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.
