Chapter 2: Nutritional Needs

saliva

A mucus- and enzyme-containing liquid secreted by the mouth that makes food easier to swallow and begins to break down starches.

digestion

The bodily process of breaking food down into simpler compounds the body can use.

absorption

The process of taking nutrients into the body and making them part of the body.

fat-soluble vitamins

dissolve in fats.

anemia

is a condition resulting from deficiencies of various nutrients which reduces the number of red blood cells in the bloodstream.

pellagra

is a disease resulting from a niacin deficiency.

beriberi

is a disease resulting from a severe thiamin deficiency.

scurvy

is a disease resulting from a vitamin C deficiency.

rickets

is a disease resulting from a vitamin D deficiency.

dietary supplements

nonnutrient substances that are manufactured or extracted from natural sources.

nutrient

the chemical substances from food the body needs to live.

peristalsis

Waves of muscle contractions that push through the digestive tract.

hydrogenation

adds hydrogen atoms to unsaturated fatty acids in liquid oils which turns them into more highly saturated solid fats.

microminerals

are another term for trace elements.

fatty acids

are chemical chains that contain carbon, hydrogen and oxygen atoms.

proteins

are chemical compounds that are found in every body cell.

vitamins

are complex organic substances needed for normal growth, maintenance and reproduction.

fats

are important energy sources.

minerals

are inorganic substances that make up about 4 percent of the body weight and does not provide any energy.

macrominerals

are minerals needed in larger amounts than other minerals.

trace elements

are minerals needed in smaller amounts than other minerals.

amino acids

are the building blocks of proteins.

water-soluble vitamins

dissolve in water.

hypertension

high blood pressure, with a link between it and sodium.

osteoporosis

is a condition resulting from a calcium deficiency, which is characterized by porous, brittle bones.

cholesterol

is a fatlike substance found in every cell in the body.

fiber

is a form of complex carbohydrates from plants that humans cannot digest.

malnutrition

is a lack of the right proportions of nutrients over an extended period of time.

night blindness

is a reduced ability to see in dim light, caused by too little vitamin A.

fortified foods

is a source of added nutrients in the diet aside from supplements, usually added to a food.

antioxidant

is a substance that prevents or slows damage caused by chemical reactions involving oxygen.

goiter

is a visible enlargement of the thyroid gland resulting from an iodine deficiency.

deficiency disease

is an illness caused by the lack of a sufficient amount of a nutrient.

protein-energy malnutrition (PEM)

is caused when the diet does not contain enough protein and calories.

carbohydrate

is the body's chief source of energy.

glucose

is the form of sugar carried in the bloodstream for energy use throughout the body.

nutrition

is the study of how the body uses the nutrients in the foods that are eaten.

trans fatty acids

or trans fats such as most shortening and stick margarine (partially hydrogenated oils).

toxicity

poisoning

metabolism

the chemical processes that take place in the cells after the body absorbs nutrients.