Food provides:
* Energy to do work (KCAL)
* Materials to build compounds, and
regulate life activity. (Nutrients)
NUTRIENTS

These Nutrients Provide Kcals:

Carbohydrate 4 kcals/gram
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Sugar
Starch
Some sugar alcohols
Protein
Fat
4 kcals/gram
9 kcal/gram
Alcohol in a non-nutrient, but
contains 7 kcals/gram
Nutrients

These nutrients regulate body
functions and chemical reactions.
They DO NOT provide energy (kcal)
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Vitamins: organic compounds
Minerals: inorganic compounds. They
are basically earth elements.
Water: The solvent in our bodies in
which all nutrients conduct their
activity. Our bodies are 60% water,
close to the % of water found on earth.
Guidelines for Nutrient Intake

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Recommendations for every dietary
nutrient exists for people of all ages.
Recommendations for caloric intake
are also established according to age
groups
The government also has
constructed a list of dietary
guidelines that apply to healthy
individuals wanting to consume a
healthy diet.
Setting Nutrient Recommendations

Who does it? The committee of the
Food and Nutrition Board in the
Institutes of Medicine of the
National Academy of Sciences.
Sometimes the USDA and HHS have
a say in general Dietary Guidelines
for Americans. The WHO makes
dietary recommendations world
wide.
Dietary Reference Intakes

DRI. A set of four values for the dietary intake
for healthy individuals. The DRI consists of:
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EAR. Estimated Average Requirements. Populationwide average nutrient requirements used in nutrition
research and policy making. RDA values are set using
EAR.
RDA. Recommended Dietary Allowances. Nutrient
intake goals for healthy individuals.
AI. Adequate Intake. Nutrient intake goals for
individuals set whenever scientific data are
insufficient to allow establishment of RDA
UL. Tolerable Upper Intake Levels. Suggested upper
limit of intake for potentially toxic nutrients.
Other Dietary Recommendations


Energy Requirements. Energy
requirements for individuals are set
at the population average.
Food Labels. Use the Daily Value
(DV). This is a standard that allows
comparison among products for
nutrient content. Used on food
labels only. NOT part of DRI.