Nutrition Overview and Processes

Nutrition Overview

• Nutrition encompasses all processes of consuming and utilizing food for energy, maintenance, and growth
• Key processes include: ingestion, digestion, absorption, metabolism, and excretion

Ingestion & Digestion

• Ingestion: Taking food into the digestive tract, typically via the mouth
• Ingestion can also occur directly into the stomach through a feeding tube
• Digestion: Mechanical and chemical processes breaking down nutrients for absorption

Absorption

• Absorption: The process where digested food passes through the small and large intestines into the blood or lymph systems

Metabolism

• Metabolism: The conversion of nutrients into energy
• Anabolism: The constructive process of metabolism requiring energy
• Catabolism: The destructive process of metabolism releasing energy

Excretion

• Excretion: The process of eliminating waste products from the body

Nutrients

• The body needs six types of nutrients to function effectively: water, carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins, and minerals

Essential Nutrients

• Essential nutrients are those the body can't produce in sufficient amounts for good health

Essential Nutrient Functions

• Provide energy: Carbohydrates and proteins (4 kcal/g) ; Fats (9 kcal/g)
• Build and repair tissues: Protein, calcium, phosphorus, iron, and fat
• Regulate body processes: Metabolism (chemical processes in living organisms)

Macronutrients vs Micronutrients

• Macronutrients: Nutrients needed in large quantities, primarily providing energy (carbohydrates, protein, fat)
• Micronutrients: Nutrients needed in smaller amounts (vitamins and minerals)

Carbohydrates

• Carbohydrates: The primary source of energy for the body
• Carbohydrates supply 4 calories of energy per gram.
• 45-65% of your diet should consist of carbohydrates
• Types of carbohydrates: Simple and complex
• Simple carbohydrates: Sugars that quickly enter the bloodstream for quick energy. Found in fruits, milk, some vegetables, and refined sugars (cake, candy)
• Complex carbohydrates: Starches and fibers. Found in grains, legumes, rice, pasta, and starchy vegetables. Sources of vitamins and minerals; provide long-lasting energy

Fiber

• Fiber: The part of grains and plants that can't be digested, aiding digestion
• Types of fiber: Insoluble (prevents constipation, reduces colon cancer risk) and soluble (reduces cholesterol, heart disease risk)

Important Details from Questions

• The result of the body's processes involved in taking in and using food for growth, development, and health maintenance is nutrition.
• Nutritional status is determined by diet.
• Nutrients used primarily to provide energy to the body are carbohydrates, proteins, and fats.
• Nutrients used mainly to build and repair body tissues are proteins, vitamins, and minerals.
• Foods like potato chips, cakes, sodas, and candy are considered low-nutrient-density.
• Inadequate intake of nutrients can lead to malnutrition.

Dive into the essential processes of nutrition including ingestion, digestion, absorption, metabolism, and excretion. This quiz covers the key components necessary for maintaining a healthy body and the roles of various nutrients in energy production and growth.