Understanding Nutrition, Food, and Diet

• In a lifetime, a person consumes about 70,000 meals and 60 tons of food.
• Food can affect one's health either positively or negatively.

Nutrition Defined

• It is the science linking food to health and disease.
• Nutrition includes the processes of ingestion, digestion, absorption, transport, and excretion of food substances.

Importance of Studying Nutrition

• Nutrition profoundly affects health and wellness.
• Proper dietary intake prevents the leading causes of death in the U.S.
• Smoking and alcohol are linked to disease as well.
• Proper nutrition can prevent or improve coronary heart disease deaths, cancer deaths, and the incidence of diabetes (type 2), diabetes-related illness.
• Proper nutrition can prevent or improve osteoporosis, obesity, and dental caries.

Food vs Nutrients vs Diet

• Food is any substance the body takes in for survival, growth, energy and nourishment.
• Nutrients are substances from food vital for growth and healthy body maintenance.
• Diet refers to the foods a person usually eats and drinks.

Nutrients Explained

• Components of food that are necessary for proper bodily functions.
• Nutrients provide energy, promote growth, and facilitate repair and maintenance.

Macronutrients

• Macronutrients are needed in large amounts; daily requirements exceed 1 gram.
• Water, carbohydrates, protein, and fat are macronutrients.

Micronutrients

• Micronutrients are needed in small amounts; daily requirements are usually in milligrams or micrograms.
• Vitamins and minerals are micronutrients.

Energy-Yielding Nutrients

• The body can use carbohydrates, fats (lipids), and proteins as energy sources.
• Carbohydrates provide 4 Cal/g.
• Protein provides 4 Cal/g.
• Fat provides 9 Cal/g.
• Alcohol provides 7 Cal/g, but isn't considered a nutrient.
• Water, vitamins, and minerals don't yield energy.

Essential Nutrients

• Essential nutrients cannot be manufactured in the body.
• Essential nutrients must be obtained from food or supplements.
• The six essential nutrients are vitamins, minerals, proteins, fats, water, and carbohydrates.
• Inadequate intake of essential nutrients can lead to deficiency diseases.
• A protein deficiency can cause kwashiorkor.
• A calcium deficiency can cause bones to bend or break.
• Inadequate vitamin C intake can cause your gums to bleed.
• Inadequate iron intake can cause anemia.
• Adequate intake or supplementation of a specific nutrient can cure the deficiency disease that developed from lacking it.

Phytochemicals

• They are chemicals from plants.
• Beta carotene provides the deep yellow color in fruits and vegetables.
• Pepper contains a compound that gives a burning taste.
• Garlic contains a compound that gives a pungent flavor.
• Some have beneficial effects.

Phytoestrogens

• They are hormone-like chemicals.
• A diet high in phytoestrogens, like isoflavones in soybeans, may lower the risk of heart disease.
• Phytoestrogens may reduce the incidence of reproductive cancers like those of the breast, ovary, uterus, and prostate.

Nutritional Status

• Nutritional status refers to your state of health as related to your diet.
• Malnutrition "bad" happens when a person's diet does not contain the right amount of nutrients, which results in "poor nutrition."
• Undernutrition results from having a low amount of one or more nutrients.
• Overnutrition is when the amount of nutrients consumed exceeds the body's requirements.
• Both undernutrition and overnutrition can lead to health problems.

Causes of Malnutrition

• Times of famine (war).
• Starvation can be voluntary because of an eating disorder.
• A disturbed appetite.
• Older people can be at risk because of tooth loss or age-related loss of appetite.
• Older people may be at risk because they live alone and sometimes just forget to eat.
• A diet that is deficient in a specific nutrient can lead to a deficiency disease.
• A lack of vitamin B1 (thiamine) can cause beriberi.

Wellness Defined

• Wellness is being in good physical and mental health.
• It emphasizes preventing illness and prolonging life, rather than treating diseases.
• Wellness is associated with a person's satisfaction with their looks, lifestyle, and responses to daily events.

Aspects of Wellness

• Physical health pertains to the fitness of the body.
• Mental health has to do with how you feel about yourself, your life, and the world around you.
• Social health is how well you get along with other people.

Factors Affecting Wellness

• Factors contribute to disease like smoking, bad nutrition, stress, and lack of exercise.
• Choosing a healthy lifestyle and resisting negative peer pressure are health-promoting choices.
• Changing habits like quitting smoking and eating breakfast are ways to improve wellness.

Finding Nutrition Facts

• Obtaining reliable nutrition information can be challenging.
• Nutrition information comes from TV, radio, newspapers, magazines, books, and the internet.
• How can you tell whether what you hear or read is really right?
• Nutrition scientists, researchers, and dietitians are more likely to provide reliable information.
• Reliable websites include the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, American Heart Association, National Institute of Health and PubMed.