Nutrition 1

3 functional categories of nutrients:

1. Those that primarily provide energy (typically expressed in kilocalories). 2. Those that are important for growth and development, then maintenance. 3. Those that regulate body processes and keep them functioning smoothly.

Calorie

A calorie is the amount of energy in foods, or the amount of heat energy it takes to raise the temperature of 1g of water 1 degree C. Good energy is expressed in kilocalories, or 1000 calories to raise the temperature of 1000g (1 liter) of water 1 degree C.

Americans

Americans get 2/3 of protein from animal sources, whereas in many other countries that 2/3 comes from plants. 60% of dietary fat comes from animal sources for Americans rather than plat sources so many Americans are consuming far more saturated fat and cholesterol than is recommended. We could improve our diets with more Vitamin A, vitamin E, iron, potassium, and calcium and by reducing sodium intake. Older adults typically get too little vitamin D and women of child bearing years have inadequate iron intake. Most Americans need to reduce their sugar intake (simple carbs) and increase their risk of starch fiber. They consume half their carbs from simple carbohydrates and the other half from starch. They also consume 16% of energy intake as proteins, 50% as carbohydrates, and 33% as fats on average.

An ion

An ion is an atom with an unequal number of electrons.

Essential nutrients in the diet:

Carbohydrates, lipids, and proteins are energy yielding nutrients that are needed in the diet in large amounts, thus they are referred to as macronutrients, including water. Vitamins and minerals are non-energy yielding nutrients that are needed in the diet in small amounts, thus they are referred to as micronutrients.

Mutation

Changes in chemistry of a gene that is perpetuated by subsequent divisions of the cell where it occurred; a change in the sequence of DNA.

Metabolism

Chemical processes of the body that provide energy in useful firms to sustain vital activities.

when meeting with a nutrition professional, expect them to follow these 4 steps in the nutrition care process:

Conduct a nutritional assessment Diagnose specific nutrition related problem Creates an intervention plan tailored to your needs to relieve the signs and symptoms of your specific diagnosis Monitor and evaluate progress and modify your diet plan when appropriate. also consult with your physician to treat health problems that they are not trained to treat.

Systematic review

Critical evaluation and synthesis of research studies focusing on a specific topic or research question.

3 general categories of nutritional status

Desirable nutrition, under nutrition, and over nutrition. Malnutrition can refer to either over nutrition or under nutrition. A desirable nutrition status is a state where the body tissues have enough of a nutrient to support normal functions and build and maintain surplus stores that can be used in times of need. Under nutrition occurs when nutrient intake does not meet nutritional needs, causing surplus stores to be used until depleted and metabolic processes eventually stop or slow down. The early stage of nutrient deficiency is termed sub clinical because there are no signs or symptoms that can be diagnosed. Severe deficiency will develop into clinical signs and symptoms that are outwardly apparent. Over nutrition is consumption of more nutrients than needed which can lead to toxic amounts. Excess intake of energy yielding nutrients is the most common, which causes obesity, resulting in cancer and type 2 diabetes.

Appetite and food choice depend on many factors:

Food flavor, texture, and appearance preference (biggest for many people). Culture Lifestyle (how busy they are to prioritize healthy eating) Routines and habits Food cost and availability Environment Food marketing Health and nutrition concerns, knowledge, and beliefs.

Risk factor

Hereditary characteristics or lifestyle behavior that increase the chances of developing disease.

Genes

Hereditary material on chromosomes that make up DNA. Genes provide the blueprints for the construction of cell proteins.

Case-control study

In a case-control study, scientists compare individuals who have the condition in question (cases) with individuals who do not have the condition (controls). You can think of it like a mini epidemiological study. This type of study may identify factors other than he disease being studied such as fruit and veggie intake that differ between the groups. However, without a controlled experiment, researchers cannot definitely claim cause and effect.

Double blind study

In a double blind study, neither the study participants nor the researchers know who is getting the real treatment (experimental group) or who is getting the placebo (control group). Secondly, the expected effects of the experimental protocol aren't expressed to the participants or researchers until after the entire study is completed. These features reduce bias. They also reduce the chance that participants begin to feel better simply because they are involved in a research study, a phenomenon called the placebo effect. In a single blinded study, only the participants are kept uninformed about who is assigned to the experimental and control groups.

Peer reviewed journal

Journal that published research only after researchers who weren't part of the study agree that it was carefully designs enable executed and the results are unbiased, thus it's been approved by peers of the research team.

Lipids

Lipids, like carbohydrates, are composed mostly of carbon atoms, hydrogen atoms, and oxygen atoms. Lipids yield more energy than carbohydrates, at 9 calories per gram. Fats are lipids that are solid at room temperature and oils are lipids that are liquid at room temperature.

Migrant studies

Look at changes in health of people who move from one country to another. Cohort studies start with a healthy population and follow it, looking for the development of disease.

Glucose

Major source of energy in most cells that comes from simple carbohydrates and starch. Glucose and most other carbohydrates provide an average of 4 calories per gram (kcal/g). When too little carbohydrate is eaten, the body is forced to make glucose from proteins.

Macronutrient

Nutrient needed in gram quantities. Micronutrients are needed in milligram quantities.

The scientific method stepa

Observations made and questions asked Hypothesis generated Research experiments conducted Findings evaluated by other scientists and published Follow up experiments conducted to confirm or extend findings Accept or reject hypothesis

Organic compounds

Organic compounds contain carbon atoms bound to hydrogen atoms, whereas minerals are structurally simple, inorganic substances. Minerals typically function as one or more groups of the same atom or as mineral combination. Because minerals are elements, they are not destroyed by cooking. Minerals play key roles in the nervous system, skeletal system, and water balance but yield no energy to the body. Minerals are divided into 2 groups: major and trace. Major minerals are needed daily in gram amounts (sodium, potassium, chloride, calcium, etc) whereas trace minerals are needed in amounts less than 100 mg daily (examples are iron, zinc, copper).

