Nutrition Basics

Nota:

• Triglyceride: glycerol molecule + 3 chains of fatty acids (storage form)

1. Highly saturated: solid at room temp. Unsaturated: liquid at room temp

   Nota:

   • Animals: saturated (fat); Plants: unsaturated or polyunsaturated (oil)
   1. polyunsaturated vegetable oils are linked to an increased incidence of cancer
      1. often go rancid; oxygen becomes reactive (free radicals) and binds to and damages important nutrients

         Nota:

         • protect against free radicals with antioxidants like vitamins C and E
2. Cholesterol: waxy, fat-like (not triglyceride)

   Nota:

   • 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)
   1. Component of nerve tissue
   2. base from which estrogen, cortisone and testosterone are made
   3. 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
   4. lecithin in beans, peas, etc can help lower blood cholesterol
3. Provide insulation, absorb shock, help absorb fat-soluble vitamins
4. Trans fatty acids happen during hydrogenation (breaking double bonds, adding hydrogen, increasing melting point & shelf life)
   1. ex; margarine & processed & fried foods
   2. too many trans fats in the diet raises cholesterol and is associate with heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes

1. * Provides energy for the body; * stored glucose is called glycogen; * "HUNGER" is felt when blood sugar (glucose) levels drop

   Nota:

   • glycogen is stored in liver and muscle
2. DISACCHARIDES: sucrose, maltose, lactose
3. MONOSACCHARIDES: glucose, fructose, galactose
   1. Fruits & honey (usually fructose, sometimes glucose aka dextrose, or sucrose)
4. POLYSACCHARIDES (starches): dextrin, glycogen, cellulose (these are glucose chains).
   1. Starch is the storage form of carbohydrates in plants; best found in seeds/grains
   2. 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
   3. FIBER
      1. SOLUBLE: gums, mucilages, pectin, some hemicelluloses. Gummy/viscous when dissolved. Can help lower LDL cholesterol.
         1. SOURCES: oat bran, legumes, guar, barley, apples, citrus fruits, strawberries, carrots
      2. INSOLUBLE: Cellulose, hemicellulose, lignin (cellular framework of plants)
         1. Moves waste through the intestinal tract without being digested, adds bulk & softness to stool, decreases GI transit time
         2. SOURCES: whole wheat flour, bran, vegetables, whole grains, fruits with edible seeds (i.e., strawberries)
5. Glycemic Index (GI): ranks carbs. according to their effect on blood sugar levels

   Nota:

   • 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

1. made of amino acids

   Nota:

   • errors in amino acid sequencing can cause birth defects
   1. essential (9): cannot be made by the body. MUST be obtained through the diet (mostLY animal proteins)

      Nota:

      • leucine, histidine, isoleucine, tryptophan, lysine, methionine, pheylalanine, threonine, valine
   2. nonessential (11): can be synthesized by the body from both plant and animal proteins in foods

      Nota:

      • alanine, arginine, asparagine, aspartic acid, cysteine, glutamine, glutamic acid, glycine, proline, serine, tyrosine
2. "reference protein" for protein quality is EGG

   Nota:

   • 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
   1. High quality protein sources: eggs, fish, poultry, cheese, milk

      Nota:

      • is easily digestible & complete. COMPLETE contains all 9 essential amino acids (not necessarily all nonessential)
3. PROTEIN ROLES
   1. 1. BUILDING BLOCKS
   2. 2. ENZYMES
   3. 3. HORMONES
   4. 4. FLUID & ELECTROLYTE BALANCE
   5. 5. ACID-BASE BALANCE
   6. 6. TRANSPORTERS
   7. 7. ANTIBODIES
   8. 8. GLUCONEOGENEIS

Nota:

• "vita" = vital "amine" = amino group Vit. A & B1 were the first to be discovered while searching for the cure for beri-beri

1. Water soluble
   1. Vitamin B Complex

      Nota:

      • 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
      1. B1, thiamine

         Nota:

         • 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
      2. B2, riboflavin
      3. B3, niacin
      4. B6, pyridoxine
      5. B12, cobalamin
      6. Folic Acid
      7. B5, pantothenic acid
      8. Biotin
      9. Choline & inositol
      10. PABA
   2. Vitamin C (ascorbic acid)

      Nota:

      • 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
      1. Food Sources
         1. Green Veggies
         2. Berries
         3. Citrus Fruits
      2. Uses
         1. Growth & repair of tissues
         2. Antihistamine & antioxidant
         3. Cancer & atherosclerosis prevention
         4. Enhances immunity
         5. Reduces cholesterol & high BP
2. Fat soluble
   1. Vitamin A (a.k.a. retinol) and beta-carotene & other carotenoids

      Nota:

      • 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.
      1. Uses
         1. Prevents night blindness, macular degeneration, and other eye problems
         2. Antioxidant
         3. Enhances immunity
         4. Heals GI ulcers
         5. Epithelial tissue maintenance and repair (good for acne & other skin conditions)
         6. Cancer prevention
      2. Food Sources
         1. Fish liver oils (especially cod)
         2. Green & yellow fruits and vegetables (including carrots)
   2. Vitamin D

      Nota:

      • **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
      1. Uses
         1. Necessary for calcium & phosphorus absorption (BONE/MUSCLE HEALTH)
         2. Prevents/treats osteoporosis
         3. Enhances immunity
         4. Prevention of cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular disease
         5. Lowers BP
      2. Food sources
         1. eggs
         2. fatty saltwater fish
         3. fish liver oils
   3. Vitamin E

      Nota:

      • 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
      1. Uses
         1. Antioxidant
         2. Cancer & cardiovascular disease prevention
         3. Treats fibrocystic breasts & PMS
         4. Improves circulation
         5. Prevents age spots
         6. Tissue repair (wound healing)
      2. Food Sources
         1. Cold-pressed vegetable oils
         2. Whole grains, nuts
         3. Dark, leafy veggies, legumes
   4. Vitamin K

      Nota:

      • 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
      1. Uses
         1. Blood clotting
         2. Helps with bone formation
         3. Prevents osteoporosis
      2. Food Sources
         1. Green vegetables
         2. Liver
         3. Egg yolks
         4. Whole wheat

1. Boron
2. Calcium
3. Chromium
4. Copper
5. Iodine
6. Iron
7. Magnesium
8. Manganese
9. Phosphorus
10. Potassium
11. Selenium
12. Zinc