Nutrition & Metabolism Exam Review

Question 1

What is nutrition and why is it important?

Answer 1

Nutrition is the study of how foods nourishes our body, influence our health, how we digest, metabolize, and store nutrients.
-It is important because it contributes to our wellness, which is the absence of disease.

Question 2

List 3 macronutrients, 2 micronutrients and 1 ‘other’ nutrient. Which group provides energy in the form of calories?

Answer 2

Three Macronutrients: provide energy (calories)
-Carbohydrates
-Lipids (fats and oils)
-Proteins

Two Micronutrients:
-Vitamins
-Minerals

Essential for ALL body functions:
-Water

Question 3

List the nutrients that…
a. is the primary source of fuel in the body
b. can be stored in the liver and muscles
c. is stored in the adipose tissue
d. is an energy source at rest or un low intensity activities
e. can’t be stored for energy

Answer 3

a. carbohydrates
b. carbohydrates
c. lipids
d. lipids
e. proteins

Question 4

Name the types of foods that are sources of carbohydrates, lipids, and proteins.

Answer 4

Carbohydrates:
-Grains
-Vegetables
-Fruits

Lipids:
-Butter
-Margarine
-Vegetable oils
-Nuts

Proteins:
-Red meat
-Dairy
-Seeds
-Nuts

Question 5

Define metabolism and differentiate between catabolic and anabolic reactions. (with respect to energy and wether they are ‘breaking down food’ or ‘building up’

Answer 5

Metabolism: includes all of the reactions performed by the body and the energy (ATP) released or absorbed in the process.

Catabolic Reactions: breaks down nutrients into simpler molecules and release energy. RELEASE energy.

Anabolic: uses energy to build new living tissues. ABSORB energy.

Question 6

What is ATP and why is it important?

Answer 6

ATP is Adenosine triphosphate.
-It is made of adenosine and three phosphate groups.
-It is important because it provides the energy needed for many essential processes in organisms and cells

Question 7

What are the 4 characteristics of a healthy diet?

Answer 7

1. Adequate: providing enough nutrients, fibres, and energy.
2. Moderate: the right amount of food.
3. Balanced: the right combination of foods to provide proper nutrients.

4.Varied: eating many different types of food each day.

Question 8

What are the main guidelines or tips of the Canada food guide?

Answer 8

1. Having plenty of fruits and vegetables.
2. Eat protein foods.
3. Make water your drink of choice.
4. Choose whole grain foods.

Question 9

What 4 categories of info are found on a food label? What types of foods don’t have a label?

Answer 9

4 categories found on food labels:
1. Nutrition facts
2. Ingredients list
3. Nutrition claims
4. Health claims

Types of foods that will not have a nutrition label:
-Fresh fruits and vegetables.
-Raw meat, poultry, fish and seafood.
-Foods prepared or processed at the store like bakery items, sausage, salad, etc.
-Foods that contain very little nutrients like coffee beans, tea leaves, spices, etc.
-Alcoholic beverages.

Question 10

What percentage of Daily Value mean ‘little’ and a ‘lot’?

Answer 10

Less than 5% of Daily Value is considered low.
More that 15% of the Daily value is considered high.

Question 11

How is the ingredients list organized by order?

Answer 11

By weight from the most to least.

Question 12

Understand how you can rate a food’s “processed” level as A-F.

Answer 12

A being not processed at all and F meaning very processed. The in-between letters slowly going up the processed level.
Ex) A- Apple, B-

Question 13

How is a serving size different from a portion?

Answer 13

Portion size is the amount of food you choose to put on your plate and actually eat. Serving size is the amount of a specific food or drink that people typically consume or how much is recommended to eat.

Question 14

Describe what nutrient density is and list an example of something that has high nutrient density and something that has low.

Answer 14

Nutrient Density: A relative amount of nutrients per calorie of food.
Low ex) frozen foods
High ex) fruits

Question 15

What elements compose carbohydrates, lipids and proteins?

Answer 15

Carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen.

Question 16

What is the most abundant carb and why is it important?

Answer 16

The most abundant carb is glucose. It is important because it is the main source of fuel for your brain and a good source of energy.

Question 17

Differentiate between simple and complex carbohydrates and monosaccharides and disaccharides.

Answer 17

-Simple carbs are found in everything from table sugar to fruit, while complex carbs, or starches, come from whole grains and vegetables like sweet potatoes.

-Monosaccharides are made of one simple sugar subunit (mono = one), while disaccharides are made of two simple sugar subunits (di = two).

Question 18

Give examples of monosaccharides and disaccharides

Answer 18

Monosaccharides:
-Glucose
-Fructose
-Galactose

Disaccharides:
-Lactose
-Maltose
-Sucrose

Question 19

Give examples of the different complex carbohydrates and describe each.

