Food and Nutrition Agencies

• Nutrition is relevant throughout the farm-to-fork process, from agricultural production to food distribution, and includes consumer trends, regulations, and safety.

Role of Food and Nutrition Agencies

• The Singapore Food Agency (SFA) ensures the safety of the food supply.
• The Health Promotion Board (HPB) promotes healthy living in Singapore, providing dietary guidelines and recommended daily allowances.
• HealthHub provides resources for healthy living, including healthy eating guidelines.

Learning Objectives

• Define nutrition as a science and a field.
• Outline the role of nutrients and what determines if they are essential.
• List the six classes of nutrients and their key properties.
• Explain how nutrients provide energy and how to calculate food calories and percentages.
• Outline the scientific method and research study design.
• Identify credible nutrition information sources versus misinformation.
• Summarize the evolving role of nutrition in health, longevity, and disease.

Nutrients and Non-Nutrients

• Foods contain both essential and non-essential nutrients.
• Macronutrients are needed in larger amounts, more than 1 gram per day.
  • Macronutrients include water, carbohydrates, proteins, and lipids (fats and oils).
• Micronutrients are needed in small amounts, less than 1 gram per day.
  • Micronutrients include vitamins and minerals.

Phytochemicals, Zoonutrients, and Functional Foods

• Phytochemicals are health-promoting compounds found in plants.
  • Examples include compounds in tomatoes, garlic, and antioxidants.
• Zoonutrients are health-promoting compounds found in animals.
  • Examples include nonessential lipids in fish.
• Functional Foods: Foods fortified or enhanced to promote health.
  • Examples include phytochemicals, zoonutrients, probiotics, and yogurt.

Major Nutrient Classes

• Carbohydrates, proteins, and lipids provide energy.
• Vitamins, minerals, and water are essential but do not directly provide energy.
• Carbohydrates provide energy, maintain digestive health, and reduce the risk of certain conditions.
• Proteins provide energy, structure, regulate chemical reactions, and play a role in the immune system.
• Lipids provide energy, structure, support the nervous and reproductive systems, and regulate cellular processes.
• Vitamins regulate chemical reactions and promote growth and development.
• Water transports nutrients, gases, and waste, serves as a medium for chemical reactions, and regulates body temperature.
• Minerals provide the matrix for structural components, regulate processes, and facilitate chemical reactions.
• Energy-yielding nutrients are carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, and alcohol.
  • Carbohydrates and protein each provide 4 kcal/g.
  • Fat provides 9 kcal/g.
  • Alcohol provides 7 kcal/g.
• Non-energy-yielding nutrients include minerals and vitamins.
• Minerals, vitamins, and water do not provide energy, but are important for many body functions.
• Chemical reactions transform energy in energy-yielding nutrients to ATP.

Calculating Calories

• Oatmeal: 25g carbs at 4 kcal/g, 6g protein at 4 kcal/g, and 2g lipids at 9 kcal/g totals 142 kcal.
• Milk: 12g carbs at 4 kcal/g, 8g protein at 4 kcal/g and 2g lipids at 9 kcal/g totals 98 kcal.
• Brown Sugar: 12g carbs at 4 kcal/g, 0g protein and lipids, it equals 96 kcal.
• Juan eats 30 g carbohydrates, 21 g protein, and 10 g fat and consumes 294 kcals.
• To find the percent kcals from carbohydrates, take the kcals provided by the carbohydrates (120 kcals) and divide that by the total kcals in the meal (294 kcals) and multiply by 100.

Internet and News

• Credible and reliable nutrition agencies – SFA, HPB, WHO, FAO, peer reviewed journals, etc.
• Validity of information:
  • Who is providing information?
  • Qualifications
  • Evidence-based science
  • Credible and reliable nutrition agencies – SFA, HPB, WHO, FAO, peer reviewed journals, etc.
• Anyone can publish anything on the Internet, with no guarantees of accuracy.
• It is important to evaluate websites.
  • Who, when, where, why, and what?

Identifying Nutrition Experts

• Physicians and other healthcare professionals have limited nutrition training.
• Registered Dietitians (RDs) and nutritionists must pass a national exam and maintain up-to-date knowledge.
• Credible and reliable nutrition agencies – SFA, HPB, WHO, FAO, peer-reviewed journals, etc.
• In Singapore, dietetic technicians are diploma holders and not registered.

Red Flags Of Nutrition Quackery

• Quick and easy fixes are not effective, because even if it were a real medicine you need time for it to actually have an effect.

Reliable Sources of Nutrition Information

• Examples of peer-reviewed journals include the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, and the New England Journal of Medicine.
• Government and private agencies include the American Cancer Society, American Diabetes Association, National Institutes of Health, and the World Health Organization.

Nutrition and Health

• Life expectancy has increased with better nutrition.