Unit 1

Human Nutrition
IGCSE Food & Nutrition 2020-2022
Areas of Study

1. The Human Diet

2. Balanced diet
3. Metabolism
4. Malnutrition
5. Undernutrition and Overnutrition
6. Deficiency disease
Notice

 We will not be talking about the chemical parts of the different topics, only about
what they are and what methods to they use in order to achieve the result.

 This is not science class, so we will not be digging deep into cells or chemistry.

 Mainly your teacher doesn’t understand that too.

The Human Diet

 Diet is the sum of food that consumed by a human.

 The word diet implies the specific intake of nutrition for health.

 Your diet would affect whether you will be healthy or not.

A Balanced Diet

 What is a balanced diet? Discuss.

 What is necessary in a balanced diet?

The Food Pyramid
Metabolism

 Metabolism is a term that is used to describe all chemical reactions involved in

maintaining the living state of the cells and the organism.

 Catabolism - the breakdown of molecules to obtain energy

 Anabolism - the synthesis of all compounds needed by the cells
Nutrition, Metabolism and Energy

 Metabolism needs nutrition to break down in order to produce energy.

 The energy is used to create new proteins like DNA.

 For more info, you can check out metabolism in Chinese: 新陳代謝
Malnutrition

 Malnutrition is when the diet you are intaking does not supply you for a healthy
amount of one or more nutrients.

 This includes when your diet have too little nutrients of some kind.

 The nutrients involved can include calories, protein, carbohydrates, fat, vitamins
or minerals. (We will learn about vitamins next unit)
Energy nutrients vs Micronutrients

 Energy nutrients – carbohydrates (gluten), fats, proteins

 Micronutrients – vitamins, minerals, organic acids

 Overnutrition

 Overnutrition of energy nutrients occurs when you consume too much energy.
Over time, it could cause an increase in body weight unless you increase your
exercise. No matter if the energy is fat, carbohydrates or proteins, the body will
store them as a type of fat, which may lead to overweight or obesity; which are
risk factors for cardiovascular disease, some types of cancer and type 2 diabetes.
Energy Nutrients
 Overnutrition of micronutrients is rare to occur just by eating food. It is more
commonly seen to happen by eating too much micronutrient supplements. The
best way to prevent it is to get micronutrients from daily food or not to eat
megadose of supplements. Micronutrients
Undernutrition

 “Protein-energy malnutrition” (PEM) occurs when you don’t get enough energy.
Children who are undernourished tend to lose weight and have difficulties with
learning. Underweight women would most likely give birth to babies who are also
underweight. Starvation is a form of PEM. The body breaks down its own tissues
in order to survive, and the body would emaciate in appearance.
Energy Nutrients
 This occurs when your diet is out of balance, it happens when you are in a lack of
calories. Iron and calcium are more common micronutrients that are insufficient.
This problem can be easily resolved by correcting your diet, but it would take
some time. Medical cure is not too recommended if it is not fatal.
Micronutrients
Undernutrition VS Malnutrition

 Malnutrition mainly focuses on the incorrect diet you are eating, or excessive
eating every day.

 Undernutrition specifically focuses on the lack of micronutrients/ energy

nutrients, and less about the diet.
How does overnutrition and undernutrition have influences
by country or culture?
Deficiency Disease

 A disease caused by the lack of an element in the diet, usually a particular

vitamin or mineral.

How to prevent (diet)?

 Eating wholesome food
 Prevent prolonged and undercooked food
Loose nutrients
 Prevent leaving chopped food for too long
 Review
Unit Quiz Next Lesson