NUTRITION IN DENTISTRY
MODULE 1 - CANVAS
INTRODUCTION
NUTRITION is the science that interprets
the nutrients and other substances in
food in relation to maintenance, growth,
reproduction, health and disease of an
organism. It includes food intake,
absorption, assimilation, biosynthesis,
catabolism and excretion.
M1 -Lesson 1-Definition of Terms
The following are important terms
needed in the study of nutrition as a
science.
Nutrition - is the process of taking food
into the body and absorbing the nutrients
in those foods
Food - is any substance consumed to
provide nutritional support for an
organism
Nutrients - a substance or ingredient that
promotes growth, provides energy, and
maintains life
Carbohydrates - any of various neutral
compounds of carbon, hydrogen, and
oxygen (such as sugars, starches, and
celluloses) most of which are formed by
green plants and which constitute a major
class of animal foods.
Protein - one of the many substances
found in food such as meat, cheese ,fish ,
or eggs, that is necessary for the body to
grow and be strong.
Fats - Along with proteins and
carbohydrates, one of the three nutrients
used as energy sources by the body.
Water - A colorless, transparent, odorless
liquid that forms the seas, lakes, rivers,
and rain and is the basis of the fluids of
living organisms
Vitamins- any of a group of natural
substances that are necessary in small
amounts for the growth and good health
of the body.
Minerals-a valuable or useful chemical
substance that is formed naturally in the
ground. Enzymes-is a chemical substance
that is found in living creatures which
produces changes in other substances
without being changed itself.
Hormones-A chemical substance
produced in the body that controls and
regulates the activity of certain cells or
organs
Nutriture - bodily condition with respect
to nutrition and especially with respect to
a given nutrient (as zinc).
Malnutrition-is a condition that results
from eating a diet in which one or more
nutrients are either not enough or are too
much such that the diet causes health
problems.
M1- Lesson 2-Factors Affecting
Nutrition
Lesson 2. FACTORS AFFECTING
NUTRITION
Nutrition is influenced by the choice of
food. The following are the factors
affecting food choice;
1. Major determinants of Food Choice
The key driver for eating is of course
hunger but what we choose to eat is not
determined solely by physiological or
nutritional needs. Some of the other
factors that influence food choice include:
1.1 Biological Determinants
Our physiological needs provide
the basic determinants of food choice.
Humans need energy and nutrients in
order to survive and will respond to the
feelings of hunger and satiety
(satisfaction of appetite, state of no
hunger between two eating occasions).
The central nervous system is involved in
controlling the balance between hunger,
appetite stimulation and food intake.
1.2 Economic and Physical
Determinants
There is no doubt that the cost of food is a
primary determinant of food choice.
Whether cost is prohibitive depends
fundamentally on a person's income and
socio-economic status. Low-income
groups have a greater tendency to
consume unbalanced diets and in
particular have low intakes of fruit and
vegetables14
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. However, access to more money does not
automatically equate to a better quality
diet but the range of foods from which
one can choose should increase.
1.3 Social Determinants
What people eat is formed and
constrained by circumstances that are
essentially social and cultural. Population
studies show there are clear differences in
social classes with regard to food and
nutrient intakes. Poor diets can result in
under- (micronutrients deficiency) and
over-nutrition (energy over consumption
resulting in overweight and obesity);
problems that face different sectors of
society, requiring different levels of
expertise and methods of intervention.
1.4 Meal Patterns
People have many different eating
occasions daily, the motivations for which
will differ from one occasion to the next.
Most studies investigate the factors that
influence habitual food choice but it may
be useful to investigate what influences
food choice at different eating occasions.
1.5 Psychological Factors
Psychological stress is a common feature
of modern life and can modify behaviours
that affect health, such as physical activity,
smoking or food choice.
1.6 Eating Disorders
Many individuals express a desire to lose
weight or improve their body shape and
thus engage in approaches to achieve
their ideal body mass index. However,
problems can arise when dieting and/or
exercise are taken to extremes. The
aetiology of eating disorders is usually a
combination of factors including
biological, psychological, familial and
socio-cultural. The occurrence of eating
disorders is often associated with a
distorted self-image, low self-esteem,
non-specific anxiety, obsession, stress and
unhappiness.
1.7 Consumer Attitudes, Beliefs ,
Knowledge and Optimal Bias
1. Naturalistic Era (400 B.C. to AD 1750
)
Attitudes and beliefs can and do change;
our attitude to dietary fat has changed in
the last 50 years with a corresponding
decrease in the absolute amount of fat
eaten and a change in the ratio of
saturated to unsaturated fat.
1.8 Barriers to Dietary and Lifestyle
Change
Household income and the cost of food is
an important factor influencing food
choice, especially for low-income
consumers. The potential for food
wastage leads to a reluctance to try ‘new’
foods for fear the family will reject them.
In addition, a lack of knowledge and the
loss of cooking skills can also inhibit
buying and preparing meals from basic
ingredients.
