Nutrition and Diet Reviewer Prelim  Malnutrition – condition of the body resulting

from a faulty (improper/inefficient) utilization of

A. Definition of Terms
essential nutrients
Nutrition – the science of food, the nutrients
and other substances therein, their action, Forms:
interaction, and balance in relation to health and
1) Over nutrition – excessive supply of nutrients
disease, and the processes by which an
(obesity)
organism ingests, absorbs transports, utilizes,
2) Undernutrition – consumption of an inadequate
and excretes food substances.
quantity of food over an extended period of time
- It also deals with the process of
(Stunted – too short for one’s age; Wasted –
receiving and utilizing it for the
dangerously thin; Micronutrient malnutrition –
growth and renewal of the body and
deficient in vitamins & minerals)
maintenance of the different body
3) Specific deficiency – relative lack or absolute
functions.
deficiency of an individual nutrient (Iron
Food – any substance, organic or inorganic, deficiency, beriberi (thiamine deficiency),
which when eaten or ingested, nourishes the xerophthalmia (Vit. A deficiency), iodine
body by: 1) supplying energy, 2) building and deficiency)
repairing tissues, and 3) regulating bodily 4) Imbalance – disproportion among essential
process. nutrients with or without the absolute deficiency
of any if the nutrients (restriction of food intake –
Nutrients – chemical components found chiefly
anorexia, bulimia; self-constructed fad dieting)
in foods needed by the body for one or more of
its functions. Types:
Classification of Nutrients 1) Acute malnutrition – relates to prevent state of
nutrition (wasting)
a. According to Function:
2) Chronic malnutrition – relates to long term
1. Energy-giving – carbohydrates, proteins, & fats
state of nutrition (stunting)
2. Body-building – proteins, fats, water, & minerals
3. Body regulating – water, vitamins, & minerals Causes:
b. According to Chemical Nature:
1) Intermediate – inadequate quantity & quality of
1. Organic – contains carbon atoms in its structure
food intake
(CHON, CHO, & Fats)
- infections & other diseases (diarrhea, measles,
2. Inorganic – minerals & water
respiratory infection)
c. According to Essentiality: based on their significant
2) Underlying – low / inadequate income to
contribution to the body’s physiological functioning
procure the right kind & amount of food
d. According to Concentration:
- inadequate food supply
1. Macronutrients – equal to or greater than
- overpopulation
0.005% of total body weight
- ignorance & other socio-cultural factors
2. Micronutrients – less than 0.005% of total body
- poor sanitation & inadequate health facilitation
weight
Understanding The Way We Eat
Health – a state of complete physical, mental, and social
well-being and not merely the absence of disease and Food Opinions – sets of ideas or concepts held by a
infirmity (WHO Definition) person regarding food
- however, in more recent times, the word health has
Food Fad – idea associated with food that becomes
taken a more “holistic approach,” the blending of
fashionable for a time to meet the needs of a current
physical, emotional, social, intellectual, and spiritual
trend, usually at the sacrifice of important nutrients
resources as the assist in mastering the development
tasks necessary to enjoy a satisfying and productive life Food Fallacy – false belief about food;
misrepresentation, misinterpretation, or misinformation
Nutritional Status / Nutriture – condition of the body about a food fact
resulting from the utilization of essential nutrients.
Food Facts – based on research
 Optimum / Good nutrition – condition of the
Food Habits – ways by which people select, prepare,
body resulting from an adequate supply of
and consume foods in response to factors or influences
essential nutrients that are efficiently utilized
such that growth & good health are maintained
at the highest level
Factors Influencing Food Habits
1) Psychological – whether the food has
pleasurable or unpleasurable association for the
individual (food that cause allergy, familiar foods
prepared in an unfamiliar way, easy-to-prepared
foods), withholding of food as punishment / food
as reward for positive performance, individual’s
ideologies / philosophies, product advertising
2) Cultural – include dietary customs, methods of
feeding the young, food beliefs & practices,
religious beliefs, dieting during illness, influence
of “yaya”
3) Socio-economic – employment status of the
head of the family, social acceptance of certain
foods (beef, chicken, & pork are foods for the
rich, while vegetables are foods for the poor or
low-income families)
4) Geographical / Climatic – availability of food in
the area where one lives in somehow influence
by factors such as soil fertility, rainfall,
proneness to natural calamities, accessibility to
market
5) Biological - state of health, food habits differ
between different nutritionally vulnerable groups
(infants, toddlers, preschoolers, adolescences,
pregnant & lactating mothers, aged)
6) Technological – food processing methods, food
packaging, food storage
Function of Nutrition
- The basic function of nutrition is to maintain life by
allowing an individual to grow and be in a state of
optimum health
Reasons Why Nutritional Science is Applied to Nursing
Care:
1. The recognition of the role of nutrition in
preventing diseases.
