Nutrition Chapter 1: Introduction to Nutrition

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Questions and Answers

What is the scientific study of nutrients and how the body uses them?

Biochemistry

Physiology

Chemistry

Nutrition (correct)

What percentage of nutrients are dietary essentials?

50% (correct)

20%

70%

30%

What is the main function of carbohydrates in the body?

Regulation of body processes

Cellular development

Production of structural components

Source of energy (correct)

What is the most essential nutrient?

Water Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary role of proteins in the body?

Production of structural components Signup and view all the answers

What occurs when the body does not get a necessary nutrient?

Deficiency disease Signup and view all the answers

Which class of nutrients is responsible for regulation of body processes, including cell metabolism?

Vitamins Signup and view all the answers

What is the function of water in the body?

Maintenance of fluid balance Signup and view all the answers

What is an example of a non-nutrient with healthful benefits?

Phytochemicals Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary purpose of a healthy diet in relation to infectious diseases?

To prevent and fight infectious diseases Signup and view all the answers

What is the term for anything that takes up space and has mass or weight?

Matter Signup and view all the answers

What is choline classified as?

Vitamin-like substance Signup and view all the answers

How many classes of nutrients are there?

6 Signup and view all the answers

What can synthesize vitamin D?

The skin when exposed to sunlight Signup and view all the answers

What is the term for the study of how the body functions?

Physiology Signup and view all the answers

What is the purpose of the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994?

To classify nutrient supplements and certain herbal products as foods Signup and view all the answers

What is the effect of some phytochemicals on the body?

Antioxidant effects Signup and view all the answers

What is an example of a phytochemical found in raspberries and strawberries?

Ellagic acid Signup and view all the answers

What is a contributing factor to the leading causes of death in the US, including heart disease and cancer?

Poor eating habits Signup and view all the answers

What has increased in Americans' diets over the past 50 years?

Consumption of peanuts and tree nuts Signup and view all the answers

What is a consequence of excess energy intake, especially when it is not balanced with physical activity?

Increase in body fat Signup and view all the answers

What percentage of Americans younger than 65 years of age had health insurance in 2018?

Almost 90% Signup and view all the answers

What is the main nutrition-related goal of Healthy People 2030?

To improve health by promoting healthy eating and making nutritious foods available Signup and view all the answers

What is the target population for the objectives of Healthy People 2030?

People who are 2 years of age and older Signup and view all the answers

What is used to indicate fractions or multiples of a meter, gram, or liter in the metric system?

Prefixes Signup and view all the answers

What is one of the consequences of lacking health insurance?

Skipped routine medical care due to cost Signup and view all the answers

What is one of the U.S. government's initiatives for low-income populations?

Food programs Signup and view all the answers

What is a contributing factor to chronic diseases, according to the content?

All of the above Signup and view all the answers

What is the unit of energy in food that is equivalent to the heat energy necessary to raise the temperature of 1 g of water by 1°C?

Kilocalorie Signup and view all the answers

How many kilocalories does a gram of fat provide?

9 kcal Signup and view all the answers

What is the main difference between macronutrients and micronutrients?

Macronutrients supply energy, while micronutrients do not Signup and view all the answers

Why is it important to consume a variety of foods?

To ensure nutritional adequacy and balance in your diet Signup and view all the answers

What is the term for foods and beverages that provide a lot of energy but little nutritional value?

Empty calories Signup and view all the answers

What is the best way to ensure you are getting the right amount of each nutrient?

By consuming a variety of foods Signup and view all the answers

Why is it important to stay up-to-date on the latest nutrition research and recommendations?

Because nutrition is a dynamic science Signup and view all the answers

What is malnutrition?

Consuming too few or too many nutrients Signup and view all the answers

Why is water not considered a macronutrient?

Because it doesn't supply energy Signup and view all the answers

What is the purpose of food composition tables and nutrient analysis software?

To estimate nutrient intake Signup and view all the answers

What is a characteristic of a nutrient-dense food?

Little or no solid fats, added sugars, refined starches, and sodium Signup and view all the answers

Why should foods and beverages high in empty calories be limited in the diet?

