AMA 108 Nutrition
Essentials of Nutrition
Nutrients – essential elements found in food:

Carbohydrates – provide body with energy
- simple: sugars, not good for you
- complex: starches, have most energy, found in legumes, grains, fruit and
vegetables

Proteins – contain amino acids, provide energy, help build and repair tissues and assist with
antibody production; found in meat, cheese and eggs. The body needs 20 amino acids, 11 are
produced by the body, the other 9 are called essential amino acids and you must get them from
food

Fats - lipids – concentrated source of heat production and energy, provide essential fatty acids. If
body has inadequate supply of glucose to break down for energy, it will catabolize fat. Fat
cushions and protects body organs and helps sustain body temp and cell function.

Vitamins – organic substances that help break down proteins, carbohydrates and fats.
Categorized as fat soluble or water soluble. Fat soluble are stored in liver, can’t take too much.
Water soluble are excreted, take daily.
Nutrients cont…

Minerals – inorganic substances used in the formation of hard and soft body tissue.
Necessary for muscle contraction, nerve conduction and blood clotting.
- Major Minerals: sodium, potassium, calcium, phosphorous, magnesium, iron and iodine
- Trace Minerals: fluorine, zinc, copper, cobalt and chromium

Cholesterol – found only in animal products; body creates its own supply, low cholesterol diet
recommended

Lipoproteins – lipids and proteins that transport cholesterol between liver and arterial walls. Not
created by found, already found in body.
- LDL – low density lipoprotein: transports cholesterol to artery walls, too much causes
plaque formation
- HDL – high density lipoprotein: transports cholesterol away from
artery walls, good kind to have

Fiber – helps with elimination of waste. Found in vegetables, fruit and whole grains
Amino Acids

The Amino Acids
(For each amino acid, both the three-letter and single-letter codes are given.
CLICK the NAME to see the structural formula)Alanine Ala A hydrophobic
Arginine Arg R free amino group makes it basic and hydrophilic
Asparagine Asn N carbohydrate can be covalently linked ("N-linked) to its NH Aspartic acid Asp D free carboxyl group makes it acidic and
hydrophilic Cysteine Cys C oxidation of their sulfhydryl (-SH) groups link 2
Cys (S-S) Glutamic acid Glu E free carboxyl group makes it acidic and
hydrophilic Glutamine Gln Q moderately hydrophilic Glycine Gly G so
small it is amphiphilic (can exist in any surroundings) Histidine His H basic
and hydrophilic Isoleucine Ile I hydrophobic Leucine Leu L hydrophobic
Lysine Lys K strongly basic and hydrophilic Methionine Met M
hydrophobic Phenylalanine Phe F very hydrophobic Proline Pro P causes
kinks in the chain Serine Ser S carbohydrate can be covalently linked ("Olinked") to its -OH Threonine Thr T carbohydrate can be covalently linked
("O-linked") to its -OH Tryptophan Trp W scarce in most plant proteins
Tyrosine Tyr Y a phosphate or sulfate group can be covalently attached to
its -OH Valine Val V hydrophobic
Amino Acids cont…
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The Essential Amino Acids:
Histidine
Isoleucine
Leucine
Lysine
Methionine (and/or cysteine)
Phenylalanine (and/or tyrosine)
Threonine
Tryptophan
Valine
Digestion and Metabolism

Digestion – physical and chemical breakdown of food into
substances the body can use.

Metabolism – change that food goes through after it is absorbed
into the bloodstream
- Anabolism: constructive phase where smaller molecules are
converted to larger; i.e. amino acids convert to proteins
- Catabolism: destructive phase where larger molecules are
converted to smaller; i.e. glycogen converts to pyruvic acid. This
process releases energy for cell growth and heat production;
measured in calories
Nutritional Guidelines

US Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), US Department of
Agriculture (USDA), National Academy of Sciences, Food and Nutrition
Board: all involved in making guidelines for healthy diet

My Pyramid: food guidance system; five main food groups; a person’s age,
gender and level of physical activity are all considered in determining the
appropriate number of daily servings from each food group – study the info
in the text
1. Grains
2. Vegetables
3. Fruits
4. Milk
5. Meat and Beans
Food Pyramid
Food Labels

Nutritional Labeling and
Education Act – 1990

Info required to be listed
on package

Regulated by FDA

Know how to read and
how to teach patients to
read
Nutrition and Health

Therapeutic Nutrition- diet restrictions due to medical conditions;
facilitates healing and influences blood components such as
cholesterol and glucose

Physical Fitness – endurance, flexibility and strength; healthy diet
and regular exercise. Produces endorphins

Weight Management – obesity is problem in US. Excess body fat
causes health risks

Physiologic Issues – Basal metabolic rate = how many calories
body uses to perform basic functions. Level of physical energy.
Thermic effect = energy body uses to digest food.

Body Mass Index – ratio of fat to body mass.

Sociologic and Psychological Issues – how we use food other
than for energy; i.e. emotional eaters, socially etc..
Resources
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http://www.seekwellness.com/nutrition/disease.htm
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http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/nutrition/index.htm
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http://www.nutrition.gov/nal_display/index.php?info_center=11&tax_level=1
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http://www.mypyramid.gov/
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http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/health_medicine/nutrition/
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http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/nutrition.html