2. The concern for adapting food patterns of
individuals to their nutritional needs with the
framework of their culture, economic, and
physiological situations & styles.
3. The awareness of the need in specific disease
states to modify nutritional factors for the
therapeutic purpose.
Basic Nutritional Concepts
1) Adequate nutrition is essential to good health.
2) The nutrients in our body are in dynamic
equilibrium. They must be in metabolic balance,
a disturbance of one nutrient will affect the
others.
3) Dietary intake and nutrient need should be
individualized. Variations occur because of: age,
physical activity, body size, state of health,
physiological stresses like growth, pregnancy
and lactation, and pathological disorders.
4) Nutrient Content in food is variable – whatever is
present in natural food should be conserved by
scientific preparation and service.
5) Human requirements for nutrients are known for
some and have to be determined as yet for
others.
6) An adequate diet is the foundation of good
nutrition and it should consist a wide variety of
foods.
7) The physiological functions of food are attributed
to the roles of nutrients.
8) Malnutrition is brought about by a faulty diet
and/or by conditioning factors.
9) Nutrition education, abundant food supply and
the use of various resources are needed to
improve the nutritional status of a population.
10) The study of nutrition is interrelated with allied
arts and sciences.
Classification of Nutrients:
A. Macronutrients – constitute the majority of an
individual’s diet.
- the essential nutrients that are needed for growth &
energy.
I. Carbohydrates (CHO)
- are a big group of organic compounds
prominent in the plant kingdom which contain
the elements of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen
(CHO). The simplest unit is the saccharide or
sugar unit.
Classification:
1) According to Digestibility:
a. digestible – sugars, starches, dextrin,
glycogen
b. partially digestible – galactose,
mannosans, inulin, pentosans
c. indigestible – dietary fibers, cellulose,
hemicellulose
2) According to Complexity of Molecules &
Number of Sugar units:
a. Monosaccharides – the simplest, since it
contains only one sugar unit.
- they are sweet & since they require no
digestion they can be absorbed directly into
the bloodstream from the small intestine.
1) Fructose (levulose) – the sweetest of all
sugars, found preformed in honey, ripe
fruits, & some vegetables, thus, its other
name Fruit Sugar.
2) Glucose (dextrose) – most important
sugar in human metabolism, hence its other
name Physiologic Sugar, also known as
dextrose or grape sugar and can be found
free in nature – fruits, honey, corn syrup,
 sweet corn, and certain roots. Classification of Dietary Fiber
3) Galactose – not found free in nature, but
1) Cellulose – well known dietary fiber found in
is hydrolyzed from lactose (milk sugar) by
woody, fibrous part of plants. Classified as:
digestion & is converted into glucose in the
a. Soluble – found in fruits & legumes, barley
body. Infants born with an inability to
and oats which delay gastrointestinal transit
metabolize galactose is a condition called
and glucose absorption and lower blood
Glactosemia.
cholesterol.
b. Insoluble – found in wheat brans, corn
b. Disaccharide or double sugars – made up
brans, whole grain breads, cereals, and
of two sugar units.
vegetables which accelerate gastrointestinal
- are sweet & they must be changed to
transit, increase fecal weight, slow down
simple sugars by hydrolysis before they can
starch hydrolysis, & delay glucose
be absorbed.
absorption.
