An Overview of Nutrition

1. An Overview of Nutrition

2. Terminology • nutrition • the science of foods and the substances they contain • food • derived from plant or animal sources • provide energy and nutrients used by the body for maintenance, growth, and repair • diet • food that one consumes • quality of ones diet affect the risk of chronic diseases

3. Food Choices • personal preference • taste • habit • PB and honey • ethnic heritage or tradition • eat what you grew up with • social interactions • eating with friends and family

4. Food Choices • availability, convenience, economy • quick, easy, cheap?? • positive and negative associations • happy vs. gross • emotional comfort • boredom, depression, anxiety • values • religious beliefs, environmental concerns, political views, moral issues

5. Food Choices • body weight and image • nutrition and health benefits • functional foods • provide health benefits beyond their nutrient contributions • whole foods, fortified foods

6. The Nutrients • energy: the capacity to do work • nutrient: chemical substance obtained from food and used in the body to • provide energy • support growth • body maintenance • body repair

7. The Nutrients • composition of foods • six classes of nutrients • water • carbohydrates • lipids • proteins • vitamins • minerals

8. Nutrients • nonnutrients • fibers • phytochemicals • pigments • additives • alcohols • others

9. The Nutrients • chemical composition of nutrients • inorganic nutrients • minerals • water • organic nutrients • carbohydrates • lipids • proteins • vitamins

10. The Nutrients

11. The Nutrients • essential nutrients • nutrients that foods must supply

12. Energy Yielding Nutrients • nutrients that break down to yield energy for the body to use • 3 organic nutrients • carbohydrates • fat • protein

13. Measuring Energy • measured in kCalories (kilocalorie) • in popular literature it is abbreviated as calories • thus a 50 calorie carrot is actually 50 kCalories

14. Energy from Food • amount of energy gained is dependent on the quantity of carbs, fats or protein the food contains • carbohydrate = 4kcal/g • fat = 9kcal/g • protein = 4 kcal/g • energy density is the measure of energy a food provides relative to he amount of food • fat has a higher energy density than either protein or carbohydrates

15. Energy Density

16. Energy in the Body • body uses energy yielding nutrients • energy from food supports every activity the body does • energy not used is stored • usually as body fat • not enough energy results in < energy stores and weight loss

17. Energy Yielding Nutrients • in addition to providing energy they provide • materials for building tissue • regulate many activities

18. Non Energy Nutrients • water, vitamins and minerals do not yield energy • vitamins • aid in the release of energy • 13 essential vitamins • only can function if intact

19. Non Energy Nutrients • minerals • found in bone, teeth, and some body fluids • 16 essential minerals • they are indestructible, but can be bound • interfere with body’s absorption • can be lost during food refining processes

20. Non Energy Nutrients • water • absolutely essential for life • most all body activities involve water

21. The Science of Nutrition • study of nutrients and how the body handles them • nutritional research • follows the scientific method

22. Nutritional Research • important considerations • controls • sample size • placebo effects • blind experiments • double-blind experiments

23. Dietary Reference Intakes • the “alphabet soup” of nutrition • DRI • EAR • RDA • AI • UL

24. DRI: Dietary Reference Intakes • standards defining the amount of energy, nutrient, and physical activity for health • recommendations apply to healthy people • EAR, RDDA, AI and UI are all different nutrient values that make up the DRI

25. EAR • estimated average requirements • used to establish RDA

26. RDA • recommended dietary allowances • nutrient recommendation for everyone • similar age and gender • set at upper end of range

27. AI • adequate intakes • insufficient evidence is available to determine an EAR to establish a RDA • based on observation or estimates

28. UL Danger of toxicity • tolerable upper intake levels • maximum daily intake of a nutrient unlikely to cause adverse health effects Marginal Tolerable Upper Intake Level Safety RDA or AI Estimated Average Requirement Marginal Danger of deficiency

29. Energy Recommendations • EER • average, daily dietary energy (kcalories) for maintenance • is not generous • balance is important

30. AMDR • Acceptable Macronutrient Distribution Ranges • composition of diet that provides adequate energy and nutrients • 45-65% from carbohydrates • 20-35% from fat • 10-35% from protein

31. Using Nutrient Recommendations • nutrient recommendations are often misunderstood and/or controversial • facts to help clarify

32. Nutrition Assessment • used to determine overnutrition or undernutrition • undernutrtion • deficiency of energy • thinness, losing muscle tissue, prone to infection • deficiency of nutrient • hair loss, depression, night blindness, skin rashes, bleeding gums

33. Nutrition Assessment • overnutrition • too much energy • weight gain • overdose of a nutrient • hot flashes, yellowing skin, rapid heart rate

34. Malnutrition • deficiency or excess of energy and/or nutrients over an extended period of time • symptoms are easy to miss • can be detected with proper assessment tools

35. Nutrition Assessment • historical data • anthropometric data • height, weight • physical exam • lab tests • blood, urine

36. National Nutrition Surveys • information gathered from surveys set public policy on • nutrition education • food assistance • food supply regulations • research priorities

37. National Health Goals • Healthy People 2010 • goals are reevaluated every 10 years and adjusted • nutrition is a part of the plan

38. Diet and Health • diet is important in maintaining a healthy body • risk factors • behavior or condition that has a strong association with a disease • obesity and heart disease

39. Risk Factors • tobacco • obesity • alcohol • firearms • sexual behavior • illicit drugs • physical activity • risk factors tend to cluster

40. Nutrition Information and Misinformation • not everything on the Internet is true!! • not everything on the news is accurately reported!!

41. finding credible information • government health agencies • volunteer health agencies • reputable consumer groups