Nutrition Basics and
Terminology
By Jennifer Turley and Joan Thompson
© 2013 Cengage
Presentation Overview
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Terminology
Introduction Nutrients & Calories
Characteristics of a sound diet
Results of a sound diet
Health & Malnutrition
Factors affecting longevity & food
choices
Terminology
Diet: The kind and amount of
food consumed each day.
Food: Anything that nourishes
the body.
Nourish: To keep alive.
Terminology
Nutrition: The study of how
food keeps us alive.
–Includes the ingestion,
digestion, absorption,
assimilation, and excretion
of food.
Nutritional Sciences: The study
of nutrition including dietary
components and metabolism.
Terminology
• Nutrient: Molecular substances that are nourishing
or that provide nourishment to cells and thus every
multicellular component of the human organism.
• Essential: The body cannot make these nutrients,
they must be consumed. Without an intake, specific
deficiency signs and symptom occur.
• Nonessential: The body can make these nutrients.
Without an intake, nutritional deficiency signs and
symptom do not occur.
• Energy Producing: Produces Calories when
metabolized by the body.
• Non-Energy Producing: Do not provide Calories but
have other important functions.
Molecules to Cells to Organisms in
the Order of Life
Molecules to Cells to Organisms in
the Order of Life
Overview of the Nutrients
Nutrient
Oxygen
Water
X
Carbohydrate
X
X
X
Fat
X
X
X
Protein
X
X
X
X
Vitamins
X
X
X
X*
Minerals
Carbon
Hydrogen Nitrogen
Minerals
X
X
* Some B vitamins contain Nitrogen
The Six Categories of Nutrients
Can be divided into two categories:
• Energy Producing Nutrients
(Macronutrients)
– Carbohydrates, Fats and Proteins
• Essential Non-caloric Nutrients
– Vitamins & Minerals
(Micronutrients)
– Water
• Energy producing nutrients provide
Calories
Terminology
• The Kilocalorie (Calorie):
–The unit used to measure
energy.
–It is the amount of heat energy
required to raise one kilogram
of water one degree Celsius (C)
from 36o-37oC (actually a
kilocalorie, Kcal or Calorie
denoted with a capitol “C”).
Energy Producing Nutrients
* Fiber is a non-caloric carbohydrate
The Kilocalorie (Calorie)
 How do we apply this
definition to the energy
applied to food?
 By using a Bomb
Calorimeter.
Bomb Calorimeter
Energy Production in the Body
• The ultimate fuel used in the body
is a chemical called ATP
• ATP = Adenosine Tri-Phosphate
• We capture the chemical energy
between the carbon-carbon bonds
in Carbohydrate, Fat and Protein to
form ATP
Nicknames: Energy Producing Nutrients
• Carbohydrates are the High
Performance Fuel
– Carbs are fast and best at making ATP
• Fats are the Low Level Fuel
– Fats are very slow to produce ATP
• Proteins are the building blocks for
growth and repair
– Only under intense stress does protein
provide ATP
– Loads of toxic waste is produced when
protein is over consumed
The Non-caloric Nutrients
What does non-caloric mean?
• No ability to generate ATP
• No Calorie value
• Some non-caloric nutrients can be
essential for the body
• Physiological failure or death
occurs if the nutrient is withheld
from the diet
The Goal of Eating
Terminology
• Food keeps us alive by providing
Calories (energy) and Nutrients. The
relationship between Calories and
Nutrients is called:
• Nutrient Density: Refers to the amount
of nutrients provided relative to the
number of Calories. Foods with high
nutrient density are nutritious.
Nutrient Density
1 Large Potato vs 1 Small Order Fast Food Fries, both 210 Calories
Values shown are
% DRI for a
moderately active
adult woman
Nutrient Density
1 cup plain yogurt vs ½ cup vanilla ice cream, both 130 Calories
Nutrient Density
Characteristics of a Sound Diet
Calorie Control: An appropriate amount of Calories
are eaten to maintain a healthy body weight.
Adequacy: Essential nutrients, fiber, and energy
(Calories) are present in the diet.
Balance: Food types complement one another in the
diet. Not any one nutrient or food type is
overbearing.
Moderation: The diet does not contain an excess of
unwanted substances.
Variety: Different foods are used for the same
purpose in the diet.
Diet Results
• Result of a sound diet:
– Health: The state of complete physical,
mental, and social well-being; not just the
absence of infirmity.
• Result of a poor diet:
– Malnutrition: Impairment of health resulting
from deficiency, toxicity, or imbalance of
nutrient intake or body utilization (includes
over-nutrition and under-nutrition).
Health
Philosophical Statement about Health
• Healthy lifestyle behaviors promote health, &
unhealthy lifestyle behaviors promote
disease. Over long periods of time the health
consequences can be realized. Therefore,
even though a person may be “disease-free”
at the moment, a person that lives an
unhealthy lifestyle should not be labeled as a
“healthy” person.
Factors Affecting Longevity
1. Diet
• Poor diets promote degenerative
diseases/conditions: such as,
cancer, heart disease, osteoporosis,
diabetes, & obesity.
• Dietary factors like Fat, Sugar, Fiber,
Sodium, Alcohol, & Calcium, function
in the disease process.
Deaths per 100,000
Leading Causes of Death
Diet
Related
Alcohol
Related
Non-Diet
Related
Factors Affecting Longevity
2. Exercise (physical activity)
• Promotes health by positively influencing
body weight/composition, metabolism,
bone density, cognitive function, blood
pressure, blood cholesterol, and the
cardiovascular system.
• Strive for 60 minutes each day.
Factors Affecting Longevity
3. Other Factors
• Smoking or tobacco use is a leading
contributor to death of Americans
• Habits (lack of sleep, alcohol & drug
use, unsafe sex)
• Chance (accidents)
• Genetics
Factors Affecting
Food Choices
1. Hunger: The Physiological need for food.
The physical body sends signals indicating a
need for food.
2. Satiety: The Physiological feedback
mechanisms that terminate food intake.
3. Appetite: The Psychological desire for food.
The brain sends signals indicating a desire
for food because of sensory input like
seeing, smelling, or thinking about food.
Factors Affecting Hunger,
Appetite and Satiety
Factors Affecting
Food Choices
4. Personal Preferences: The food likes and dislikes
of an individual.
5. Availability: Food supply, geographical area,
climate, soil.
6. Economics: Social status and income.
7. Social Factors: Family, friends, holidays,
celebrations, etc.
8. Cultural Traditions: Beliefs, values, customs.
9. Advertising: TV, radio, magazines, newspaper.
10. Other: Habits, feelings, knowledge, etc.
Summary
• Diet is the collection of food consumed by an
individual within a 24 hour period.
• Food nourishes the body, it contains nutrients
that can be essential, nonessential, caloric, or
non-caloric.
• Nutrition is the study of how food nourishes
and affects body function throughout the day
and health over several years.
• The goal of eating should be to fuel and
nourish the body optimally.
Summary
• It is important to consume a healthy
diet in order to promote health and
prevent chronic disease.
• There are many factors affecting
food choice.
References for this presentation are the same as those for
this topic found in module 1 of the textbook