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Nutrition BasicsFood Choices & Health

•Nutrition is all food and how the body uses it especially as fuel for growth, maintenance, activity, and reproduction.•It is the science of food, the nutrients, and other substances w/in food; their action, interaction, and balance in relation to health and disease; the process by w/c the organism ingests, digest, absorbs, transports, uses, and excretes substances.

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Food and Dietary ComponentsTypes of Foods

• Grains and cereals• Fruits• Vegetables• Tubers• Nuts• Oilseeds• Seaweed• Pulses

• Meat and entrails• Milk• Poultry• Eggs• Fish• Shellfish – Crustaceans– mollusks

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Food Components• The term nutrient is applied to chemical substances present in food and is

used in the bo9dy for one or more of the following functions1. To provide energy2. To build and repair tissues3. To regulate life process

• CHO, CHON, fat, vitamins, water and minerals are the six main classes of nutrients

• All nutrients are equally and physiologically important in the body regardless of their concentration

• While all nutrients are important in the body, there are those that cannot be made (dietary essential nutrients) and, therefore must come from the diet.

• All nutrients can have adverse effects when taken in excessive amounts• Nutrient intakes, when too little is provided over a time, can lead to

deficiency disorder

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Classes of Nutrients

• Carbohydrates (CHO)• Protein (CHON)• Fats (or Lipids) (COOH)• Minerals• Vitamins• Water

*Macro/micro nutrients

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Carbohydrates

are plant-derived foods composed mainly of sugars. Starchy foods (rice pasta, rootcrops, and breads) and those concentrated in sugars (candies, cookies, jam, and jellies) are common sources. Fruits and vegetables contain dietary fiber, also a complex form of carbohydrates like starches. CHO are the primary source of fuel for the brain and the rest of the body.

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Proteins

are made of amino acids, w/c serves as the building units of the body tissues; thus, they are vital for growth, repair, and maintenance of the body

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Fats or Lipids

is a family of water-insoluble substances that include

• triglycerides (fats and oils)• Phospholipids (lecithin)• Sterols (cholesterol and ergosterol)

Of the lipids in foods, 95% are fats and oils, and 5% are other lipids. Fat is an important source of energy in the body

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Minerals

are pure inorganic elements (they occur in the simplest of chemical forms, as atom of a single element). The are not metabolized, nor do they yield energy.

Minerals are indestructible and minerals in foods need not to be handled w/ special care that vitamins require.

Major minerals – SodiumPotassiumCalciumPhosphorusChlorideSulfur

Trace Elements – MagnesiumIronZincCopperFluoride Iodine

SeleniumManganeseMolybdenumChromiumCobalt

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Vitamins

are small organic molecules that must be taken in the diet to maintain health.

Vitamins are vital helpers in many body processes. How ever, they are vulnerable to destruction by heat, light, and chemical agents. Thus, food must be handled carefully to preserve them

Water solubleVitamin CThiamin (B1)Riboflavin ( B2)NiacinBiotin

Pantothenic acidFolic acidPyridoxine (B6)Cobalamin (B12)

Fat solubleVitamin A – Retinol, Beta-caroteneVitamin D – Ergocalciferol (D2),

cholecalciferol (D3), dihydroxy vitamin DVitamin E – tocopherolVitamin K – phylloquinone (K1),

menaquinone (K2)

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Water

Is a food as well as a nutrient. It provides the environment in w/c nearly all the body’s activities are conducted.Water is an important micronutrient. It is precious fluid that keeps the body functioning at an efficient and healthy level. An appropriate amount of fluids must be present in the body because it transports nutrients and carries away waste. It maintains the structure of large molecules such as CHON, and glycogen. Water provides the medium for chemical reactions and carries medicines to the proper places in the body. It acts as lubricant and cushion around joints and inside the eyes, the spinal cord, and, in pregnancy, the amniotic sac surrounding the fetus in the womb. It also hydrates the skin, helps in the regulation of body temperature and ensures proper blood volume.

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Nutrients According to its Chemical Nature, Source, and Essentiality• Organic Nutrients – contain carbon and include CHO, CHON, fat, and

vitamins whereas water and minerals are inorganic nutrients since they do not contain carbon

• Natural nutrients – are obtain from plant and animal food while synthetic nutrients are man made nutrients such as vitamin and mineral pills.

• Dietary essential nutrients – are those that the body cannot make in sufficient quantity to meet its requirement; they must be made obtained from the diet. Linoleic and linolenic acids are essential fatty acids while histidine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine are some essential amino acidsFrom the available materials in the body, non-dietary eesential nutrients can be produced in enough amounts during normal conditions. Among them are cholesterol and the amino acids alanine, aspartic acid, asparginine, cytine, proline, and serine.

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Energy-giving Nutrient• Carbohydrate, Protein, and Fat are energy nutrients as they yield

calories• Alcohol is also a potential source of energy but it is not a nutrient,

because it hinders the growth and repair in the body.• The energy content in foods is measured in kilocalories (kcal) or

kilojoules (kJ) a gram of CHO and CHON yields 4kcal and a gram of fat provides more concentrated source of 9kcal.

• Alcohol gives energy (1 gram = 7kcal/29kJ) when metabolized in the liver

• The amount of energy a food provides depends on how much CHO, fat and CHON is in it. Thus, a sandwich having 23g CHO, 5g CHON, and 5g fat per serving yields a total of 157kcals.

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Non-Nutrient Component in Foods

• Food additives• Phytochemicals• Lycopene in tomatoes• Allylic sulfite in garlic• Lignans in wheat• Beta glucan in oats

• Zoochemicals• Zexanthin and lutein in eggyolks• Omega-3 fatty acids in fish

Getting the most of phytochemicals from food•Double your typical serving of vegetables•Try a new fruit or vegetable a week•Add vegetables to you favorite dishes•Try dried fruits for dessert•Drink fruit or vegetable juices instead of softdrinks•Eat a vegetarian meal•Choose whole grains•Sprinkle flaxseed to your oatmeal•Dice up some tofu and add it to your stir fry

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Health-Promoting Food and Beverage Offered in the Market• Pharma-food or medical food – a food or nutrient that claims medical or health benefits

related to prevention and treatment of disease• Functional foods – contain biological active compounds that offer the potential of essential

health or reduced the risk of disease and thus these foods provide a health benefits beyond their nutrient contributions.• Juice fortified w/ calcium - osteoporosis• Soy – cancer, heart disease, and reduce menopausal symptoms• Oatmeal – reduce blood cholesterol• Green and black tea – reduce the risk of certain types of cancer• Cereal fortified w/folic acid – reduce the risk of neural tube defects

• Designer foods – are processed food that are supplemented with food ingredients naturally rich in disease-preventing substances. This may involve genetic engineering of food

• Nutraceuticals – are products (foods or dietary supplements) that utilize nutrients, specialized food components (phytochemicals) or other naturally occurring chemicals as ingredients intended to provide a health benefit beyond basic nutrition.

• Organic food – as some farmers call, are products that are grown w/o manufactured fertilizers and pesticides. Manure, compost and organic waste are typically used as fertilizers. According to the ADA, there is no scientific evidence that organically grown products are healthier, more nutritious or safer than conventionally grown crops (Food Facts Asia2000).

FOSHU (foods for special health use)