What is nutrition A science that studies food and how food nourishes our
bodies and influences our health
What are nutrients Essential substance that the body needs in order to remain
healthy and ensure sufficient growth
6 nutrients found in food
Importance of nutrients
and nutrition
Factors related to
nutritional needs
Signs of good nutrition
The relationship
between nutrition and
human disease
Disease in which
nutrition plays some role
1. Macronutrients
- Water
- Carbohydrate
- Lipids (fat and oil)
- Proteins
2. Micronutrients
- Vitamins (B, C, A, D, E, K)
- Minerals ((Fe, Ca, P, Na, K)
1. Making recommendations – about the intake of each
type of food – reduces risk of malnutrition
2. Reducing the risk – of developing obesity, diabetes,
and high blood pressure
3. Study the factors that influence – our eating patterns
4. In maintaining food safety – helps prevent harmful
disease
1. Age (children usually requires a larger portion of
carbohydrates and proteins while adults require less of
these components)
2. Gender (male usually requires more carbohydrates
than females as the basal metabolic rate is higher for
males)
3. Occupation (sedentary workers requires less energy
compared to physically demanding jobs)
4. Health (diet need to be adjusted according the health
condition of the individual – diabetic patients should
have reduced intake of sugars and starch in the diet)
5. Size (small-sized people tend to lose body weight more
easily than big-sized people)
6. Climate (people in cold climate countries need more
energy to maintain body temperature)
1. A well-developed body
2. Ideal weight
3. Good muscle development
4. Smooth and clear skin
5. Glossy hair
6. Clear and bright eyes
7. Normal appetite, digestion and elimination
8. Good resistance to infection
1. Disease in which nutrition plays some role
2. Disease with a strong nutritional component
3. Diseases caused by nutritional deficiencies or toxicities
1. Osteoporosis
2. Osteoarthritis
 3. Cancers-colorectal, mouth, pharynx and larynx, kidney,
stomach, liver
Disease with a strong 1. Type 2 diabetes
nutritional component 2. Heart disease
3. High blood pressure
4. Obesity
Diseases caused by 1. Pellagra
nutritional deficiencies 2. Scurvy
or toxicities 3. Iron-deficiency anaemia
4. Other vitamin and mineral deficiencies
5. Nutrient toxicities
Tools to help design a 1. Food pyramid – Initially
good nutrition and 2. My plate – Currently
healthy diet 3. Recommended Dietary Allowance – The quantity
required
Initially – Food pyramid Shows the types and serving sizes for the foods for daily intake
First published in 1972 and was redesigned
From the bottom to the top of the food pyramid – the size of
each food group becomes smaller indicating that an individual
should eat more of the foods at the base of the pyramid, less
of the food at the top of the pyramid
Currently – My plate Replaced the USDA’s MyPyramid guid in 2011
Principle – ¼ + ¼ + ½
Aims easier visualation in meal planning which helps in:
1. Ensure adequate intake of protein source foods
2. Control portion size of carbohydrate based foods
3. Increase the intake of fruits and vegetables
4. Encourage the intake of whole grains food products
5. Encourage intake of plain water
Recommended Dietary The average daily dietary intake level that meet the nutrient
Allowance (RDA) in requirements of nearly all (97–98%) healthy persons of a
nutrition- The specific sex, age, life stage, or physiological condition
quantity required Can be different around the world

