Basics of Nutrition

Course
Faculty of Applied Medical Sciences
BSC laboratory medicine
Second Year
1444 – 1445 H
Overview

• Course description

• Course objectives

• Course contents

• Assessments

• Resources

• Contact information
 Course description

This course introduces the student to the basics of human nutrition,

general concepts of nutrition, food component (protein, carbohydrates,
fats, energy balance, vitamins, minerals and water) and study the main
sources, daily requirements, physiological functions, deficiency
symptoms for all nutrients and their relationship with human health and
diseases.
 Course objectives
By the end of this course, the students will be able to:
• Know the differences between food, nutrition and nutrients and malnutrition.
• Estimate the daily requirements of nutrients.
• Known the relationship between human health and nutrition.
• Understand the food component and know the description of meals.
• Recognize the sources of each nutrient.

• Know the factors that affect human nutrition.

• Know the methods of nutritional assessment.

• Know the relationship between nutrition and several diseases such as obesity, diabetes,
cardiovascular disease and cancer.
Course contents
Contact
No List of Topics
Hours
1 Introduction and course overview and Concepts of Nutrition Science 2
2 Carbohydrates 2
3 Proteins 2
4 Lipids 2
5 Energy Balance and Water 2
6 Assessment of food intake and body composition activity 2
7 Midterm Exam -
8 Vitamins (Fat-soluble and Water-soluble vitamins) 2
9 Minerals (Major and trace minerals) 2
Diet and diseases (Diet therapy for obese, diabetic, cardiovascular
10 2
disease and cancer patients
11 Revision and student activity 2
12 Final Exam -
Assessments

Assessment Week Score

1 Midterm Exam 6 30%

2 Student activity (Assessment of food intake and body composition) All weeks 20%

3 Final exam 12 50%

Total 100%
Resources
• Mahan K. L. and Stump S.E. Nutrition and Diet Therapy. 11th. Ed. Pub.by
Elsevier, USA, 2004.
Required Textbooks
• Mahan K. L. and Stump S.E. Food and Nutrition Therapy. 12th. Ed. Pub. by
Saunders, an imprint of Elsevier, Canada, 2008
• Alpers D.H., Stenson W.F. and Bier D. M. Manual of NutritionalTherapeutic.
Essential References 4th. Ed. Pub. by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, New York, 2002.
Materials • Mahan K. L. and Stump S.E. Food and Nutrition Therapy. 12th. Ed. Pub. by
Saunders, an imprint of Elsevier, Canada, 2008.
• https://libsierra.uqu.edu.sa, https://sdl.edu.sa/SDLPortal/ar/Publishers.aspx
• www.pubmed.com
• www.informaworld.com www.Nutritionupdates.org
Electronic Materials • https://lib.dr.iastate.edu/etd/11588
• https://www.wageningenacademic.com/doi/book
• https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/food-additives
• https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2015.05.029 )
Contact information

• Dr Anmar Khan

• Email: aaakhan@uqu.edu.sa

• Dr Abdullah Aldairi
• Email: afdairi@uqu.edu.sa
Food and Nutrition

BSC laboratory medicine

Second Year
1444 -1445 H
Introduction

Do you think Eating Less Will Make You Live Longer?

Contents
• Definition of foods
• Food sources
• Main functions of foods
• Food choices
• Nutrients
• Nutritional requirements
• Definition of nutrition science
• Good nutrition
• Recommendations for good health
 Food
• Food is any substance or materials (nourishing) that are eaten

or drunk or otherwise taken into the body.

• Food is composed of many different chemical substances, which

are known as nutrients.

• No single food can supply all the nutrients in the amounts that
you need.

• Many other components can be present in food such as colours

(natural and synthetic), flavours active substances (such as
caffeine, and steroids).
Food Sources
• Food usually derived from animal or plants.
Main Functions of food

• To provide energy

• To stimulate growth and biological repair

mechanism of the body

• Keep Health
 Functional Food

• Functional foods are foods that have potentially positive

effects on health beyond basic nutrition.

• Functional food is a natural or processed food that contains

known biologically-active compounds, which provide clinically

proven health benefits.

• Functional foods may include food that is fortified with health-

promoting additives, such as vitamins/minerals.

Food Choice
1. Personal preferences.

