Nutrition Chapter 4

fasting plasma glucose test

a blood test that measures current blood glucose in a person who has not eaten or consumed caloric beverages for atleast 8 hours

HbA1c test

a blood test that measures hemoglobin molecules with glucose attached to them.

dental caries

decay of the teeth, meaning rottenness

sucrose

a disaccharide composed of glucose and fructose; sometimes known as table, beet, or cane sugar

insulin

a hormone secreted by the pancreas that stimulates the liver to release glucose into the blood when blood glucoses concentration dips

glycemic load

a mathematical expression of both the glycemic index and the carbohydrate content of a food, meal, or diet

galactose

a monosaccharide; part of the disaccharide lactose

constipation

difficult, incomplete, or infrequent bowel movements associated with discomfort in passing dry, hardened feces from the body

plasma

fluid part of whole blood

chelating agents

molecules that attract or bind with other molecules and are therefore useful in either preventing or promoting movement of substances from place to place

type 1 diabetes

the type of diabetes in which the pancreas produces no or very little insulin; often diagnosed in childhood.

photosynthesis

the process by which green plants make carbohydrates from carbon dioxide and water using the green pigment chlorophyll to capture the suns energy.

starch

a plant polysaccharide, highly digestible by human beings.

glycemic index

a ranking of foods according to their potential for raising blood glucose relative to a standard food such as glucose

ketosis

an undesirable high concentration of ketone bodies such as acetone in the blood or urine

polysaccharides

another term for complex carbohydrates; compounds composed of long strands of glucose units linked together. Aka, complex carbohydrates

carbohydrates

compounds composed of single or multiple sugars. The name means "carbon and water".

soluble fibers

food components that readily dissolve in water and often impart gummy or gel like characteristics to food.

lactose intolerance

impaired ability to digest lactose due to reduced amounts of the enzyme lactase

dialysis

in kidney disease, treatment of the blood to remove toxic substances or metabolic wastes

appendicitis

inflammation or infection of the appendix, a sac protruding from the intestine

diabetes

metabolic diseases characterized by elevated blood glucose and inadequate or ineffective insulin which impair a persons ability to regulate blood glucose

sugar alcohols

sugar like compounds in the chemical family alcohol derived from fruits or manufactured from sugar dextrose or other carbohydrates; absorbed more slowly than sugars, are metabolized differently, and do not elevate the risk of dental caries

nonnutritive sweeteners

sugar substitutes that provide negligible if any energy

resistant starch

the fraction of starch in a food that is digested slowly or not at all by human enzymes

chlorophyll

the green pigment of plants that captures energy from sunlight for use in photosynthesis

lactase

the intestinal enzyme that splits the disaccharide lactose to monosaccharides during digestion

insulin resistance

a condition in which a normal or high level of circulating insulin produces a less than normal response in muscle, liver, and adipose tissues; thought to be a metabolic consequence of obesity.

lactose

a disaccharide composed of glucose and galactose; sometimes known as milk sugar.

maltose

a disaccharide composed of two glucose units; sometimes known as malt sugar.

glycogen

a highly branched polysaccharide that is made and stored by liver and muscle tissues of human beings and animals as a storage form of glucose

fructose

a monosaccharide; sometimes known as fruit sugar

glucose

a single sugar used in both plant and animal tissues for energy; sometimes known as blood sugar or dextrose.

high-fructose corn syrup

a widely used commercial calorie sweetener made by adding enzymes to cornstarch to convert a portion of its glucose molecules into sweet tasting fructose

hypoglycemia

an abnormally low blood glucose concentration, often accompanied by symptoms such as anxiety, rapid heartbeating, and sweating

prediabetes

condition in which the blood glucose levels are high than normal but not too high to be diagnosed with diabetes

whole grains

grains or foods made from them that contain all the essential parts and naturally occurring nutrients of the entire grain seed.

viscous

having a sticky, gummy, or gel like consistency that flows relatively slowly.

complex carbohydrates

long chains of sugar units arranged to form starch or fiber, also called polysaccharides.

fibers

the indigestible parts of plant foods, largely non-starch polysaccharides that are not digested by human digestive enzymes, although some are digested by resident bacteria of the colon.

insoluble fibers

the tough, fibrous structures of fruits, vegetables, and grains; indigestible food components that do not dissolve in water

ketone bodies

acidic water soluble compounds that arise during the breakdown of fat when carbohydrate is not available

disaccharides

pairs of single sugars linked together

diverticula

sacs or pouches that balloon from the intestinal wall, caused by weakening of the muscle layers that encase the intestine

sugars

simple carbohydrates; that is, molecules of either single sugar units or pairs of those sugar units bonded together.

monosaccharides

single sugar units

granules

small grains.

added sugars

sugars and syrups added to a food for any purpose; such as to add sweetness or bulk to aid in browning. Also called carbohydrate sweeteners, they include concentrated fruit juice, glucose, fructose, high fructose corn syrups, carbohydrates.

simple carbohydrates

sugars, including both single sugar units and linked pairs of sugar units. The basic sugar unit is a molecule containing six carbon atoms, together with oxygen and hydrogen atoms.

hemorrhoids

swollen, hardened veins in the rectum, usually caused by the pressure resulting from constipation

protein sparing action

the action of carbohydrate and fat in providing energy that allows protein to be used for purposes it alone can serve

fermentation

the anaerobic(without oxygen) breakdown of carbohydrates by microorganisms that release small organic compounds along with carbon dioxide and energy.