classification of nutrients

• food chain 


  is a simple way of describing how food starts with producer and ends with consumer.
• phytochemicals 


  natural chemical substances found in plant foods and many are known to be beneficial to body health.
• phytochemiacals 


  -give them natural colour, flavour and scent

  -enables them to resist disease

  -enables them to grow and reproduce
• food additives 


  chemical substances added to processed foods by food manufacture.
• food additives 


  can improve sensory qualities

  preserve food

  makes sure food remains stable during storage

  could add nutritional value
• carotenoids

  are found in yellow/orange/red fruit and veg

  some are converted into vitamin A in the body

  they are antioxidants

  some can lower cholesterol levels
• phytosterols 


  found in seeds, nuts and oils

  it lowers blood cholesterol levels

  used in food production as is a cholesterol lowering food so prevents heart diseases
• sulphides 


  found in onions, garlic and shallots

  are antioxidants prevent free radicals

  can protect against certain cancers

  strengthen immune system
• good nutrition 


  eating a wide variety f foods to have a balanced diet and drink plenty of water.
• malnutrition 


  an insufficient, excessive or imbalanced intake of nutrients and energy that affects general health.
• diet 


  the food people eat on a daily basis
• balanced diet 


  diet that provides a person with the right amount of nutrients for their needs.
• nutritional value 


  the amount of specific nutrients that are found in a quantity of food.
• nutritional value can change due to:

  -how fresh the sample is as nutrients start to break down and lost the longer food is stored.

  -variety of plants and animal food being tested: one variety of apple may contain more nutrients than a different variety.

  how plant or animal has been reared or grown; the type of soil the plant grew in or type of food fed to the animal.
• Nutrient density 


  a measure of the number and quantity of different nutrients a food contains
• nutrient density examples


  sugar only contains carbohydrates

  spinach contains 10 minerals, carbs, 9 vitamins and water.

  so spinach has a higher nutrient density compared to the sugar.
• biological value 


  how much of a nutrient in a food is used in the body, after the nutrient has been digested and absorbed in the small intestine.
• Glycaemic index


  a system for rating foods that contain carbs to how rapidly and by how much they individually raise the blood glucose level in a person.

  The quicker the carb is digested and absorbed, the faster the glucose is released into the blood stream, higher glycaemic response and gives a higher GI rating.

  The slower the carb is digested and absorbed, the slower the glucose is released into the blood stream, lower glycaemic response and gives a lower GI rating.
• GI foods: 


  Low/Medium GI foods: fruits, veg, pulses and whole grain foods.

  High GI foods: honey, potatoes, sugary drinks, cakes and sweets.