NTR 110 Chapter 1

NRT 110 Nutrition Through the
Life Cycle
Chapter 1.
Nutrition: Food for Health
Nutrition
The study of the

interactions between
living organisms and
food.
Nutrients
-Substances in food that provide energy
structure and help regulate body processes.
These are necessary for an organism to maintain
life, grow and reproduce.
-The foods we choose determine the nutrients

we receive.
Examples:
Carbohydrates
Lipids
Proteins
Vitamins
Minerals
Water
Why We Eat What We Eat
- Availability
- Food Environment: Factors that affect eating habits
and patterns
- Example: access to stores, products available, food
pricing, location, etc.
- Social and Cultural Considerations

- Japan consumes rice, Italy consumes Pasta
- Religious holidays are associated with specific foods
- Specific religions eat a particular way
- Food is the focal point for everyday interactions
- Psychological and Emotional Factors

- Comfort foods
- Rewards
- Punishments
- Personal Preference
- Perception of health
- What we enjoy
Foods in 21st Century America
- Foods are more readily available than our ancestors
- Food Processing: The food industries way to transform raw plant and animal
materials, such as grains, produce, meat and milk, into convenience products
for consumers.
- New foods accessible  cereals, dried soups, frozen prepared meals, snack
foods
- New priorities instead of family mealtime

- Example: both parents working, after school activities, rushing dinner
- Fewer people know how to prepare a full meal

Convenience
Foods
- Tend to be higher in
calories
- Large amount of
additives and
preservatives
- Lower in whole
grains, fruits and
vegetables
- Higher in unhealthy
saturated fat
Shift in Nutrition Concerns in the
United States
From
Providing enough nutrients to meet peoples

needs
To
Limiting overconsumption and reducing the

incidence of chronic diseases related to excesses
of energy and certain nutrients
Food Provides Nutrients
- Essential Nutrients: Nutrients that must be provided in the diet because the
body cannot make it or cannot make it in sufficient amounts
- Example: Vitamin C
- Fortified Foods: Foods where nutrients were added

- Example: Cereal
- Enriched Grains: Grains where specific amounts of B Vitamins have been

added
- Dietary Supplements: Source of nutrients to add vitamins, minerals, and

herbs to the diet
- Phytochemicals: Substance found in plant foods that is not an essential

nutrient but has health promoting properties
- Example: Resveratrol in red wine
Six Classes if Nutrients
• Carbohydrates
• Lipids Grouped based on:
• Proteins -If they provide energy for the body
-How much is needed in the diet
• Water -Their chemical structure
• Vitamin
• Minerals
Energy-Yielding Nutrients
• A nutrient that can be metabolized to provide energy in the body

• Examples:
• Carbohydrates
• Proteins
• Fats
• Macronutrients: A nutrient needed by the body in large amounts.
This includes water and the energy-yielding nutrients (Carbs,
Proteins, Fats)
Micronutrients
• Micronutrient: A nutrient
needed by the body in small
amounts
• Includes Vitamins and Minerals
• Do not provide energy, but are
needed to regulate body
processes
• Best source: Fresh Foods 
Energy-Yielding Nutrients (Continued)
• Kilocalorie: (kcal, kcalories, calorie, c) Unit of heat used to express

the amount of energy provided in foods
• The amount of heat required to raise the temperature of 1kg of water 1
degree Celsius (1kcal=4.18kj)
• Carbohydrates and proteins provide 4 kcal/g

• Lipids (fats/oils) provide 9kcal/g
• Important when calculating macros for an individual
Water
• Only a single substance

• Makes up 60% of body weight
• Must constantly replenish
• Acts as a lubricant, transports
fluids and regulates body
temperature
Role of Nutrients
• Provide Energy
• Energy released from Macronutrients
• Fuel physical activity, synthesize new compounds, maintain basic body
functions
• When not needed immediately, it is stored as Fat
• Fat stores provide energy when dietary sources are unavailable
• Form Structures
• Fat under the skin forms body shape
• Proteins form muscles, ligaments and tendons
• Minerals harden bone
• Lipids and proteins form membranes of each cell
• Regulate Body Processes
• Homeostasis: Maintain a stable, internal body environment
• Example: maintain constant body temperature, blood pressure, blood sugar
• Metabolism: the sum of all of the chemical reactions within an organism that
help maintain homeostasis
Malnutrition
• Malnutrition: Consuming too little or too much of one ore more

nutrients
• Can affect our health many years down the line
• To avoid, choose a dietary pattern that meets our individual nutrient
and energy needs
Undernutrition
• Undernutrition: condition resulting

from an energy or nutrient intake
below the nutritional needs
• A deficiency of energy or nutrients
• Causes: deficient intake, increased
requirements, inability to absorb or
use nutrients
• Can lead to serious health problems

• Deficiencies of nutrients reflect the functions of the nutrient
• Example: Vitamin A deficiency can cause blindness
• Scurvy: a disease caused by a deficiency of Vitamin C
Overnutrition
• Overnutrition: an excess of energy

or nutrient intake that is larger
than what is required
• Excess of specific nutrients can
cause toxic reactions
• Foods do not contain enough for
toxicity
• Obesity Epidemic
• 70% of American adults are overweight or obese
• Result of the typical American diet
Genes and our diets
• Genes: Units of DNA that are responsible for inherited traits