Answer 19

Starch:
-It is made of glucose.
-Stored in plants.
-It is found in grains, legumes, and tubers.

Glycogen:
-It is made of glucose.
-Stored in liver and muscles of animals.
-It can’t be found in foods.

Fiber:
-Made of glucose.
-Stored in structure of leaves, stems, and plants.
-Can be found in grains, rice, seeds, etc.

Question 20

What are the benefits of fiber and what can fiber help prevent?

Answer 20

Benefits:
-Can enhance weight loss because we feel full.
-May reduce the risk of colon cancer.
-Reduce risk of diverticulosis.
-May reduce risk of heart disease.
-May lower the risk of type 2 diabetes.

Preventions:
-Helps prevent hemorrhoids, constipation, and other intestinal problems.

Question 21

Describe the reasons why we need carbohydrates.

Answer 21

-Carbs are an excellent source of energy. They provide 4 kcal (calories) of energy per gram.
-Our brain, red blood cells, and other nervous tissues depend mostly on glucose.

Question 22

Describe what ketoacidosis is and what causes it.

Answer 22

-Without proper carbs, the body breaks down stored fat in a process called Ketosis which produces a fuel called Ketones. If it continues for a long period, too many ketones in the blood can lead to ketoacidosis.
-Ketoacidosis interferes harmfully with the body such as high blood acidity, loss of lean body mass, damages body tissues, can lead to a coma and death.

Question 23

Describe what gluconeogenesis is and what causes it.

Answer 23

-Without sufficient carbs, the body will make its own glucose by breaking down protein in the blood or tissue.
-It creates new glucose but also breaks down protein in areas like the muscle, heart, liver, kidneys, etc.

Question 24

Explain the relationship between glucose in the blood, glycogen, pancreas, insulin, glucagon, liver & muscle, and how it all works at times after eating versus between meals.

Answer 24

-If glucose is needed for immediate energy it is released to the bloodstream. If it is not needed for immediate energy is will be stored as glycogen in the liver and muscles.
-Between meals the liver is constantly working to convert between glucose and glycogen to maintain proper levels of glucose in the blood.

-When eating meals, our blood levels rise due to insulin being released by the pancreas.
Pancreas: Helps transport glucose from the blood into cells. Stimulates the liver and muscles to take in glucose and convert it to glycogen.

-When you have not eaten in sometime, blood glucose levels will decrease and the pancreas will release a hormone called glucagon.
Glucagon: Stimulates breakdown of glycogen in liver into glucose for energy. Produces “new “ glucose from amino acids floating in blood and/or tissues such as muscles. Essentially, it eats away at your own body for food.

Question 25

What is hypoglycemia and when does it happen?

Answer 25

It is when blood glucose levels fall lower than normal levels which can leave someone feeling shaky and hungry. It can happen to: -To diabetics who aren’t getting proper treatment. -To non-diabetics whose pancreas secretes too much insulin after a high carb meal. The body clears glucose out of the blood to quickly.

Question 26

Explain the glycemic index.

Answer 26

The potential of foods to raise blood glucose levels. Foods with a high glycemic index trigger the hormone insulin causing the blood glucose to rise. Foods with high GI are less healthy than low GI foods for this reason.

Question 27

What is a unique characteristic of lipids?

Answer 27

They are insoluble in water.

Question 28

List and describe the 3 categories of fats found in foods. Know their basic structure as well.

Answer 28

Triglyceride: A molecule consisting of three fatty acids attached to three-carbon glycerol backbone. Phospolipids: Consist of two fatty acids and a glycerol backbone with another compound that contains phosphate. Sterols: A type of lipid found in foods containing four fused rings of carbon atoms.

Question 29

What are SFA's, MFA's, and PFA's and how are they different.

Answer 29

Saturated Fatty Acids: -They have hydrogen atoms surrounding every carbon in the chain. -They have no double bonds. -Some examples are butter, cream, and lard. Monounsaturated Fatty Acids: -They lack hydrogen atoms in one region. -They have one double bond. -Some examples are olive oil and canola oil. Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids: -They lack hydrogen atoms in multiple locations. -They have two or more double bonds. -Some examples are safflower oil, and walnuts. They are different because one contains saturated fatty acids and the other two contain unsaturated fatty acids.

Question 30

Know what process of hydrogenation is an dhow it results in a trans fatty acid.

Answer 30

Hydrogenation: Pressurized hydrogen molecules are inserted at diagonally opposite sides of the double bonds of unsaturated fatty acids. -It converts liquid fats (oils) into a semisolid (spreadable) or solid form. Unsaturated -> Trans

Question 31

Why do we need fats? What is the energy content?

