Principles of Nutrition

Dr. Fakhereddin Babiker Ali

Definitions

Diet
ü The foods and beverages a person eats and
drinks
Foods
ü Products derived from plants or animals that
can be taken into the body to yield energy and
nutrients for the maintenance of life and the
growth and repair of tissues

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Definitions

Nutrients
ü Chemical substances
present in foods which
are critical to human
growth and function
Nutrition
ü The science of the nutrients in foods and their actions
within the body (i.e.. How these nutrients nourish our
bodies and influence our health)

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Food Choices
ü Preferences
ü Habit
ü Ethnic Heritage and Regional Cuisines
ü Social Interactions
ü Availability, Convenience, and Economy
ü Positive and Negative Associations
ü Emotions
ü Values
ü Body Weight and Image
ü Nutrition and Health Benefits
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Nutrition and Health
ü Proper nutrition can help us improve our
health, prevent certain diseases, achieve and
maintain a desirable weight, and maintain our
energy and vitality
ü Wellness was defined simply as the absence of
disease

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Nutrition and Health

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Types of Nutrients
ü There are six classes of nutrients
1. Crbohydrates
2. Lipids Macronutrients
3. Proteins
4. Vitamins
5. Minerals
6. Water
ü Macronutrients are needed in
large amounts
ü Vitamins and mineral are micronutrients
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Types of Nutrients

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Types of Nutrients

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Body Composition

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Dietary Reference Intakes
ü A set of nutritional reference values for the
United States and Canada that applies to
healthy people

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Dietary Reference Intakes

Estimated Average Requirement (EAR)

ü The average daily amount of a nutrient that
will maintain a specific biochemical or
physiological function in half the healthy
people of a given age and gender group
Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA)
ü The average daily amount of a nutrient
considered adequate to meet the known
nutrient needs of practically all healthy people;
a goal for dietary intake by individuals

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EAR vs RDA

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Dietary Reference Intakes

Adequate Intake (AI)

ü The average daily amount of a nutrient that
appears sufficient to maintain a specified
criterion; a value used as a guide for nutrient
intake when an RDA cannot be determined
Tolerable Upper Intake Level (UL)
ü The maximum daily amount of a nutrient that
appears safe for most healthy people and
beyond which there is an increased risk of
adverse health effects

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Inaccurate vs Accurate View

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Dietary Reference Intakes

Estimated Energy Requirement (EER)

ü The average dietary energy intake that
maintains energy balance and good health in a
person of a given age, gender, weight, height,
and level of physical activity
Acceptable Macronutrient Distribution
Ranges (AMDR)
ü Ranges of intakes for the energy nutrients that
provide adequate energy and nutrients and
reduce the risk of chronic diseases
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Nutrition Assessment
ü When a person doesn’t consume enough or
consumes too much of a specific nutrient or
energy; one of the following may develop
ü If the deficiency or excess is significant over
time, the person experiences symptoms of
malnutrition
ü With a deficiency of energy, the person may
display the symptoms of undernutrition
ü With an excess of energy, the person may
become obese and vulnerable to diseases
associated with overnutrition
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Nutrition Assessment
ü To prepare a nutrition assessment we need:
1. Historical information
2. Anthropometric measurements
3. Physical examinations
4. Laboratory tests

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Energy Balance
ü The state in which energy intake, in the form
of food and beverages, matches the energy
expended, primarily through basal metabolism
and physical activity

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Energy Balance
ü The state in which energy intake is greater
than energy expended, generally resulting in
weight gain
ü A positive energy balance is desired and
healthy during pregnancy, infancy and
childhood

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Energy Balance
ü The state in which energy intake is less than
energy expended, resulting in weight loss
ü A negative energy balance is necessary for
successful weight loss which involves a
reduction in both lean and adipose tissue, not
just “fat”

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Energy Expenditure
ü The body uses energy for three general
purposes: basal metabolism; physical activity;
and digestion, absorption, and processing of
ingested nutrients

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Energy Expenditure
Basal Metabolism
ü The minimal amount of calories the body uses
to support itself in a fasting state when resting
(e.g., 12 hours for both) and awake in a warm,
quiet environment
ü It amounts to roughly 1 kcal / kilogram / hour
for men and 0.9 kcal / kilogram / hour for
women; these values are often referred to as
basal metabolic rate (BMR)
ü Processes involved include the beating of the
heart, respiration, and the activity of other
organs such as the liver, brain, and kidneys 22
Factors That Influence BMR

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Energy Expenditure
Physical Activity
ü Physical activity increases energy expenditure
above and beyond basal energy needs by as
much as 25% to 40%
Thermic Effect of Food (TEF)
ü The increase in metabolism that occurs during
the digestion, absorption, and metabolism of
energy-yielding nutrients
ü TEF represents 5% to 10% of total calories
consumed

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Energy Expenditure
Thermogenesis
ü Thermogenesis represents the increase in
nonvoluntary physical activity triggered by cold
conditions or overeating
ü Brown adipose tissue is a specialized form of
adipose tissue that participates in the process
of thermogenesis

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Determination of Energy Expenditure
ü On the basis of height, weight, degree of
physical activity, and age; we can measure the
amount of energy the body uses by one of two
methods
Direct Calorimetry
ü A method of determining a body’s energy use
by measuring heat released from the body
Indirect Calorimetry
ü A method to measure energy use by the body
by measuring oxygen uptake

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Determination of Energy Expenditure
Indirect Calorimetry
measures O2 intake
and CO2 output to
determine energy
expended during
daily activities

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Estimation of a Healthy Weight
ü Older terms, such as ideal weight and
desirable weight, are subjective and are no
longer used in medical literature
ü Several tables exist, generally based on weight-
for-height
ü However, they do not necessarily indicate the
healthiest body weight for each individual
ü For example, athletes with large, lean body
mass but low-fat content will have greater
healthy weights than sedentary individuals

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Body Mass Index

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Estimating Body Fat Content

Waist to Hip Ratio

Body Fat
Distribution
Patterns
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Estimating Body Fat Content

Underwater Bod Pod

Weighing

Skinfold
Measurements
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Estimating Body Fat Content

Bioelectrical Dual-energy X-ray

Impedance Absorptiometry
Analysis (BIA) (DXA)

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Good Luck