(https://www.eufic.org/en/healthy-living
/article/the-determinants-of-food-choice
)
M1- Lesson 3- History of Nutrition
Our ancestors collected food from the
nature in order to survive, and it can
be noted that humans have more than
two million years of certain dietary
habits. It is believed that the
preparation of meals began more than
500,000 years ago. The oldest
descriptions of food and meals, as well
as their effects on health are described
by the ancient Egyptians, and are dated
3200 BC.
● Around 400 BC, Hippocrates.
ancient Greek physician
said, "Let food be your
medicine and medicine be
your food."
● Around 475 BC, Anaxagoras,
a Greek Philosopher, stated
that food is absorbed by the
human body and therefore
contained "homeomerics" (
generative components),
suggesting the existence of
nutrients.
The history and the development of
food and nutrition can be roughly
divided into three important periods:
the pre-agricultural age, the age of
agriculture, which began 10,000 years
BC, and agro-industrial age that began
some 150 years ago. When this time
span could be squeezed in a year and
assuming that the man appeared on
January 1 st, the agricultural age would
start in the second half of December,
and the agro-industrial age would start
on the evening of December 31 st.
3. Agricultural Era (200 - 300 yrs ago)
2. Pre-agricultural (3 million years
ago) Link
Links to an external site.
The agriculture era is based on the
cultivation of crops and domestication
of animals which then become a major
part of human food. During this period,
agriculture was gradually developed
on fertile soil, almost simultaneously
in several places in the world. the
Mediterranean , the Middle and Far
East, resulting human settlements,
nations and empires.
4. Agro-Industrial (150 yrs ago)
The pre-agricultural era begins three
million years ago, it is characterized by
the collection of food , hunting and
fishing, as well as developing tools and
activities, in the. beginning, the food is
eaten raw, but after the discovery of
humans used cooked food also.
The agro-industrial era began some
150 yrs. ago. It is characterized by a
combination of agricultural and
industrial activity - machines are
introduced in agriculture, the
production of food and raw materials
is increased, the building of roads and
railways increased the transport of
goods, there was a sudden
development food industry,
particularly due to the creation of
refrigeration chains , preservation of
food products, and new households
appliances.
The most important experiments of
Antoine Lavoisier (1743 - 1794) are
directly linked with the development
of nutrition . Lavoisier proved that the
combustion process involves a
combination of various chemical
substances and oxygen and that plant
and animal respiration is a slow
combustion of organic matter using
oxygen from the atmosphere.
5.Chemical Era (1785 t0 1885)
6.Biological Era ( 1901 to 1950)Link
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Biological Era”, as the 19th century is
known, studies on metabolism and
chemistry were done, helping the
science of nutrition on defining their
role in the development and
prevention of chronic diseases, such as
cancer, cardiovascular,
neurodegenerative, and bone
metabolism disorders .
Nowadays, the “Pos-Genomic Era” is
being experienced. This era is
characterized by the integration of
three fields: biological, social, and
environmental, where scientific
discoveries on nutritional
pathophysiology and metabolism are
included.
7. Age of Biotechnology. (1960 present)
Biotechnology is a discipline that has
developed rapidly during the last two
decades. This technology is based on
our fundamental ability to precisely
introduce genetic changes into an
organism.
Plant biotechnology in particular has
evolved rapidly over the course of the
last 15 years.
Every major crop can be subject to
precise genetic modifications based on
our ability to introduce and express
genes in crops.
Plant biotechnology there should
substantially augment plant breeding,
which in many respects was based on
our ability to harness genes into plants
either by sexual crossing or laboratory
techniques such as cell fusion.
We anticipate that plant biotechnology
will go through three phrases of
development, creating significant
value at each stage. The first is
agronomic trait development, the
second is differentiated crop
development, and the third is use of
plants as factories.
M1-Lesson 4 - Essential Nutrients
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Carbohydrates
Protein
Fats
Water
Vitamins
Minerals
● Definition of Malnutrition
Link
● Links to an external site.
Watch the movie that explains the
different nutrients and its importance.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=in
EPlZZ_SfA
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Malnutrition refers to deficiencies,
excesses or imbalances in a person’s
intake of energy and/or nutrients. The
term malnutrition covers 2 broad
groups of conditions. One is
‘undernutrition’—which includes
stunting (low height for age), wasting
(low weight for height), underweight
(low weight for age) and micronutrient
deficiencies or insufficiencies (a lack of
important vitamins and minerals). The
other is overweight, obesity and
diet-related noncommunicable
diseases (such as heart disease, stroke,
diabetes and cancer).
Cause and Symptoms of Malnutrition
Link
M1- Lesson 5- Malnutrition
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Malnutrition can occur for various
reasons
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. The sections below outline these
potential causes in more detail.
If the body does not absorb nutrients
efficiently, even a healthful diet may not
prevent malnutrition.
● Alcohol use disorder
Consuming a lot of alcohol can lead to
gastritis or long-term damage to the
pancreas.
● A low intake of food
Some people develop malnutrition
because there is not enough food
available or because they have difficulty
eating or absorbing nutrients.
Mouth problems such as badly fitting
dentures may also contribute to
malnutrition.
● Mental health conditions
Undernutrition or malnutrition can affect
people with: depression, dementia,
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schizophrenia,
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anorexia nervosa
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● Social and mobility problems
Factors that can affect a person’s eating
habits and potentially lead to
malnutrition include:
● Digestive disorders and
stomach conditions
Malnutrition in the Philippines. Link
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