Answer 31

Fat provides energy and is a major source of fuel during rest or low intensity activities. Fat provides 9 kcal of energy per gram.

Question 32

What are 'hidden' or 'visible' fats?

Answer 32

Hidden: Fats added to processed or prepared foods to improve texture or taste, which we may not be aware of, or that occur naturally. Ex)Cookies, hot dog, chips, etc. Visible: Fats we can see in foods or can easily have been added to foods. EX) Butter, salad dressing, chicken skin, etc.

Question 33

How many amino acids are there? What are essential and non-essential amino acids and how many of each are they.

Answer 33

There are 20 amino acids, 9 of them being essential and 11 of them being non-essential. Essential Amino Acids: It is an amino acid that our bodies cannot produce at all or cannot produce in sufficient quantities to meet our physiologic needs. -We obtain essential amino acids from food. Non-essential Amino Acids: Amino acids our bodies can synthesize in sufficient quantities, so we do not need to consume them in our diet.

Question 34

What element is found in proteins but not carbs or lipids?

Answer 34

Nitrogen

Question 35

Which part of amino acids is unique to each of them? what parts are the same?

Answer 35

Unique: -Glycine -Leucine -Aspartic acid Same: -

Question 36

What is the difference between a complete and incomplete protein?

Answer 36

Complete protein food sources are ones that have all essential amino acids, while incomplete proteins don't.

Question 37

How are the primary, secondary and tertiary structures of protein different?

Answer 37

The primary is the sequencial order of amino acids. The secondary is sprial shape and turns of the amino acids. The teriary is teh 3-dimensional shape.

Question 38

What does the shape of a protein determine? Give an example?

Answer 38

3-dimensional shape. ex) muscle fibers, red blood cells

Question 39

Explain denaturation and why it can be bad?

Answer 39

It is when proteins lose shape when subjected to: heat, acids and bases, heavy metals, alcohol, and other damaging substances. -It can be bad because it results in irreversible loss in protein function.

Question 40

List reasons why we need protein.

Answer 40

1. Cell growth, repairs and maintenance. 2. Protein acts as enzymes and hormones. 3. Helps maintain fluid and electrolyte balance. 4. Help maintain acid-base balance. 5. Help maintain strong immune system. 6. Protein serves as an energy source.

Question 41

Are most Canadians lacking some protein in their diet?

Answer 41

Most Canadians meet or exceed the RDA for protein.

Question 42

What are some risk of having too much protein? What about too little?

Answer 42

Too much: -High cholesterol and heart disease. -Possible bone loss. -Kidney disease. Too little: -Brittle hair and nails. -Fatigue -Mood changes

Question 43

Know the daily recommended % of carbohydrates, lipids, and proteins.

Answer 43

Carbs - 45%-65% Lipids - 20%-35% Proteins - 10%-35%

Question 44

What is BMI, how much is calculated and what are its limitations (why isn't it always an accurate measurement of fitness or health?)

Answer 44

BMI: Body Mass Index It isnt always an acurate measurement because: -it can't tell the difference between muscle mass and fat -It doesnt factor in where fat is stored. -It doesnt factor in your age, metabolism, or acitivity level.

Question 45

How many calories is approximately 1 lb of weight?

Answer 45

3,500 calories

Question 46

What does 'apple' and 'pear' shape refer to?

Answer 46

The two examples of fruit shape body types.

Question 47

List 3 ways you could make a recipe healthier and how to make it healthier.

Answer 47

- Choose to steam, bake, grill, braise, boil or microwave your foods, rather than deep fry them. - Minimize added sugars and sweeteners. - Swap high fat ingredients for low fat alternatives such as using yoghurt instead of sour cream in recipes.

Question 48

For your choice of vitamin or mineral, be able to answer what it does/when we need it; what types of foods is it found in; what happens if you have too little or too much; and if any particular people need more than usual.

Answer 48

Vitamin C: What it does: You need vitamin C for the growth and repair of tissues in all parts of your body. When do we need it: Some of the earliest signs of deficiency include fatigue, red gums, easy bruising and bleeding, joint pain and rough, bumpy skin. What types of foods it is found in: Citrus fruits, strawberry, broccoli, peppers, etc. What happens if you have too little: can make your skin more fragile, you may notice bleeding gums, and your hair may grow in bent or coiled shapes. What happens if you have too much: can lead to stomach upset and diarrhea, and rarely, kidney stones. Who needs more and why: Smokers. Smoking is known to deplete vitamin C levels because of the enhanced oxidative stress it causes in the body.