Week One: Western nutritional analysis Flashcards
What are vitamins?
Essential nutrients found in foods.
What are the two types of vitamins?
1) Fat soluble - like A, D, E and K
2) Water soluble - like C and B vitamins
How many minerals does the body use for maximal function?
Over 80 minerals
What are free radicals?
Highly destructive chemical groups that cause much of the cell damage that occurs in disease
In small quantities how are free radicals beneficial?
In small quantities they fight bacteria and viruses.
What are the antioxidants?
Phytonutrients, the ACE vitamins (vitamin A in the form of beta carotene), vitamin C, E and minerals (esp. zinc, selenium, manganese, copper)
What are phytonutrients?
Natural bioactive compounds found in fruits and vegetables that work together with vitamins, minerals and fibre to promote good health.
What are some functions of phytonutrients?
- Enhance immune system
- Antibacterial, antiviral
- Antioxidants
- Detoxification enzymes
- Positively affect hormones
What are the 8 classes of phytonutrients?
1) Carotenoids
2) Coumarins
3) Flavonoids
4) Indoles
5) Isoflavones
6) Lignans
7) Organosulfurs
8) Phytosterols
What is the pathway that creates free radicals?
Molecules → steal electrons → loss of electron oxidizes these cells → unstable → damages cell membranes and interacts with genetic material
What sort of disease processes do free radicals contribute to?
Contributes to development of cancer, heart disease, cataracts, aging process, enhance low density lipoprotein, cholesterol (LDL)
Why are free radicals created?
They are a byproduct of normal oxidation processes that are need to turn food into chemical energy.
What sort of environmental factors increase free radicals?
Smoking, pollution, UV light, stress, chemicals, toxins
What are carotenoids?
The red, orange, yellow of plants, fungi, birds, insects, fish, crustaceans
How many carotenoids? What categories?
600 in 2 categories:
1) Oxygen containing
2) Oxygen free
Types of oxygen containing carotenoids?
Lutein, zeaxanthin, astaxanthin, alpha and beta cryptoxanthins
What do lutein and zeaxanthin do?
Protect the macular region of the human retina, found in corn, leafy greens, kale and spinach
Where are astaxanthins found? Cryptoxanthins?
Asta - Shrimp and salmon
Crypto - Red pepper, orange, papaya
What are the oxygen free carotenes?
Alpha-carotene, beta-carotene and lycopene
What do oxygen free carotenes do?
- Protect cells and tissues
- Enhance immune system
- Protect from sunburn (beta-carotene) and cancer
Where is alpha carotene found? Where is beta-carotene found?
Alpha: Carrots, Pumpkin
Beta: Kale, Dandelion greens, Carrots, Peaches, Apricots, Sweet potatoes
Where is lycopene found?
Tomatoes
Pink grapefruit
Guava
Watermelon
Where are bioflavonoids found?
Responsible for deep red and blue pigments found in fruit, red wine, teas. Especially found in blueberries, cranberries, blackberries, red beans, gingko biloba, grape seed extract.
What do bioflavonoids do?
- sun protection
- anti-inflammatory
- age related degenerative disease
- heart disease (protect plants from insect attack)
Where is the bioflavonoid quercetin found?
(one of the most abundant flavonoids) found in apple, tea, onion, nuts, berries, cauliflower, cabbage
What are isoflavones?
Categorized as phytoestrogens
What are the benefits of isoflavones?
- Reduce the risk for some hormone related cancers such as breast and prostate cancer
- Reduce the symptoms of menopause like hot flashes
- Protect against osteoporosis
Where are isoflavones found?
Main source is in soybean, but also found in chickpeas, currants, sage, parsley
How do isoflavones protect against osteoporosis?
Estrogenic effect explains its protection against osteoporosis
What is the most common isoflavone? Other one?
Genestein most common. Other is daidzen.
Where are lignans found?
Primary source of lignans found in flax seed, sesame seed
What do lignans do?
Phytoestrogens like isoflavones. Anti-tumor and anti-estrogenic to fight against estrogenic forms of colon and breast cancer
What do indoles smell like?
Low concentrations it has a flowery smell, in high concentrations it smells like fecal matter and it is indeed found in fecal matter (or feet, think insoles!)
Where are indoles found?
Brassica-genus vegetables (or cruciferous) recommended by the National Cancer Institute
eg. cabbage, turnips, kale, brussel sprouts, cauliflower, broccoli
What is an important anti-carcinogenic indole?
Dithiolethione: helps to protect prostate and colon
Where are coumarins found?
Found in beans, sweet clover grass, lavender, licorice, vanilla grass, bison grass, apricots, cherries, strawberries, cinnamon, dang quai