HLTH ch. 9: Nutrician Basics
Terms
undefined, object
copy deck
- saturated fat
- a fat with no carbon-carbon double bonds; usually solid at room temperature
- antioxidant
- a substance that can lessen the breakdown of food or body constituents by free radicals; actions include binding oxygen, donating electrons to free radicals, and repairing damage to molecules
- essential nutrients
- substances the body must get from foods because it cannot manufacture them at all or fast enough to meet its needs. These nutrients include proteins, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals, and water
- kilocalorie
- a measure of energy content in food; 1 kilocalorie represent the amount of heat needed to raise the temperature of 1 liter of water 1 degree Celsius; commonly referred to as calorie
- dietary reference intakes
- an umbrella term for four types of nutrient standards: Adequate Intake (AI), Estimated Average Requirement (EAR), and Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) set levels of intake considered adequate to prevent nutrient deficiencies and reduce the risk of chronic disease; Tolerance Upper Intake Level (UL) sets the maximum daily intake that is unlikely to cause health problems
- trans fatty acid
- a type of unsaturated fatty acid produced during the process of hydrogenation; trans fats have an atypical shape that effects their chemical activity
- phytochemical
- a naturally ocurring substance found in plant foods that may help prevent and treat chronic diseases like cancer and heart disease
- osteoporosis
- a condition in which the bones become extremely thin and brittle and break easily
- cholesterol
- a waxy substance found in the blood and cells and needed for synthesis of cell membranes, vitamin D, and hormones
- food irradiation
- the treatment of foods with gamma rays, X rays, or high-voltage electrons to kill potentially harmful pathogents and increase shelf life
- functional fiber
- nondigestible carbohydrates either isolated from natural sources or synthesized; these may be added to foods and dietary supplements
- anemia
- a deficiency in the oxygen-carrying material in the red blood cells
- legumes
- vegetables such as peas and beans that are high in fiber and are also important sources of proteins
- digestion
- the process of breaking down foods in the gastrointestinal tract into compounds the body can absorb
- glycemic index
- a measure of how the ingestion of a particular food affects blood glucose levels
- high-density lipoprotein
- blood fat that helps transport cholesterol out of the arteries, thereby producing protecting against heart disease
- carbohydrate
- an essential nutrient; sugars, starches, and dietary fiber
- vegan
- a vegetarian who eats no animal products at all
- low-density lipoprotein
- blood fat that transports cholesterol to organs and tissues; excess amounts result in the accumulation of deposits on artery walls
- hydrogenation
- a process by which hydrogens are added to unsaturated fats, increasing the degree of saturation and turning liquid oils into solid fats. Hydrogenation produces a mixture of saturated fatty acids and standard and trans forms of unsaturated fatty acids
- monounsaturated fat
- a fat with one carbon-carbon double bond; liquid at room temperature
- free radical
- an electron-seeking compound that can react with fats, proteins, and DNA, damaging cell membranes and mutating genes in its search for electrons; produced through chemical reactions in the body and by exposure to environmental factors such as sunlight and tobacco smoke
- glucose
- a simple sugar that is the body's basic fuel
- protein
- an essential nutrient; a compound made of amino acids that contain carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen
- polyunsaturated fat
- a fat containing two or more carbon-carbon double bonds; liquid at room temperature
- partial vegetarian
- a vegetarian who includes eggs, dairy products, and/or small amounts of poultry and seafood in the diet
- vitamins
- carbon-containing substances needed in small amounts to help promote and regulate chemical reactions and processes in the body
- nutrician
- the science of food and how the body uses it in health and disease
- dietary fiber
- nondigestible carbohydrates and lignin that are intact in plants
- minerals
- inorganic compounds needed in relatively small amounts for regulation, growth, and maintenance of body tissues and functions
- total fiber
- the total amount of dietary fiber and functional fiber in the diet
- lacto-vegetarian
- a vegetarian who includes milk and cheese products in the diet
- MyPyramid
- a food-group plan that provides practical advice to ensure a balanced intake of the essential nutrients
- genetically modified organism
- a plant, animal, or microorganism in which genes have been added, rearranged, or replaced through genetic engineering
- glycogen
- an animal starch stored in the liver and muscles
- diverticulitis
- a digestive disorder in which abdominal pouches form in the walls of the intestine and become inflamed
- organic
- a designation applied to foods grown and produced according to strict guidelines limiting the use of pesticides, non organic ingredients, hormones, antibiotics, irradiation, genetic engineering, and other practices
- food intolerance
- an adverse reaction to a food or food ingredient that doesn't involve the immune system; often due to a problem with metabolism
- whole grain
- the entire edible portion of a grain such as wheat, rice, or oats, consisting of the germ, endosperm, and bran. During milling or processing, parts of the grain are removed, often leaving just the endosperm
- daily values
- a simplified version of the RDAs used on food labels; also included are values for nutrients with no RDA per se
- cruciferous vegetables
- vegetables of the cabbage family, including cabbage, broccoli, brussels sprouts, kale, cauliflower; the flower petals of these plants form the shape of a cross
- lacto-ovo vegetarian
- a vegetarian who eats no meat, poultry, or fish but does eat eggs and milk products
- food allergy
- an adverse reaction to a food or food ingredient in which the immune system perceives a particular substance (allergen) as foreign and acts to destory it
- omega-3 fatty acids
- polyunsaturated fatty acids commonly found in fish oils that are beneficial to cardiovascular health; the endmost double bond occurs three carbons from the end of the fatty acid chain
- amino acids
- the building blocks of proteins