2) Hemicellulose – found in agar, pectin, woody
1) Sucrose – the most common form of
fibers, leaves, and stems.
sugar used in cooking & table service,
3) Lignin – occurs in the cell wall of plants
thus it is also known as table sugar and
4) Pectin – group term for pectin acids and their
I it is commercially prepared from sugar
salts, sources include mostly fruits are often
cane and sugar beets, it is also known
used as base for jellies, also used to treat
as cane sugar.
diarrhea as they absorb toxins & bacteria in the
2) Maltose – also called malt sugar and it
intestine.
is derived from digestion of starch with
the aid of the enzyme diastase, yields 2 Functions of Carbohydrates in the Body
glucose molecule upon complete
1. Chief source of energy – body cells require a
hydrolysis, less sweet compared to
steady & constant supply of energy mainly as
glucose & sucrose, can be found in
glucose and its intermediate products. There is
certain infant formulas, beer, and malt
only a total of 10 gm of glucose circulating the
beverage products.
blood or a constant of 70-100 mg glucose per
3) Lactose – found in milk and milk
100 mL of blood. This glucose level must be
products, thus, its other name milk
kept constant and ready for utilization.
sugar, it is the least sweet among the
2. Cheap & main energy food – cereal grains,
common sugars, yields 1 glucose & 1
sugars, most fruits, and starchy vegetables
galactose molecule upon complete
contribute at least half or 50% of total energy
hydrolysis.
needs of people.
3. Protein sparer – if insufficient carbohydrates
c. Polysaccharides – 3 or more sugar units,
are available in the diet, the body will convert
commonly known as complex sugars.
protein into glucose in order to supply energy.
4. Regulator of fat metabolism – prevent
1) Starch – most abundant & cheap form
incomplete oxidation of fats.
of carbohydrates, most significant in
5. Sole energy source for the brain & nerve
human nutrition, major sources includes
tissue – glucose is the only substance which the
grains, tubers, seeds, roots, & unripe
brain & nerve can utilize for energy.
fruits.
6. Storage form of energy.
2) Dextrine – are not found free in foods,
7. Regulator of intestinal peristalsis & provider
formed as intermediate products in the
of bulk.
breakdown of starch.
3) Glycogen (animal starch) – are formed Sources of Carbohydrates
from glucose and stored in liver and
1) Plant sources – cereal grains (rice, corn,
muscle tissues, food sources include
wheat, oats, rye, barley)
mainly meats & sea foods.
- root crops & tubers, fruits, nuts
4) Dietary Fiber – also known as
- others (table sugar, molasses, maple syrup, &
roughage, it is the indigestible part of
sugar, corn syrup, honey)
food which when ingested becomes bulk
2) Animal sources – lactose from milk
or acts as a broom in the digestive tract
to prevent constipation.
Health Effects of Starch & Fibers 3) Derived proteins – products formed in the
various stages of hydrolysis of a protein
1. Weight control – fibers rich in complex
molecule.
carbohydrates tend to be low in fat & added
sugars, and can promote weight loss.
2. Heart disease – high CHO diets, rich in whole Essential and Non-Essential Amino Acids
grains can protect an individual against heart
1. Essential amino acids – cannot be synthesized
disease & stroke.
by the body and are necessary in the diet.
3. Cancer – high CHO diets can help prevent
10 essential amino acids: PVT TIM HALL
many types of cancer.
(Phenylalanine, Valine, Threonine, Tryptophan,
4. Diabetes – high CHO, low fat diets help control
Isoleucine, Methionine, Histidine, Arginine,
weight.
Leucine, Lysine)
5. Gastrointestinal health – dietary fibers
2. Non-Essential amino acids – can be
enhance the health of the large intestine.
manufactured by the body. Ex.: Glycine,
Alanine, Aspartic Acid, Cystine
II. Proteins (CHON)
- large, complex, organic compounds Complete and Incomplete Proteins
composed of amino acids as the building
1) Complete proteins – contains all the essential
units, linked together in peptide bonds.
amino acids in amounts that are sufficient for
- has the elements carbon, hydrogen,
growth and maintenance of life.
oxygen, & nitrogen
- they are of animal origin – meat, milk, cheese,
- comes from the Greek word ‘protos’
& eggs.
meaning ‘primary’ or ‘holding first place’
2) Incomplete proteins – cannot support life and
Classification of Proteins growth.
- they are of plant origin – grains, legumes,
1) Simple Proteins – are those which yield only
seeds, & nuts.
amino acids upon hydrolysis. Includes the
following: Functions of Proteins
1. Body-building or structural role – build &
a) Albumins – soluble in water and coagulated
repair worn out body tissue.
by heat. (e.g. egg white)
2. Essential for growth – if these are not
b) Globulins – insoluble in water, soluble in
available, there will be loss of weight.
dilute salt solution and coagulated by heat.