• Example: family hx of heart disease, cancer, diabetes, etc.
• Our genetic makeup determines the impact a certain nutrient will
have on us
• Example: MTHFR
• Nutritional Genomics: The study of how our genes effect the impact
of nutrients or other food components on health (nutrigenetics) and
how nutrients affect the activity of our genes (nutrigenomics)
• This has led to personalized nutrition prescribe a diet based on the
genes of an individual to prevent chronic disease
Choosing a Healthy Diet
• Our food choices over time are more important than a single food
• A healthy diet provides the right amount of energy to keep weight at a
desirable range
• A balance of Macronutrients
• Nutrient Density: an evaluation of the nutrient content of a food in
comparison to the calories it provides
• Example: Pasta dish vs grilled chicken,
vegetables and potato
Choosing a Healthy Diet (continued)
• Eat a variety of foods

• Balance your choices
• Everything in Moderation
The Science Behind Nutrition
• Always changing and developing

• Hard for consumers to find accurate information
• Understanding the science of how Nutrition effects the body helps
consumers make better decisions
The Scientific Method
The Scientific Method As it Relates to Nutrition

A systematic, unbiased approach to evaluating the relationships
among food, nutrients and health
•Steps:
• Make an observation
• Form a hypothesis
• Perform an experiment
• Develop a theory
•Hypothesis: an educated guess made to explain an observation or answer a

question
•Theory: An explanation based on scientific study and reasoning
How Scientists Study Nutrition
• Observational Studies
• Observing how diet can affect health in different populations
• Epidemiology: the study of the relationships between health and disease
and other factors in the environment or lifestyle of different populations
• Correlation: two or more factors occurring together
• Case Control Studies: a type of observational study that compares
individuals with a particular condition to similar individuals without the
condition
• Example: comparing two people of the same gender with the same ethnic background,
but one has cancer and the other does now
Human Intervention Studies
• AKA clinical trial

• Human intervention study: Study of a population in which there is
an experiment manipulation to some members. Observations and
measurements are made to determine the effects of the
manipulation
Laboratory Studies
• Conducted in research facilities such as hospitals and universities.

• Used to learn how nutrients function
• Evaluate the relationships among nutrient levels
Ethical Concerns in Scientific Study
• The use of animals instead of humans

• Inconvenient and/or harmful for test subjects
• Example: a study viewing the depletion of certain vitamins can cause serious
illness or even death of a subject
Guidelines to follow
•Weigh the risk of physical, social, and
psychological injury compared to the
potential benefit of the research
•Studies must be fully explained to all
subjects and gain consent
•Subjects can leave the study at any time
Evaluating Nutrition Information
• We are constantly are presented with false or exaggerated

information
• Example: antioxidants prevent cancer
Ask the following questions:

-Does it make sense
-What’s the source (is it selling

something, is it an opinion)
-Is it based on good science (is the study

well controlled, was the information
interpreted accurately)
- Has it stood the test of time

Let’s Review!!!!
• What are Examples of Nutrients
• Name 4 factors that can influence the way we eat
• Why do we want to avoid processed foods?
• What is the biggest problem regarding Nutrition the United States is facing today?
• What is an essential nutrient?
• What is a fortified food?
• Name the 6 classes of Nutrients
• What are the energy yielding nutrients
• What is the difference between a Macro Nutrient and a Micronutrient
• How many kcals/g do protein, carbs, and fats provide?
• What percentage of water is found in the human body
• Name 3 roles of Nutrients
• Define Malnutrition, Undernutrition, and overnutrition
• Define Nutritional Genomics
• What is Nutrient Density?
• What is an observational study
• What is a human intervention study
• What is a Laboratory Study
• What is a major ethical concern for Nutrition Studies

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NRT 110 Nutrition Through the

The study of the

-The foods we choose determine the nutrients

- Social and Cultural Considerations

- Psychological and Emotional Factors

- New priorities instead of family mealtime

- Fewer people know how to prepare a full meal

Providing enough nutrients to meet peoples

Limiting overconsumption and reducing the

- Fortified Foods: Foods where nutrients were added

- Enriched Grains: Grains where specific amounts of B Vitamins have been

- Dietary Supplements: Source of nutrients to add vitamins, minerals, and

- Phytochemicals: Substance found in plant foods that is not an essential

• A nutrient that can be metabolized to provide energy in the body

• Kilocalorie: (kcal, kcalories, calorie, c) Unit of heat used to express

• Carbohydrates and proteins provide 4 kcal/g

• Only a single substance

• Malnutrition: Consuming too little or too much of one ore more

• Undernutrition: condition resulting

• Can lead to serious health problems

• Overnutrition: an excess of energy

• Genes: Units of DNA that are responsible for inherited traits

• Eat a variety of foods

• Always changing and developing

The Scientific Method As it Relates to Nutrition

•Hypothesis: an educated guess made to explain an observation or answer a

• AKA clinical trial

• Conducted in research facilities such as hospitals and universities.

• The use of animals instead of humans

• We are constantly are presented with false or exaggerated

Ask the following questions:

-What’s the source (is it selling

-Is it based on good science (is the study

- Has it stood the test of time

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