1 Foundations of Nutrition Science Free Online FlashCards

What does nutrition science study?

Nutrition science studies how food and its components affect the body, health, and disease.

How do macronutrients and micronutrients differ?

Macronutrients are needed in relatively large amounts, while micronutrients are needed in smaller amounts. Water is essential but provides no energy.

What are two roles of carbohydrates?

Carbohydrates are a major energy source. Fiber, a type of carbohydrate, supports bowel function, and some fiber is fermented by gut microbes.

Why must essential amino acids come from food?

Protein supplies amino acids for building and repairing tissues and making enzymes, hormones, and other body components. Essential amino acids must come from food because the body cannot make enough of them.

What are key functions of dietary fat?

Fat provides concentrated energy and essential fatty acids, forms part of cell membranes, and helps the body absorb vitamins A, D, E, and K.

How much energy do carbohydrate, protein, fat, and alcohol provide per gram?

Carbohydrate and protein provide about $4$ kilocalories per gram, fat about $9$, and alcohol about $7$. Alcohol provides energy but is not an essential nutrient.

How do vitamins and minerals differ?

Vitamins are organic compounds that support processes such as metabolism, vision, immunity, and tissue maintenance. Minerals are elements involved in functions such as bone building, oxygen transport, and nerve and muscle activity.

What are DRIs, and what are three examples?

Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs) are reference values used to plan and assess intakes. They include the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA), Adequate Intake (AI), and Tolerable Upper Intake Level (UL).

Where does digestion begin, and where is much of it completed?

Digestion breaks food into components small enough to absorb. It begins with chewing and saliva; the stomach mixes food with acid and enzymes, and the small intestine completes much of the breakdown.

What are the main absorption roles of the small and large intestines?

Most nutrients are absorbed through the small-intestinal wall into the blood or lymph. The large intestine absorbs water, while gut microbes act on some remaining undigested material.

What is metabolism?

Metabolism is the network of chemical reactions through which the body uses, transforms, and stores absorbed nutrients. Cells can release energy from nutrients, build or repair tissues, or store nutrients for later.

What tends to happen when energy intake stays above or below expenditure?

Energy balance compares energy consumed with energy expended over time. Sustained intake above expenditure tends to increase stored energy; sustained intake below it tends to reduce stored energy.