Nutrition Basics

Nutrition Basics

1. MACRONUTRIENTS

   • Fats & Oils (Lipids)
     • Triglyceride: glycerol molecule + 3 chains of fatty acids (storage form)
     • Highly saturated: solid at room temp. Unsaturated: liquid at room temp
       • Animals: saturated (fat); Plants: unsaturated or polyunsaturated (oil)
       • polyunsaturated vegetable oils are linked to an increased incidence of cancer
         • often go rancid; oxygen becomes reactive (free radicals) and binds to and damages important nutrients
           • protect against free radicals with antioxidants like vitamins C and E
     • Cholesterol: waxy, fat-like (not triglyceride)
       • too much cholesterol can create plaque deposits in the arteries (arteriosclerosis), which can narrow blood vessels & even kill portions of the heart muscle (MYOCARDIAL INFARCTION or CORONARY)
       • Component of nerve tissue
       • base from which estrogen, cortisone and testosterone are made
       • Cholesterol salts ("bile salts") promote the mixture of fats in the small intestine with water so they can break down and be absorbed through intestinal wall
       • lecithin in beans, peas, etc can help lower blood cholesterol
     • Provide insulation, absorb shock, help absorb fat-soluble vitamins
     • Trans fatty acids happen during hydrogenation (breaking double bonds, adding hydrogen, increasing melting point & shelf life)
       • ex; margarine & processed & fried foods
       • too many trans fats in the diet raises cholesterol and is associate with heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes
   • Carbohydrates
     • * Provides energy for the body; * stored glucose is called glycogen; * "HUNGER" is felt when blood sugar (glucose) levels drop
       • glycogen is stored in liver and muscle
     • DISACCHARIDES: sucrose, maltose, lactose
     • MONOSACCHARIDES: glucose, fructose, galactose
       • Fruits & honey (usually fructose, sometimes glucose aka dextrose, or sucrose)
     • POLYSACCHARIDES (starches): dextrin, glycogen, cellulose (these are glucose chains).
       • Starch is the storage form of carbohydrates in plants; best found in seeds/grains
       • GRAINS/starchy foods include wheat, rice (parboiled), corn (GMO; combine with leafy green veggies and/or dried beans), oats (rolled), rye, buckwheat*, barley, millet, potato, lentils and other legumes
       • FIBER
         • SOLUBLE: gums, mucilages, pectin, some hemicelluloses. Gummy/viscous when dissolved. Can help lower LDL cholesterol.
           • SOURCES: oat bran, legumes, guar, barley, apples, citrus fruits, strawberries, carrots
         • INSOLUBLE: Cellulose, hemicellulose, lignin (cellular framework of plants)
           • Moves waste through the intestinal tract without being digested, adds bulk & softness to stool, decreases GI transit time
           • SOURCES: whole wheat flour, bran, vegetables, whole grains, fruits with edible seeds (i.e., strawberries)
     • Glycemic Index (GI): ranks carbs. according to their effect on blood sugar levels
       • Lower GI carbs are the better kind: 1. improve diabetes management; 2. Reduce heart disease risk; 3. Improve blood cholesterol levels; 4. help reach sustainable weight loss; 5. Help manage PCOS; 6. Reduce hunger, feel full; 7. Prolong physical endurance
   • Proteins
     • made of amino acids
       • errors in amino acid sequencing can cause birth defects
       • essential (9): cannot be made by the body. MUST be obtained through the diet (mostLY animal proteins)
         • leucine, histidine, isoleucine, tryptophan, lysine, methionine, pheylalanine, threonine, valine
       • nonessential (11): can be synthesized by the body from both plant and animal proteins in foods
         • alanine, arginine, asparagine, aspartic acid, cysteine, glutamine, glutamic acid, glycine, proline, serine, tyrosine
     • "reference protein" for protein quality is EGG
       • Plant proteins are of lower quality, offering less protein per measurement BUT they improve the overall QUALITY of protein and are therefore called "COMPLEMENTARY PROTEINS" Grains, legumes, nuts & seeds, other veggies
       • High quality protein sources: eggs, fish, poultry, cheese, milk
         • is easily digestible & complete. COMPLETE contains all 9 essential amino acids (not necessarily all nonessential)
     • PROTEIN ROLES
       • 1. BUILDING BLOCKS
       • 2. ENZYMES
       • 3. HORMONES
       • 4. FLUID & ELECTROLYTE BALANCE
       • 5. ACID-BASE BALANCE
       • 6. TRANSPORTERS
       • 7. ANTIBODIES
       • 8. GLUCONEOGENEIS