3. Source of energy – one gram of proteins
c) Glutelins – are insoluble in natural solution
provides 4 kilocalories.
but soluble in weak acids & alkalis.
4. Regulator of body processes – important in
d) Prolamins – soluble in 30% to 80% alcohol
the maintenance of normal osmotic relations
but insoluble in absolute alcohol, water, &
among various body fluids.
salt solutions.
5. Source of essential amino acids – each 10 of
e) Albuminoids - insoluble in all neutral
EAA play distinctive physiological functions.
solvents and in dilute acids & alkalis.
f) Histones & Protamines – which are basic Sources:
polypeptides are soluble in water but not
- meat, fish, poultry, eggs, milk, cheese
coagulated by heat, found in the nuclei of
- legumes & nuts
cells.
- breads & cereals
2) Compound proteins, conjugated proteins, or Protein-Energy Malnutrition – condition resulting from
proteids – are combinations of simple proteins insufficiency of protein or energy both in the diet.
and some other non-protein substance. 2 Common Forms:
Includes:
1) Kwashiorkor – low protein, but generally
a) Nucleoproteins adequate in calories mainly from carbohydrates.
b) Mycoproteins & Glycoproteins - “the disease the deposed baby gets when the
c) Lipoproteins next one is born”
d) Phosphoproteins 2) Marasmus – inadequate in calories and
e) Chromoproteins proteins.
f) Metalloproteins
 III. Fats or Lipids Omega & Fatty Acids / Omega 6
- Plant makes omega 3 and omega 6 oils
Fats – simple lipids which stay solid at room
- Omega 3 should be consumed by humans from
temperature and most often are saturated.
vegetable and marine sources like mackerel, salmon,
Lipids – large group of organic compounds which are and sardines
insoluble in water, soluble in solvents like Chloroform, -reduces blood clots, has beneficial effects on coronary
Ether, and Benzene. heart disease
Oils – lipids which remain liquid at room temperature Trans Fat – are basically artificial fats
and are usually polyunsaturated. - are made by chemical process called partial
hydrogenation wherein liquid vegetable oil is packed with
* Fats are organic compounds composed of carbon,
hydrogen atoms and converted into solid fat
hydrogen, and oxygen in glycosidic linkage.
Functions of Fats:
Classification of Fats 1) Energy giving – 9 kcal/gm – concentrated
sources of energy.
1) Simple Lipids – called neutral fats or
2) Structural – acts as protective pads & gives
triglycerides
support to the organs.
- cannot be broken into simpler substances
3) Regulator of body processes – supplier of
- can be obtained from butterfat, cream, olive oil,
essential fatty acids.
corn oil, peanut oil, lard, bacon, chicken fat, fish
- carrier of fat soluble vitamins (ADEK)
oils.
4) Dietary lubricant
2) Compound Lipids – various combinations of
5) Highly Satiety value – delays the onset hunger
fats with other components. 3 types:
sensation, contributes to flavor & palatability of
Phospholipids, Glycolipids, Lipoproteins
foods
3) Derived Lipids – simple derivatives from fat
6) Emulsifying agents – helps in the
digestion or other complex products.
transportation of fatty substances that cannot
readily pass through the cell membrane.
Fatty Acids – are the key refined fuel forms of fat that
the cell burns for energy.
Sources of Fats
- the simplest form of all lipids.
- linoleic acid is the only true essential fatty acid. 1. Visible Fats – lard, butter, margarine, salad oils
and visible fats of milk
2. Invisible Fats – available in milk, cheese, eggs,
Sources of Fatty Acids
nuts, & meat
1. Saturated fatty acids (SFA) – less healthy,
tends to raise level of cholesterol in the blood
- from animal fat
2. Monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) – plant
foods such as nuts, avocado and vegetable oils
- helps with weight loss
- reduces risk of heart disease
- decrease inflammation
3. Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) – from
plant & animal foods such as salmon, vegetable
oils, some nuts, & seeds
- considered healthy fats that may reduce heart
disease

Low-Density Lipoprotein (LDL) – commonly referred to

as “bad cholesterol”
- elevated LDL levels are associated with an increased
risk of heart disease
High Density Lipoprotein (HDL) – known as “good
cholesterol”
- the higher the HDL level, the lower the risk of coronary
heart disease