2. Habits.

3. Ethnic tradition.

4. Social interactions.

5. Availability and economy.

6. Emotional comfort.

7. Nutritive values.

8. Nutrition and health benefits.

9. Functional foods.
 Nutrients
1. Nourishing; aiding nutrition.

2. Biochemical substances used by the body must be supplied in

adequate amounts from foods consumed.

3. Nutrients are essential for the maintenance, repair, growth,

and reproduction of all our body tissues.

4. There are six classes of nutrients: protein, fat, carbohydrates,

vitamins, minerals and fibers.
 Nutrient classes – Classification I
Nutrients could be classified according to:

1. Macronutrients

• Nutritional components that are present in relatively large

amounts

• such as protein, fat and carbohydrates.

• 2. Micronutrients

• Nutritional components that are present in relatively small

amounts such as vitamins, minerals and fibers.
Nutrient classes – Classification II

1. Organic Nutrients 2. Inorganic Nutrients

• Carbohydrates • Minerals and Water
• Protein
• Fats
• Vitamins
Nutrients Requirements

It is defined as the minimum required intake of nutrients to:

• Achieve and maintains body functions.

• Maintaining optimum health.

• Growth.
 The Dietary Reference Intakes (DRI)
• It is the system used to estimate the quantity of nutrient intakes
to be used in planning and assessing diets for healthy people.

• It consists of four reference intakes:

Ø Estimated Average Requirements (EAR).

Ø Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDAs)

Ø Adequate Intakes (AI).

Ø Tolerable Upper Limits (UL)
Estimated Average Requirements (EAR)

• The average estimated daily nutrient intake level to meet the

requirement of half (50%) of the healthy individuals in a

particular life stage and gender group.

Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDA)

• The average daily nutrient intake level, which is sufficient to

meet the nutrient requirement of nearly all healthy individuals.

 Adequate Intake (AI)

• It is the recommended daily intake level based on observed or

experimental, which estimates nutrient intake by a group of

healthy people that are assumed to be adequate.

• It is used when the RDA cannot be determined.

 Tolerable Upper Intake Level (UL)

• It is the highest average daily intake of a nutrient that has no

risk of adverse health effects.

• As intake increases above the UL, the potential risk of adverse

effects may increase.

 Factors affecting nutrition requirements

• Age, body weight, height, gender, health status, physiological

state, physical activities, genetic factors, medications, nutrient

interactions, food habits, cultural, social and economic status.

• How do you think these factors affect nutrition?

 Definition of Nutrition science

• The process of nourishing or being nourished, especially the

process by which a living organism assimilates food and uses it

for growth and for replacement of tissues.

• The science or study that deals with food and nourishment,

especially in humans.

• A source of nourishment; food.

It is the science which study:

• Nutrients in food.

• How the body uses nutrients.

• Food ingestion, digestion, absorption, transport and metabolism.

• The process includes the production of energy, growth,

reproduction and prevention of diseases.

• The relationship of diet in health and disease.

 Good Nutrition
• Good nutrition means that a person receives and uses
substances that are obtained from the diet (nutrients).

• It is essential to good health throughout life, beginning with

prenatal life and extending through old age.

• Different foods contain different nutrients and other healthful

substances.
 Signs of Good nutrition
• Ideal weight and body composition (muscle mass to fat ratio), height and body fluids.
• Good physical activity.
• Good muscle development.
• Hair is glossy.
• Eyes are clear and bright.
• Face and Neck: Uniform color, smooth, pink, healthy appearance, not swollen.
• Lips: Smooth, good color, moist, not chapped or swollen.
• Nails: Firm, pink.
• Skeleton: No malformations.
• Mouth, oral membranes: Reddish-pink mucous membranes in oral cavity.
• Tongue: Good pink or deep reddish color, no swelling, smooth, presence of surface
papillae, lack of lesions.
• Teeth: No cavities, no pain, bright, straight, no crowding, well-shaped jaw, clean with no
discoloration.
• Normal appetite, digestion, and elimination.
• Resist infectious disease.
Recommendations for good Nutrition
• Eat a variety of foods.
• Maintain a healthy weight.
• Choose a diet low in fat, saturated fat and cholesterol.
• Choose a diet with plenty of vegetables, fruits and grains.
• Use salt and sodium in moderation.
• Don’t increase simple sugar.
• Avoid or decrease the intake of fast food.
• Decrease the intake of preservative food.
• Exercise regularly.
• Drink enough amount of water.
 Thank You

Any Questions?