Phytochemicals

Phytochemicals are plant components in fruits, veggies, legumes, and whole grains. Zoochemicals are animal components. These compounds aren't considered essential nutrients but provide health benefits like reducing the risk of cancer by consuming fruits and veggies. They also reduce risk of cardiovascular disease. Phytochemicals and zoochemicals are functional foods, meaning they gave health benefits beyond those supplied by the tradition nutrients it contains.

Appetite

Primary psychological (external) influences that encourage us to find and eat foods. Hunger is the primary physiological (internal) drive for food.

Proteins

Proteins, like carbohydrates and fats, are composed of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen, but also contain another element called nitrogen. Proteins are the main structural material of the body and are components in blood, cell membranes, enzymes and immune factors. Protein provides 4 calories per gram. Twenty common amino acids are found in food; 9 of these are essential for adults and 1 additional amino acid is essential for infants.

Simple carbohydrates

Simple carbohydrates are small carbohydrate structures or sugars. Examples of simple carbohydrates are table sugar (sucrose) and blood sugar (glucose). Some sugars can chemically bond together to form large carbohydrates called polysaccharides or complex carbohydrates, like the starch in grains or the glycogen stored in our muscles, or fiber.

Deoxyrbonucleic acid (DNA)

Site of hereditary information in cells. DNA directs the synthesis of cell proteins.

Alcohol

Source of energy that provides 7 calories per gram but is not considered a nutrient. But after digesting and absorbing energy producing nutrients, the body uses the energy to build compounds, move muscles, transmit nerve impulses, balance ions within cells.

Element

Substance that can't be separated into simpler substances by chemical processes.

Nutrients

Substances essential for health that the body cannot make or makes in quantities that are too small. Essential nutrients must have a specific biological function, and result in a decline in human biological function it removed from the diet, but returning the omitted substance before permanent damage occurs will restore normal aspects of human biological function.

Nutrition

The science of food; the nutrients and substances therein, their action, and relation to health and disease, and the process by which the organism ingests, digests, transports, utilizes, and excretes food that probide rhe nutrients to fuel and build all body cells.

In a well nourished person

Total daily intake of protein, fat, and carbohydrate weighs 450g or 1 pound. Typical daily mineral intake is only 20 grams and the daily vitamin intake weighs less than 300 mg.

Triglyceride

Triglycerides are a lipid type that is the major form of fat in foods and a key source of energy from the body. Triglycerides are composed of 3 fatty acids attached to a glycerol molecule. Fatty acids are long chains of carbon flanked by hydrogen with an acid group attached to thr need opposite of the glycerol. Unsaturated fats tend to be healthier than saturated fats because saturated fats raise blood cholesterol which can clog arteries and lead to cardiovascular disease. The unsaturated fatty acids linoleic acid and alpha linolenic acid are essential nutrients. They are structural components of cell membranes and regulate blood pressure and nerve transmissions.

Trans fatty acids

Unsaturated fats that have been processed to change their structure from a cis to a trans form. Trans fatty acids are primarily found in deep fried foods and solid fats. Must be minimalized in the diet like saturated fat.

Vitamins

Vitamins are composed of a variety of chemical structures and elements. The main function of vitamins is to enable chemical reactions to occur in the body, some of which release the energy trapped in carbohydrates, lipids, and proteins. Vitamins themselves provide no usable energy. Cooking is more likely to destroy water soluble vitamins than fat soluble vitamins and water soluble vitamins are excreted from the body much more readily than fat soluble. As a result, fat soluble vitamins esp. Vitamin A are a lot more likely to accumulate in excessive amounts in the body and cause toxicity.

Water

Water is the 6th class of nutrients and is also inorganic like minerals and is the nutrient needed in the largest quantity. Water regulates body temperature and acts as a solvent and lubricant and transports nutrients to cells. The body even takes some water as a by-product of metabolism.

environmental assessment

an environmental assessment provides information on the person's education and economic background because people with inadequate education, incoming, housing, and/or live alone are at a reduced ability to follow instructions or afford to purchase, store, and prepare nutritious food. These 5 parameters are the ABCDEs of nutritional assessment: anthropometric, biochemical, clinical, dietary, and environmental.

biochemical assessments

biochemical assessments include the measurement of the concentrations of nutrients, and nutrient by-products in the blood, urine, and feces and of specific blood enzyme activities. For example, the enzyme thyamine is measured in part by determining the activity of an enzyme transkelatose used to metabolise glucose. To test for this, cells are broken up and thyamine is added to see how it affects the rate of transkelatose activity.

clinical assesment

in a clinical assessment, healthcare providers search for physical evidence of diet-related issues like high blood pressure or skin conditions. The health care provider tends to focus the clinical assessment on potential problem areas identified from the dietary assessment.

anthropometric assessment

involves measuring various aspects of the body, including height, weight, body circumferences, and skinfold thickness for nutritional state.

Limitations of nutritional assessment

many signs and symptoms of nutritional deficiencies like diarrhea, skin conditions, and fatigue aren't very specific. they can be caused by poor nutrition or other factors unrelated to nutrition. second, it can take a long time for the signs and symptoms of nutritional deficiencies to develop and the link between nutritional status and diet is often vague and difficult to establish. thirdly, a long time may elapse between initial development of poor nutritional health and the first clinical evidence of a problem.

dietary assessment

the dietary assessment examines how often a person eats certain types of foods, the types of foods eaten over a long period of time, and typical intake.