of fats and in what foods are they found?
- Unsaturated fats
- found mainly in plans such as olive oil but also other sources like fish.
- 2 types - mono and polyunsaturated
- good for health
- Saturated fats
- found mainly in meat and dairy products.
- Trans fats
- artificial - produced by heating vegetable oil in the presence of hydrogen.
- used in processed food as stability and shelf life increased.
- dangerous to health as they increase inflammation, resistance to insulin and increase LDL cholestrol.
Under what conditions can reducing saturated fats can be good for health?
- When they are replaced with unsaturated fats
What are the two broad groups of carbohydrates?
- Simple
- mono or disaccharides
- Broad
- oligo (typically three to ten joined together) or polysaccharides.
What is fibre classified as and how is it important to the body?
- Carbohydrate
- The body can’t digest it but gut microbiota can ferment it.
- Regulates hunger through bulking properties
- Regulates blood glucose by delaying gastric emptying = slowing sugar absorption
- Helps food through the gut
- Reduces risk of illnesses such as colon cancer, type 2 diabetes and heart disease.
What are good protein sources?
- chicken breast
- steak
- legumes
- nuts
- seeds
- wholegrains
What are the two types of micronutrients?
- Vitamins - organic molecules body can’t produce
- Minerals - inorganic ions
What are the 9 essential amino acids?
- Arginine is classified as a semi-essential or conditionally essential amino acid,
- Preterm infants are unable to synthesize or create arginine internally, making the amino acid nutritionally essential for them.
What are the essential micronutrients?
Micronutrients that the body can’t manufacture so must be absorbed through diet. Eg:
- Vitamin C - deficiency leads to scurvy
- Vitamin D - essential for good bone health
- Folate and iodine - essential for healthy foetal development
- iron - essential for blood productions
- Vitamin A - important role in eyesights.
Why is water important for the body?
Accounts for 60% of the body and is essential for vital bodily functions such as:
- Temperature and waste regulation
What key points can you take from the governments eat well guide?
- Fruits and vegetables
- a good source of fibre, micronutrients and carbohydrates (in some cases unsaturated fats).
- Aim for a minimum of 5 portions of different fruits and vegetables each day
- Carbohydrates
- Should make around a 1/3 of food we eat
- ideally wholegrain (contains vital fibre and micronutrients from the bran)
- Protein
- Most should come from pulses - beans, lentils and peas.
- aim to eat 2 portions of fish each week (one should be oily)
- Eat less red meat
- Dairy
- Advised to be eaten in small amounts
- good source of calcium for healthy bones
- Plant oils
- Good source of unsaturated fats to reduce LDL
- High in calorie so not recommended if trying to lose weight
- Liquids
- 6-8 glasses including water, milk etc
What is physical activity? How does it differ from excercise and sport?
- Physical activity is any bodily movement produced by skeletal muscle that requires energy expenditure.
- Exercise is a subcategory of physical activity that is planned, structured and has a purpose
- Sport is a subtype of exercise.
What are the 4 categories of physical activity and exercise?
- Aerobic
- Balance
- Strength
- Flexibility
What are the different intensities of exercise and how can you communicate this to a patient?
- Moderate activity requires between 3-6 times the amount of energy compared to being sedentary. Noticeably accelerates the heart rate.
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