You Are What You Eat

Question 1

Distinguish between nutrients, food and diet

Answer 1

Diet: The sum of food consumed by a person.
Foods: Substances that we take into the body. Classified into different groups based on the nutrients they contain.
Nutrients: The components of food.

Question 2

Give the major components of the diet

Answer 2

Question 3

How and why do we estimate nutrient requirements?

Answer 3

DRVs estimate of the nutrient requirements for groups of healthy people

Benchmark to evaluate dietary adequacy in healthy groups.

Plan what to provide (e.g. hospital menus, school meals, war rations).

Question 4

How can nutritional deficiency arise?

Answer 4

Inadequate intake e.g. poor availability of food.
Reduced absorption e.g. Coeliac disease.
Increased losses e.g. diarrhoea, vomiting.
Increased demand e.g. growth, pregnancy.