Water 60% of an adult’s weight, 80% of a child’s weight – made up of

water
Found in every cell, in the spaces around the cells, in the
tissues of the body and in body cavities
Cells lose fluid – shrink and die
Cells take in too much fluid – swell and burst apart
Dissolves minerals and forms electrolytes
How Much Water Should Fluid requirement – individualised
We Drink Need for water changes under various conditions depending
on:
1. Age
2. Body size
3. Health status
4. Physical activity level
5. Exposure to environmental conditions.
How Does the Body Water loses through - urine, sweat, evaporation, exhalation
Maintain Fluid Balance? and faces.
Regulation of water intake in the body – controlled though a
few mechanisms:
1. Hypothalamus-Mediated Thirst – Osmoreceptor in the
hypothalamus detects changes in osmotic pressure
2. Renin-Angiotensin System-Mediated Thirst – Thirst is
induced through angiotensin II, one of the hormones
involved in the renin-angiotensin system
Importance: Fluids Serve 1. Regulates body temperature
Many Critical Functions 2. Protects body organs and tissues
3. Helps prevent constipation
4. Helps dissolve minerals and other nutrients to make
them accessible to the body
5. Moistens tissues such as those in the mouth, eyes and
nose
6. Lubricates joints
7. Lessens the burden on kidneys and liver by flushing out
waste products
8. Carries nutrients and oxygen to cells
Carbohydrate Plant-Derived Energy Nutrients- fruits, vegetables and grains
An important energy source for the entire body – preferred
energy source for nerve cells, including those of the brain
Classified as simple carbohydrate and complex carbohydrate

Simple carbohydrates Simple sugars

Sugars provide no nutrition aside from energy (empty calories)
Broken down and digested very quickly
Human body required glucose as a source of energy for the
cells
Types of simple carb:
 1. Monosaccharides – glucose, fructose, galactose
2. Disaccharides – lactose, maltose, sucrose
Complex carbohydrates Includes oligosaccharides and polysaccharides
(starches) Good sources of energy
Body can easily store energy from carbohydrates for rapid use
by the muscles
Particularly important for athletes
Importance of Carbohydrates provide energy
carbohydrates - RBC only utilise glucose
- Brain
Complex Carbohydrates have health benefits
- Fibre
1. Soluble fibre – dissolve in water and slow
digestion to give the ‘full-feeling’.
2. Insoluble fibre – add bulk to diet, triggers
peristalsis and help with constipation,
haemorrhoids
3. Lower risk of type 2 diabetes – slows the
release of glucose into body, therefore
improves insulin production and regulation
Over consumption 1. Increase body fat – Building up too much fat will
increase body weight
2. Increase dental carries – bacteria that cause tooth
decay thrive on simple carbohydrates
3. Fluctuating energy level-lethargy
Carbohydrate & the Glycaemic index (GI)- rating system for food containing
glycaemic index Carbohydrates
shows how quickly the food affects/raises blood glucose levels

Foods with a high GI causes a sudden surge in blood glucose

Triggers a large increase in insulin, which may be followed by
a dramatic drop in blood glucose
Prolonged high GI diet can lead to Type 2 diabetes
- Usually develops gradually over several years when
muscle and other cells stop responding to insulin
(insulin resistance)
When overworked, the heavy demands made on the insulin-
making cells wears them out, and insulin production
 eventually stops.
Proteins Made up of building blocks called amino acid
Different foods contain different amounts and different
combinations of amino acids
Protein from animal sources (meat, fish, eggs, dairy products)
– contains full range of essential amino acids needed by the
body
Protein from plant sources (pulses and cereals) contain fewer
essential amino acids.
Sources of proteins Animal: meat, fish, eggs, milk, cheese
Plants: nuts, seeds, pulses (beans, lentils), soya products,
mycoprotein (serves as a high-protein – low-fat meat
substitute, suitable for dieters and vegetarians)
Eating different types of protein can ensure sufficient intake of
essential amino acids which are needed by the body.
Importance of proteins Act as enzymes and hormones
Help maintain fluid and electrolyte balance (proteins attract
fluids – proteins in the bloodstream, cells and the spaces
surrounding the cells work together to keep fluids moving
across these spaces in the proper quantities to maintain fluid
balance and blood pressure)
Help maintain Acid–Base balance
Over consumption of Associated with high cholesterol
protein Contribute to bone loss – animal products has more sulphur
amino acids – Hence, metabolising these amino acids makes
the blood more acidic – calcium is pulled from the bone to
buffer these acids (Increases calcium excretion)
Disorders Related to Marasmus – results from severe calorie deficiency, leads to
Protein Intake or wasting and significant fat and muscle loss
Metabolism Kwashiorkor – severe protein deficiency, causes fluid
retention and a protruding abdomen
Lipids (Fat and Oil) Molecules that contain hydrocarbons and make up the
building blocks of the structure and function of living cells
Fat Contains more than twice as much energy as carbohydrates or
proteins
Used as a source of energy, but only when carbohydrate
storage runs low
Fats supply the energy we need for endurance activities/
strenuous exercises
- Lots of oxygen is required to release to release this
energy – energy can be released slowly from fats
Fatty acids can be classified as – saturated/unsaturated
Saturated fats Milk, butter, cheese and meat
High intakes of saturated fat – raise blood cholesterol,
increase the risk of heart disease and stroke
Unsaturated fats Fish oils, cooking oils and sunflower seed oil
A diet high in unsaturated fat – associated with a lower level
 of blood cholesterol, reduces the risk of heart disease
Vitamins Organic compounds needed by the body in small, but essential
amounts
Cannot be synthesised by the body in sufficient amounts
Their amounts are measure in mg and µg
Vitamins are needed for 1. Releasing energy from food
many functions including 2. Repair and growth of tissues
3. Resisting infection and disease
4. Regulating chemical reactions in the body
Types of vitamins Water soluble
1. B vitamins
2. Vitamin C
Fat soluble
1. Vitamin A, D, E, K

