Nutrition Basics Quiz

Macronutrients are energy sources that include carbohydrates, lipids, and proteins

Essential nutrients include essential fatty acids, essential amino acids, vitamins, and minerals

Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDA) are the daily amounts required to maintain good health

Carbohydrates are the main energy source and are primarily found in starch, glycogen, and simple sugars

Glycemic index measures the speed at which blood glucose levels rise after consuming carbohydrates

Lipids are essential for the body and include saturated, monounsaturated, polyunsaturated fats, and essential fatty acids (linoleic and linolenic acid)

Dietary proteins provide the necessary amino acids for body protein renewal

Nitrogen balance refers to the relationship between nitrogen intake and nitrogen excretion

Protein quality is determined by its biologic value and its protein digestibility-corrected amino acid score

Amino acids, products of protein digestion, are absorbed from the small intestine and are used to synthesize new proteins

During fasting, amino acids from muscle are used to produce glucose via gluconeogenesis

Saturated fat raises total blood cholesterol levels and LDL, trans fat increases cardiovascular risk, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats improve cholesterol levels and insulin sensitivity, essential fatty acids are required for the synthesis of eicosenoids

Essential amino acids cannot be produced by the body and must be obtained from dietary sources

The RDA for carbohydrates is around 360g, lipids around 80g, and proteins around 56g.

Carbohydrates provide energy, are digested mainly by pancreatic amylase, and can lead to wide swings in blood glucose levels if not consumed as complex carbohydrates

Lipids are emulsified by bile salts and hydrolyzed by pancreatic lipases, and can affect cholesterol levels depending on their saturation and the presence of trans fats

Proteins provide the building blocks for body proteins and are digested and absorbed as amino acids

Nitrogen balance is maintained by the body through the relationship between nitrogen intake and nitrogen excretion.

The ideal protein is egg white, with a biologic value of 100%

The PDCAAS is a measure of protein quality that takes into account both the amino acid composition and the protein digestibility of a food.

Amino acids enter the body via active transport mechanisms, and are used to synthesize new proteins.

During fasting, muscle protein is degraded and the amino acids are exported from the muscle to be used for glucose synthesis.

TPP is a cofactor for pyruvate dehydrogenase and a TCA cycle enzyme

Thiamine deficiency results in beriberi, a disease characterized by neurological disorders, cardiomyopathy, muscle weakness, and weight loss

Severe thiamine deficiency leads to Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome, marked by eye muscle weakness, poor muscular coordination, and memory loss, commonly observed in chronic alcoholism and can lead to coma and death if left untreated

Riboflavin (B2) is a constituent of cofactors FAD and FMN, which function as electron carriers for oxidoreductases

Niacin (B3) is a constituent of cofactors NAD+ and NADP+, required for electron transfer in oxidoreductases, and some can be synthesized endogenously

Niacin deficiency leads to pellagra, a disease characterized by dermatitis, dementia, and diarrhea

Pyridoxine (B6) is a cofactor in the enzyme glutamic acid decarboxylase, which converts glutamic acid to GABA. Its deficiency can result from isoniazid treatment, which attaches to pyridoxine and inactivates pyridoxal phosphate, and from folic acid treatment, which inhibits pyridoxine phosphokinase

Folate is a cofactor in the synthesis of nucleotides and methionine, and a folate deficiency can lead to megaloblastic anemia, neural tube defects, and homocysteinemia

Folate analogs, such as methotrexate, function as competitive inhibitors of dihydrofolate reductase, leading to impaired nucleotide synthesis and DNA synthesis in rapidly dividing cells

Vitamin B12 (Cobalamin) is a cofactor in the conversion of homocysteine to methionine, requires intrinsic factor for absorption in the stomach, and deficiency can lead to pernicious anemia and neurological symptoms

Vitamin C is a cofactor in the hydroxylation of proline and lysine, required for the production of mature collagen, and an antioxidant, and deficiency can lead to scurvy, characterized by weakness, anemia, and impaired wound healing

Fat-soluble vitamins are associated with lipids and require normal lipid absorption mechanisms, and are stored in the liver and adipose tissue

Vitamin A is important for growth, reproduction, immunity, and cell differentiation, has three active forms, and helps maintain healthy bones, skin, and mucous membranes

Thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, pyridoxine, folate, and vitamin B12 are essential vitamins that play crucial roles in various bodily functions, and deficiencies can lead to a range of diseases and symptoms.