2. MICRONUTRIENTS

   • Vitamins
     • "vita" = vital "amine" = amino group Vit. A & B1 were the first to be discovered while searching for the cure for beri-beri
     • Water soluble
       • Vitamin B Complex
         • Deficiency: - beriberi (thiamin deficiency) - pellagra (niacin deficiency) ~ deficiencies of individual B vitamins are extremely rare ~ NO TOXICITY 
         • ODI: 25-300 mg RDI varies per individual vitamin
         • B1, thiamine
           • needs increases if one has a high carb diet (needed for carb metabolism).  RDI: 1.5 mg ODI: 25-300mg **no toxicity
           • FOOD SOURCES: - organ meats (esp. liver) - pork - dried beans - peas - peanuts - whole grains - egg yolks - poultry
         • B2, riboflavin
         • B3, niacin
         • B6, pyridoxine
         • B12, cobalamin
         • Folic Acid
         • B5, pantothenic acid
         • Biotin
         • Choline & inositol
         • PABA
       • Vitamin C (ascorbic acid)
         • Deficiency Symptoms - SCURVY (listlessness, weakness, irritability, vague muscle & joint pains, weight loss; bleeding gums, gingivitis, loosening of teeth, extreme weakness & fatigue) - 
         • Toxicity Symptoms - nothing severe but sometimes intestinal gas 7 loose stools
         • ODI: 500-5,000 RDI: 60
         • Food Sources
           • Green Veggies
           • Berries
           • Citrus Fruits
         • Uses
           • Growth & repair of tissues
           • Antihistamine & antioxidant
           • Cancer & atherosclerosis prevention
           • Enhances immunity
           • Reduces cholesterol & high BP
     • Fat soluble
       • Vitamin A (a.k.a. retinol) and beta-carotene & other carotenoids
         • Toxicity symptoms:  - bone/joint pain - fatigue/insomnia - loss of hair - dry/fissuring lips - loss of weight/appetite - liver enlargment
         • Deficiency symptoms: - night blindness/eye problems - skin disorders - suboptimal health - reproductive failure
         • RDI:  * Vit.A: 5,000 IU (8,000 for pregnant/breastfeeding women)  * Beta-Carotene: None ODI: * Beta-carotene: 11,000-25,000 IU * Vitamin A: 5,000-25,000 IU.
         • Uses
           • Prevents night blindness, macular degeneration, and other eye problems
           • Antioxidant
           • Enhances immunity
           • Heals GI ulcers
           • Epithelial tissue maintenance and repair (good for acne & other skin conditions)
           • Cancer prevention
         • Food Sources
           • Fish liver oils (especially cod)
           • Green & yellow fruits and vegetables (including carrots)
       • Vitamin D
         • **is most commonly synthesized in the skin when sunlight hits oily, cholesterol-like substances in the skin. NOT ENZYMATICALLY CONTROLLED; is controlled by pigmentation (melanin)**
         • Toxicity Symptoms ("sunstroke"): - over-absorption of calcium from the bones; forms deposits that damage tissues of heart, blood vessels, lungs- nausea- vomiting- diarrhea- dizziness- weakness
         • Deficiency Symptoms (rickets): - stunted growth - delayed tooth development - weakness - softened skull in infants - irreversible bone deformities Other deficiency symptoms: - hypocalcemia (low calcium in blood) - osteomalacia (reduced mineral content in bone) - osteoperosis (reduced total bone mass)
         • RDI: 400 IU  ODI: 1,000 IU
         • Uses
           • Necessary for calcium & phosphorus absorption (BONE/MUSCLE HEALTH)
           • Prevents/treats osteoporosis
           • Enhances immunity
           • Prevention of cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular disease
           • Lowers BP
         • Food sources
           • eggs
           • fatty saltwater fish
           • fish liver oils
       • Vitamin E
         • Deficiency Symptoms - anemia (premature aging & death of red blood cells) - neurological disturbances - difficulty walking - fragile capillaries **in premature infants: retina disorders leading to blindness 
         • Toxicity Symptoms (over 1,200 IU per day): - nausea - flatulence - diarrhea - headache - heart palpitations - fainting
         • RDI: 30 IU ODI: 400-1,200 IU
         • Uses
           • Antioxidant
           • Cancer & cardiovascular disease prevention
           • Treats fibrocystic breasts & PMS
           • Improves circulation
           • Prevents age spots
           • Tissue repair (wound healing)
         • Food Sources
           • Cold-pressed vegetable oils
           • Whole grains, nuts
           • Dark, leafy veggies, legumes
       • Vitamin K
         • Deficiencies occur only when there is malabsorption due to bowel obstruction, sprue, bowel shunts, regional ileitis, ulcerative colitis, chronic live disease. 
         • Toxicity occurs only from K3 (the synthetic version). Causes hemolytic anemia (red blood cells die faster than the body can replace them)
         • RDI/ODI: 80 mcg
         • Uses
           • Blood clotting
           • Helps with bone formation
           • Prevents osteoporosis
         • Food Sources
           • Green vegetables
           • Liver
           • Egg yolks
           • Whole wheat
   • Minerals
     • Boron
     • Calcium
     • Chromium
     • Copper
     • Iodine
     • Iron
     • Magnesium
     • Manganese
     • Phosphorus
     • Potassium
     • Selenium
     • Zinc

3. BEYOND VITAMINS & MINERALS

   • water
   • Coenzyme Q10
   • DHEA
   • Fish oil
   • Flavonoids
   • Garlic
   • GLA
   • Glutathione
   • L-Carnitine
   • Melatonin

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