Principles of nutrition Flashcards
(101 cards)
Good nutrition
Good health
Prevention of disease
Recovery from illness
Nutrition
Sum of processes for living organisms to receive and use materials from environment to promote its own vital activities
Nutrients
‘Materials’
Substances digested, absorbed, promote body function
Carbohydrate, fat, protein, vitamins, minerals, water
Essential nutrient
Substance necessary for life, cannot be synthesised by body, must be in diet
Food
Substance eaten, digested and absorbed
Provides at least one nutrient - appropriate?
Diet
Foods selected
‘balanced’=adeqaute amounts of all nutrients
Malnutrition
Incorrect amount of one or more nutrients in diet (not just lack)
Undernutrition
lack of proper nutrition, caused by not having enough food or not eating enough food containing substances necessary for growth and health
Nutritional status
Intake of nutrients vs requirement –> state of health
Nutritional assessment
Measurement of nutritional status balance
Biochemical and anthropometric data, diet history
Dietician
Applies science of nutrition to individuals or groups
Health and disease
Metabolism
Changes constantly taking place in body due to tissue activity, transformation
Nutrients –> metabolism
–> energy liberated
–> tissue formed
–>body functions controlled and stimulated
Anabolism
Simple molecules –> complex, requires energy
Results in growth
Catabolism
Complex molecules –> simple, releases energy
Occurs during starvation and illness, energy intake decreases
Basic role of carbohydrate
Heat and energy
Basic role of fats
Heat and energy incorporated into body tissue
Basic role of protein
Tissue formation and repair broken down to produce energy
Basic role of vitamins and minerals
For regulation of body processes incorporated into tissue (minerals)
Basic role of water
Temperature regulation
Waste product excretion
Fluid medium essential for metabolism
Measurement of nutrients in food
E.g. energy
- calorie (kCal), unit of heat
- joule (kJ, mJ), unit of heat/ muscular/ electrical energy
- measured by oxidation of food
Nutrient requirements
COMA Report
SACN 2000
COMA Report
Committee on Medical Aspects of Food Policy Report (1991)
- dietary reference values for food energy and nutrients in the UK]
- estimated average requirement (EAR)
- reference nutrient intake (RNI)
SACN 2000
Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition
Advises PHE etc. on nutrition and related health issues
-reviews on vit A, iron, energy requirement, carbohydrates and health, vit D (2016), folic acid (2017)
Carbohydrates
Consist of C, H and O
Foods of plant origin e.g. grain, fruit, vegetables
CO2 + H2O –> sugar and starch
Monosaccharides, disacchardies, polysaccharides