Nutrition and Health Overview

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Questions and Answers

What is the primary focus of nutrition?

Food preparation methods

Study of exercise and fitness

How food nourishes the body (correct)

Impact of vitamins on mood

Which of the following is NOT a component of malnutrition?

Nutrient excesses

Nutrient deficiencies

Nutrient imbalances

Nutrient absorption efficiency (correct)

What influences long-term health more than dietary choices?

Physical exercise

Smoking and tobacco use (correct)

Hydration levels

Meal timing

Which term describes the complete set of genetic material within a cell's chromosomes?

Genome Signup and view all the answers

What does nutritional genomics study?

How nutrients interact with genetic activity Signup and view all the answers

What can a well-chosen array of foods prevent?

Malnutrition Signup and view all the answers

What aspect of diet is particularly noted for its long-term effects?

Cumulative effect on health Signup and view all the answers

Which molecule is responsible for encoding genetic information?

DNA Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is NOT considered a factor affecting health?

Social media usage Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary source of energy for the human body?

Indirectly from the sun via plants Signup and view all the answers

What term is used to describe nutrients that must be obtained from food due to the body's inability to produce them?

Essential nutrients Signup and view all the answers

Which nutrient group primarily provides energy to the body?

Fat, protein, and carbohydrates Signup and view all the answers

How is food energy commonly measured?

Calories or kilojoules Signup and view all the answers

What is the conversion factor to change kilocalories to kilojoules?

Multiplying by 4.18 Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following nutrients is classified as an essential nutrient?

Vitamin D Signup and view all the answers

What is the caloric equivalent for 1 gram of fat?

9 calories Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following best describes calories?

A unit of energy used in food Signup and view all the answers

Which lifestyle choice is specifically linked to health deterioration?

Substance abuse Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Food Choices and Human Health

Nutrition is the study of how food nourishes the body
Food is any substance that the body can consume and assimilate, a source of nutrients
Diet is the usual food and beverages a person consumes
A well-balanced diet prevents malnutrition
Malnutrition includes nutrient deficiencies, imbalances, and excesses

A Lifetime of Nourishment

Foods have a cumulative effect on the body, the effects become obvious with age
Diet has a major impact on long-term health outcomes
Smoking and other tobacco use, excessive alcohol consumption have a stronger influence on long-term health than dietary choices.

Leading Causes of Death in Canada (2018)

Malignant Neoplasms (Cancer): 79,536
Diseases of the Heart: 53,134
Cerebrovascular Diseases (stroke): 13,480
Accidents (unintentional injuries): 13,290
Chronic Lower Respiratory Diseases: 12,998
Influenza and Pneumonia: 8,511
Diabetes Mellitus: 6,794
Total Deaths (all causes): 187,743 (Note: These figures represent leading causes of deaths in Canada in 2018, and the data is adapted from Statistics Canada)

Nutrition and Disease

Not all diseases are influenced equally by diet. Some are mainly genetic, like sickle-cell anemia
Some diseases may be inherited, but diet can influence them, such as some forms of diabetes
Some diseases are purely dietary, such as vitamin and mineral deficiencies

Genetics and Individuality

Genome is the full set of genetic material in a cell's chromosomes
DNA is the molecule that encodes genetic information.

Nutritional Genomics

Nutritional genomics is the study of how nutrients affect gene activity and how genes affect nutrient activity
It holds great promise for advancements in nutrition science
Current state of the science and application are unclear
A Canadian academic start-up example is Nutrigenomix

Other Lifestyle Choices

Besides diet, other factors influencing health include:
- Tobacco use
- Alcohol use
- Substance abuse
- Physical activity
- Sleep
- Stress
- Conditions at home and work

The Human Body and Its Food

Energy is the capacity to do work.
The energy that fuels the human body originates indirectly from the sun through plants
Food energy is measured in calories or kilojoules

Materials of Food and the Human Body

Foods, and the human body are built of the same materials (water, vitamins, minerals, fat, protein & carbohydrates)
Nutrients are components of food vital for bodily functions, including energy provision, building materials, maintenance & support of growth.

The Nutrients in Food

Six categories of nutrients are: water, carbohydrates, fat, protein, vitamins, and minerals
Essential nutrients can't be made by the body fast enough, or at all, and must be obtained from food.
Carbohydrates, fat, and protein are energy-yielding nutrients

Calories

Kilocalorie (kcal or Calorie) is a unit of energy
Used to measure the energy in food
Equivalent to the amount of heat needed to raise the temperature of 1 kilogram of water by 1°C
Joules (J) or kilojoules (kJ) are also units of energy
1 kcal = 4.18 kJ

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Description

Explore the critical relationship between food choices and human health. This quiz covers the fundamentals of nutrition, the importance of a balanced diet, and the long-term health effects of dietary habits. Additionally, you'll learn about the leading causes of death in Canada related to nutrition and lifestyle choices.