Water soluble vitamins

Vitamin C

B vitamins Water soluble vitamins

Play important roles in cell metabolism and synthesis of RBC
Very active in the body
Interdependent
- Presence of one may affect the absorption,
metabolism and excretion of another
- Deficiency of one may affect the functioning or
deficiency of another
Supplements containing all eight are referred to as a Vitamin B
complex.
Water-Insoluble Fat-soluble vitamins (FSV) – absorbed in the intestine in the
Vitamins (Lipid/ Fat presence of fat in the diet, stored in the body’s fatty tissue
soluble vitamins – A, D, and in the liver
E, K) Can become toxic if large amounts are consumed
Some stay for a few days, some for up to 6 months
Lead to hypervitaminosis
Minerals Essential inorganic elements
Involved in a variety of metabolic processes
What is energy Power used to do work or to produce heat or light
Comes from food and drink, in particular from carbohydrate,
protein, fat and alcohol.
Measured in Calories or kilocalories
One (1) kilocalorie = one (1) Calorie (upper case C)
↑ energy, ↑ calories
average person requires approximately 1500 kilocalories per
day
Calculating energy in Number of kilocalories in one serving of a given food –
food determined based on grams of carbohydrates, protein, and
fat in the food
Each energy-yielding nutrient provides a set number of
kilocalories per gram
- 1g Carbo – 4 kilocalories
- 1g Protein – 4 kilocalories
- 1g Fat – 9 kilocalories
- 1g alcohol (non-nutrient) – 7 kilocalories
How to memorise – CPF, 449
Defining Healthy Body Body Mass Index (BMI) measures relative weight for height
Weight Calculating BMI
kg/m2

Health Risks of 1. Cannot handle medical stress

Underweight 2. Menstrual irregularities and infertility
3. Pregnancy problems
4. Osteoporosis and bone fractures
Health Risks of 1. Diabetes
overweight 2. Hypertension
3. Cardiovascular disease
4. Sleep apnea
5. Osteoarthritis
6. Some cancers
7. Insulin resistance
8. Respiratory problems complications in pregnancy and
surgery
Deficiency/malnutrition Deficiency – lack of a specific nutrient (s)
Malnutrition – deficiencies of all nutrients; a life-threatening
problem that has several causes:
1. Poor food choices
2. Cant afford cost of food
3. Bad weather causes food shortages
4. Eating disorders – anorexia nervosa, bulimia, binge
eating disorder