Because they displace more nutritious foods from the diet Signup and view all the answers

What is an example of a food that is both energy dense and nutrient dense?

Nuts Signup and view all the answers

What is the result of consuming more calories than needed?

Unwanted weight gain Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary characteristic of energy density?

The energy value of a food in relation to its weight Signup and view all the answers

What type of drink may also be considered a source of empty calories?

Alcohol-containing drink Signup and view all the answers

What is the estimated percentage of households in the United States that experienced food insecurity in 2019?

10.5% Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary goal of the United Nations' food aid programs, such as the World Food Program (WFP) and United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF)?

To reduce hunger Signup and view all the answers

What is the main purpose of the Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP)?

To provide food packages to low-income pregnant and postpartum women, infants, and children up to age 6, and elderly individuals Signup and view all the answers

What is the National Bioengineered Food Disclosure Law related to?

Identifying bioengineered foods in the US Signup and view all the answers

What is a consequence of conventional farming methods?

Pollution of waterways and release of greenhouse gases Signup and view all the answers

What is a key principle of sustainable agriculture?

Meeting the demand for more food without depleting natural resources and harming the environment Signup and view all the answers

What is a benefit of reducing meat consumption?

Sparing grains for human consumption Signup and view all the answers

What is a long-term solution for reducing population growth?

Improving public education and increasing access to health care services Signup and view all the answers

What program provides supplemental foods, health care referrals, and nutrition education to low-income pregnant and postpartum women, and to infants and children up to age 5 who are at nutritional risk?

WIC Signup and view all the answers

What is the purpose of the AquAdvantage Salmon?

To grow faster than non-bioengineered salmon Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary goal of dietary moderation?

Obtaining enough nutrients from food to meet one's needs and balancing calorie intake with calorie expenditure Signup and view all the answers

Why do physically active individuals, such as athletes in training programs, often find it difficult to consume enough energy from nutrient-dense foods?

Because they have a higher energy expenditure than sedentary individuals Signup and view all the answers

What is the term for the amount of a nutrient that enables the body to function optimally?

Physiological dose Signup and view all the answers

Why are whole and minimally processed foods considered the best source of nutrients and phytochemicals?

All of the above Signup and view all the answers

What is the term for foods that are manufactured with added nutrients or beneficial ingredients to improve health?

Functional foods Signup and view all the answers

What is the state of health that occurs when the body is improperly nourished?

Malnutrition Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary cause of undernutrition in developing countries?

All of the above Signup and view all the answers

What is the consequence of undernutrition during periods of rapid growth, such as pregnancy and infancy?

Devastating long-term effects Signup and view all the answers

What is the importance of vitamin A in the body?

It is necessary for proper vision, growth, and immune system function Signup and view all the answers

What percentage of the population in the United States were living at or below the poverty level in 2019?

10.5% Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Introduction to Nutrition

Nutrition is the scientific study of nutrients and their role in the body's functioning.
Understanding nutrition requires learning about chemistry, physiology, and the human body's functions.

Major Functions of Nutrients

Carbohydrates: source of energy, most forms of carbohydrate.
Lipids: source of energy, cellular development, physical growth and development, regulation of body processes, absorption of certain vitamins.
Proteins: production of structural components, functional components, cellular development, growth, and maintenance, regulation of body processes, transportation of many nutrients, immune function and fluid balance, source of energy.
Vitamins: regulation of body processes, including cell metabolism, maintenance of immune function, production and maintenance of tissues, and protection against agents that can damage cellular components.
Minerals: regulation of body processes, including fluid balance and metabolism, formation of certain chemical messengers, structural and functional components of various substances and tissues, physical growth, maintenance, and development.
Water: maintenance of fluid balance, regulation of body temperature, elimination of wastes, and transportation of substances, participant in many chemical reactions.

Essential Nutrients

The body can synthesize many nutrients, but about 50 nutrients are dietary essentials.
An essential nutrient must be supplied by food because the body does not synthesize the nutrient or make enough to meet its needs.
Water is the most essential nutrient.

