NCMA 215 - Nutrition & Diet Therapy

• Nutrition


  Study of food and how the body makes use of it
• Function of nutrition


  • Maintain life by allowing an individual to grow and be in a state of optimum health
• Nutrients


  Chemical substances found in food
• Food


  Substances that are eaten and digested which nourishes the body
• Nutritive value


  The nutrients content of a specified amount of food
• Macronutrients


  • Carbohydrates
  • Proteins
  • Lipids
  • Nucleic Acids
  • Water
• Carbohydrates


  Organic compounds composed of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen. Provides major source of energy for the body or as much as 80-100% calories
• Classification of Carbohydrates


  • Monosaccharides
  • Disaccharides
  • Polysaccharides
• Monosaccharides


  Simple sugars; contain only 1 sugar molecules
• Glucose (dextrose)


  Blood sugars, physiologic sugar. Glucose fuels the work of the body's cells
• Fructose (levulose)


  Sweetest of the simple sugars. Converted into glucose
• Galactose


  Not found in free foods, it is produced from lactose by digestion and is converted into glucose in the body
• Disaccharides


  Made up of two monosaccharides
• Sucrose (glucose + fructose)


  Table sugar; widely distributed commercially available sugar
• Lactose (galactose + glucose)


  Milk sugar; least sweet among all the sugars
• Maltose (glucose + glucose)


  Malt sugar; derived from hydrolysis of starch
• Polysaccharides


  Made up of links of monosaccharides
• Starch


  Most significant polysaccharide in human nutrition. Converted entirely to glucose upon digestion
• Dextrins


  Not found in free foods. They are formed as intermediate products in the breakdown of starch
• Cellulose


  Indigestible in humans due to lack of enzymes to break down cellulose, found in plant parts such as leaf and stem that helps in digestion
• Pectins


  Colloidal non-digestible polysaccharides. Usually treat diarrhea having a jelly like textures
• Glycogens


  Animal starch; formed from glucose stores in liver and muscle tissues
• Functions of Carbohydrates


  • Serve as major source of energy for the body
  • Exerts protein-sparing action
  • Necessary for metabolism of fats
  • Aid in normal elimination of digested mass (fibers)
  • Supplies significant quantities of proteins, mineral and B vitamins
  • Encourages growth of beneficial bacteria in the gut (Lactose)
• Health Effects of Starch and Fibers

  • Weight control- fibers rich in complex carbohydrates tend to be low in fat added sugars and can promote weight loss
  • High carbohydrate diets, rich in whole grains can protect an individual against heart diseases and stroke
  • High carbohydrates can help prevent many types of cancers
  • High carbohydrates,low-fat diets help control weight
  • Dietary fibers enhances the health of the large intestine
• Proteins


  Organic compounds that contain carbon, hydrogen, oxygen and nitrogen. Building blocks of proteins are amino acids
• Classification of Proteins


  • Simple proteins
  • Compound proteins, conjugated proteins or proteids
  • Derived proteins
• Simple proteins


  Yields only amino acids upon hydrolysis
• Types of simple proteins

  • Albumins
  • Globulins
  • Gluetlins
  • Prolamins
  • Albuminoids
  • Histones and protamines
• Compound proteins, conjugated proteins or proteids

  Combination of simple proteins and some other non-protein substance called a prosthetic group attached to a molecule
• Types of compound proteins

  • Nucleoproteins
  • Mucoproteins and glycoproteins
  • Lipoproteins
  • Phosphoproteins
  • Chromoproteins
  • Metalloproteins
• Derived proteins


  Product formed in the various stages of hydrolysis of protein molecule
• Amino acids


  • Essential amino acids
  • Non-essential amino acids
• Essential amino acids


  Amino acids that can't be synthesized by the body: Threonine, Leucine, Isoleucine, Valine, Lysine, Methionine, Phenylalanine, Tryptophan
• Non-essential amino acids


  Can be manufactured by the body: Glycine, Alanine, Aspartic acid, Glutamic acid, Proline, Hydroxyproline, Cystine, Tyrosine, Serine, Arginine, Histidine
• Complete proteins


  Contains all essential amino acids in sufficient quantity and ratio. Animal origin meat
• Incomplete proteins


  Proteins deficient in one or more essential amino acids. Plant origin
• Functions of Proteins


  • Repair worn-out body tissues
  • Use to build new tissues by supplying the necessary amino acids
  • Can be a source of energy and heat
  • Contributes to essential body secretion and fluids, enzymes and hormones
  • Help in variety of metabolic processes
• Protein Deficiency


  • Marasmus
  • Kwashiorkor
• Marasmus


  Food Deprivation, Severe, Onset 6mos-4 years, Deficiency Protein and Calories, Appearance Old man's face
• Kwashiorkor


  Semi-starvation, Onset 1-6 years, Deficiency Protein only, Appearance Moon face