tHe bAsIcS Flashcards
What is a nutrient?
Any food constituent that helps support life
What are the four basic functions of nutrients in the body?
- Body development and maintenance
- Energy provision
- Disease prevention
- Disease recovery
Essential nutrient
Indispensable in the diet!
The body CANNOT synthesize this
Conditionally essential
Required during certain physiologic or pathologic conditions (like lifestage)
Non-essential
Dispensable - the body can synthesize from other diet components
Water functions (3)
This is the most essential nutrient!
- Solvent and transport
- Chemical reactions
- Reg body temp
T/F: Water is about 70% of the body composition. 15-20% loss of water can result in death
True! That much loss of water is ~ d e h y d r a t i o n ~
Carbohydrates structure (3) and function (4)
Structures: Monosaccharide, Disaccharide, & Polysaccharide
Functions:
1. Energy source
2. Provides form (dry & canned food)
3. Increases food vol
4. Reduces cost of food
Bran, beet pulp, soybean, or peanut hull are all great sources of _____ fiber
Insoluble fiber! (fiber = carbs)
Three benefits of insoluble carbs/fibers
- Increases fecal bulk & normalize transit time
- Increase satiety (fullness)
- Provide probiotics for intestinal health
Protein functions (2-6)
- Energy source
- Building blocks:
- Hormones
- Enzymes
- Cell components
- Antibodies
List the 11 essential amino acids
- Threonine
- Arginine
- Tryptophan
- Isoleucine
- Valine
- Lysine
- Phenylalanine
- Histidine
- Leucine
- Methionine
- Taurine (cats only)
Fat special functions (5)
- Anti-inflammatory
- Carrier for vitamins
- Essential fatty acids
- Hormone synthesis
- Palatability
T/F: Fat is a component of cell structure but is not an energy source
False! Is it a component of cell structure AND a source of energy
Fat produces ___ kcals/g which is the most out of all the nutrients
8.5 kcals/g
What is the difference between saturated and unsaturated fats?
Unsat have double bonds (or more) between their C atoms while sat don’t
Omega 3’s double bond is at the ____ position while Omega 6’s is at the ___ position.
- Omega 3’s is at the 3rd position
- Omega 6’s is at the 6th position
The three essential fatty are…
- Linoleic (omega-6)
- a-Linolenic (omega-3)
- Arachidonic (in cats!) (omega-6)
Special functions DHA and EPA do what in animals
- DHA: Promotes brain development
- EPA: An anti-inflammatory
Fat diet requirement % in cats is ___ and ___ in dogs
9% in cats
5% in dogs
Formula for RER
(30 x bodyweight in kg) + 70
1 kcal = ____ calories = 1 Calorie
1 kcal = 1000 calories = 1 Calorie
DER formula
kcal/day (RER) x DER factor
What are vitamins
Organic substance (contains carbon) essential to nutrition
Vitamin act as ____ assisting in chemical reactions. They do not provide _____ or act as ____.
- Act as Coenzymes
- Do not provide energy
- Do not act as building blocks
What are the two water soluble vitamins?
Fat soluble?
- Vitamin B & C
- Vitamins A, E, D, K
Vitamin A
1. Function
2. Essential
3. Toxicity
- Function:
- Visual proteins (in retina)
- Epithelial cell differentiation (lining of skin & organs)
- Bone resorption - Essential: Cats!
- Toxicity: Only on high levels
Vitamin D
1. Function
2. Essential
3. Toxicity
- Function:
- Ca/P mineral balance
- Bone mineralization
- Bone resorption - Essential: Variable
- Toxicity:
- Can cause kidney failure
- Secondary hyperparathyroidism
- Feline odontoclastic resorptive lesions (FORL)
Vitamin E
1. Function:
2. Essential:
3. Toxicity:
- Function:
- Biological antioxidant
- Membrane (mucus membrane) integrity (scavenger free radicals)
- Prevents steatites (inflam. disease) in cats - Essential: Cats & dogs, yes!
- Toxicity: High levels
Vitamin K
1. Function:
2. Essential:
3. Toxicity:
- Function: Blood clotting (vita K is req to do this)
- Essential: Cats conditionally
- Toxicity: Minimal
Vitamin B
1. Function:
2. Essential:
3. Toxicity:
- Function:
- Cofactors for neuron activity, cell metabolism, & DNA/RNA synthesis
- Many vitamins - Essential: Cats & dogs conditionally (esp for GI issues by ilium where vita B metabol occurs)
- Toxicity: Low
Vitamin C
1. Function:
2. Essential:
3. Toxicity:
- Function:
- Antioxidant
- Collagen proteins: structural integrity of skin & connective tissue - Essential: No, can be made from other sources
- Toxicity: Low
What are minerals?
Inorganic substance that are essential to health
Minerals do not provide ____ and are important as components of ____ and/or ____ reactions
- Energy
- Proteins
- Chemicals
These are all what kind of minerals?
1. Salt
2. Potassium
3. Phosphorous
4. Magnesium
5. Calcium
6. Sulfur
Macrominerals
These are all what kind of minerals?
1. Iron
2. Zinc
3. Copper
4. Boron
5. Manganese
6. Selenium
7. Iodine
8. Chromium
Microminerals
Macrominerals are measured in ___ while microminerals are measured in ____
Macrominerals are measured in % of diet
Microminerals are measured in ppm
Nutrient excess: Calcium
Disease
What it causes
- Skeletal development disease
- It causes:
- Hip dysplasia
- Osteochondrosis
Feeding goals (3)
- Meet energy req to maintain ideal weight
- Meet water, protein, fat, & vitamin/mineral needs of animals to maintain health and ideal BCS
- Avoid excessive nutrients that may cause illness or unneeded expense
Nutrient excess: Magnesium
Common name
What it causes
- Commonly referred to formation of “stones”
- Causes:
- Inflammation
- Infection
- Minerals in the urine
- Urine pH
- Breed
- Gender