Non-nutrients and Phytochemicals

Non-nutrients are substances that are not nutrients but have healthful benefits.
Phytochemicals are compounds found in plants that have biological effects on the body.
Examples of phytochemicals include carotenoids, phenolics, isoflavonoids, lignans, ellagic acid, organosulfides, alkaloids, capsaicinoids, and fructooligosaccharides.

Dietary Supplements

Many Americans take dietary supplements to improve their health.
The Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994 (DSHEA) allows manufacturers to classify nutrient supplements and certain herbal products as foods.
Some dietary supplements can have beneficial effects on health, but many are not helpful and may even be harmful.

Factors Influencing Americans' Health

Genetic makeup influences the effects of diet on health and disease susceptibility.
Poor eating habits contribute to the leading causes of death in the US: heart disease and cancer.
Chronic diseases have complex causes and take many years to develop.
Lifestyle practices, including dietary practices, physical activity habits, and use of drugs, influence health.

Americans' Changing Eating Habits

Americans' diets have changed over the past 50 years, with increased consumption of certain foods and reduced consumption of others.
Food processing can make food more nutritious, safer to eat, and less likely to spoil, but some forms of processing remove nutrients and add unhealthy amounts of sodium, sugar, and certain fats.
Adult Americans' average daily caloric intake has increased, leading to an increase in body fat and obesity.

Nutrition Programs and Public Health Objectives

Nutrition programs are available for low-income populations.
Healthy People 2030 includes national health promotion and disease prevention objectives, with a focus on promoting healthy eating and making nutritious foods available.
Public health objectives aim to reduce obesity, increase intake of certain food groups, and reduce intake of added sugars.

Metrics for Nutrition

Nutrients can be classified based on their presence in food using the metric system.
Amounts of nutrients in blood are often reported in milligrams or micrograms per deciliter of blood.
A calorie is the heat energy necessary to raise the temperature of 1 g of water 1° Celsius.

Macronutrients and Micronutrients

Macronutrients (carbohydrates, fats, and proteins) supply energy for cells.
Micronutrients (vitamins and minerals) do not supply energy but are essential for proper body functioning.
Water is a nutrient that provides no energy and is not usually classified as a macronutrient.

Key Nutrition Concepts

Most naturally occurring foods are mixtures of nutrients.
Variety in diet can help ensure nutritional adequacy.
There are no "good" or "bad" foods, and all foods have nutritional value.
Food is the best source of nutrients and phytochemicals.
There is no "one size fits all" approach to planning a nutritionally adequate diet.

Empty Calories and Nutrient-Dense Foods

Empty calories come from foods and beverages that provide a lot of energy but little nutritional value.
Examples of empty calories include bacon, candy, pastries, snack chips, and sugar-sweetened drinks.
Nutrient-dense foods, such as broccoli, leafy greens, and whole-grain cereals, supply more key beneficial nutrients per serving.### Enjoy Eating All Foods in Moderation
Dietary moderation involves obtaining enough nutrients from food to meet one's needs and balancing calorie intake with calorie expenditure, primarily through physical activity.
This can be accomplished by choosing nutrient-dense foods, limiting serving sizes of energy-dense foods, and incorporating moderate- to vigorous-intensity physical activities into daily routine.

Physical Activity and Energy Balance

Physically active individuals, such as athletes in training programs, may find it difficult to consume enough energy from nutrient-dense foods to sustain healthy body weights, unless they include some foods that are sources of empty calories.

Nutrient Intake and Deficiency

Eating a variety of nutrient-dense foods provides adequate and safe amounts of each nutrient.
Consuming less than the physiological dose of a nutrient can result in marginal nutritional status, and if nutrient intake falls below the marginal level, the individual is at risk of developing the nutrient's deficiency disease.
Most people require physiological amounts of micronutrients.
Consuming amounts of nutrients that exceed what is necessary for good health is economically wasteful and could be harmful to the body.

Food vs. Supplements

Whole and minimally processed foods are the most natural, reliable, and economical way to obtain nutrients and beneficial phytochemicals.
Nutrients from food are more available, that is, more easily digested and absorbed, than those in supplements.
Nutrient supplements do not contain everything one needs for optimal nutrition, and they do not provide the same variety of nutrients and phytochemicals that are found in whole foods.
Nutrient supplements do not provide the same level of satiety as whole foods.

Phytochemicals

A wide variety of phytochemicals are found in plant foods.
Dietary supplements that contain phytochemicals may not provide the same healthful benefits as consuming the plants that contain these compounds.
Nutrients and phytochemicals may need to be consumed together to provide the desirable effects in the body.

Food and Nutrition Tips

Certain foods, such as berries, seafood, legumes, yogurt, whole-grains, and tree nuts, can add more key beneficial nutrients and other healthful substances to diets than others.
No dietary supplement contains every substance needed for good health.
Supplements are necessary for certain individuals, such as those with chronic illnesses, digestive disorders, inherited disorders, and older adults.

Functional Foods

Some foods are manufactured with added nutrients or beneficial ingredients to improve health.
Examples of functional foods include orange juice with added calcium and peanut butter substitutes with oils that may lower the risk of heart disease.
Functional foods should not replace whole and minimally processed foods in a healthy diet.

Malnutrition

Malnutrition is a state of health that occurs when the body is improperly nourished.
It can result from undernutrition or overnutrition.
Risk factors for malnutrition include poverty, lack of knowledge about nutrition, addiction, chronic medical conditions, and obesity.

Nutrition as a Dynamic Science

Nutrition information constantly evolves as researchers explore the complex relationships between diets and health.
Dietary practices and recommendations undergo revision as new scientific evidence becomes available and is reviewed and accepted by nutrition experts.

Undernutrition

Undernutrition affects an estimated 800 million people worldwide.
Chronic undernutrition is caused by long-term insufficient energy and nutrient intake.
Major contributors to chronic undernutrition include poverty, civil unrest, wars, lack of access to nutritious food, and unfavorable weather conditions.
Undernutrition during periods of growth, such as pregnancy, infancy, and childhood, can have devastating long-term effects.

Importance of Vitamin A

The body needs vitamin A for proper vision, growth, and immune system function, especially protection against infectious diseases.
In developing countries, vitamin A deficiency causes as many as 500,000 cases of blindness among young children annually, half of whom die from infectious diseases within a year of becoming blind.

Undernutrition in the United States

Undernutrition also occurs in wealthy, developed nations such as the United States, and can be due to poverty or eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa and chronic alcoholism.
In 2019, 10.5% of the population were living at or below the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services poverty guideline of $26,200 for a family of four.
Federal food assistance programs in the United States, such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), provide low-income individuals and families with an electronic benefit transfer (debit) card to purchase allowable food items.

World Food Crisis: Finding Solutions

The United Nations aims to reduce hunger through food aid programs such as the World Food Program (WFP) and United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF).
UNICEF supports the development and distribution of ready-to-use therapeutic food (RUTF) to treat severe undernutrition among young children in developing countries.

Biotechnology

Biotechnology involves the use of living things to manufacture new products.
Bioengineering techniques are used to change an animal or plant's hereditary material to improve their characteristics, such as disease resistance and nutritional qualities.
Bioengineered foods, such as cotton, corn, and soybeans, are the most common bioengineered crops grown in the United States.

Sustainable Agriculture

Sustainable agriculture involves farming methods that meet the demand for more food without depleting natural resources and harming the environment.
An international team developed the following points for establishing a universal policy: stop expanding agricultural activity, improve crop yields on existing farms, rely more on nonchemical methods of pest management, eat less meat, and reduce food waste.

Meat Consumption and Food Waste

Reducing the consumption of meat, especially beef, can spare grains for human consumption because grass is not eaten by people.
Reducing food waste can help meet the demand for more food without depleting natural resources and harming the environment.

Action to Reduce Poverty and Hunger

Wealthy countries can provide food aid to keep impoverished people from starving to death in the short run.
Governments can support programs that encourage breastfeeding and fortify locally grown or commonly consumed foods with vitamins and minerals that are often deficient in local diets.
Long-term solutions for reducing population growth include providing well-paying jobs, improving public education, and increasing access to health care services.

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Description

Learn about the scientific study of nutrients, chemicals necessary for proper body functioning, and how the body uses them. This introduction to nutrition covers chemistry, matter, and the six classes of nutrients.