Nutrition

Revision Lec
Coco Teng
General Tips
• The right mindset: Nutrition isn’t hard to understand. So test
trivial information / facts >>> concepts
• MUST memorise all the red circles / red highlighted info in lecs
• Read the learning objectives !!!
Nutrient Reference values (NRV)
• EAR, EER & RDI for both
• UL – Upper Limit
• AI – Adequate Intake
• ADMR – Acceptable Macronutrient Distribution Range

• Consequences of malnutrition (deficiency):

- 1’ deficiency: inadequate nutrient intake.
- 2’ Issues w absorb nutrients, not because haven’t eaten enough
MAIN PT:
1. Via research we est. the EAR + EER
2. The gov then recommends an amount to the population – RDI
3. This varies depending on if nutrient (UL) vs energy
4. AI – when research is not used
5. RDI = Recommended Dietary intake, not Daily * (water vs fat soluble)
Epidemiological studies
• Need to know + APPLY. Given ex of study (MCQ) – what type of
study is this?
Potential short ans Q
• What are the functions of proteins in the body
Expectations
• Know how to calculate kJ of foods + convert it into calorie form,
vice versa
• Need to know the kJ in each: Fats, proteins, carbs
• Know the 9 essential AA’s
• ***Fun Fact: Soy provides all 9 essential AA’s
Proteins details to remember
• Plants vs animals: Plants – limited source of AAs, Animals large
variety
• Thus need complementarity of proteins – combo of plants /
beans 🡺 get all essential Aas
• What’s an essential AA? One your body can’t make but needs
• Which are the 4 most likely limiting essential AAs: Lysine,
Methionine, Threonine, Tryptophan
🡺 For vegos / vegans – complementary protein source needed
• Know which 2 AA’s contain sulfur – Methionine & Cysteine
Fats
Need to know:
• Memorise the Special Fatty Acids
• General relationship between SFA, MUFA, PUFA
• Saturated w most H’s possible = no double bonds 🡺 Higher melting points, semi-solid at room temp

• Trans fats – are they evil?

• Yes + No
• Yes – if made artificially via hydrogenation
• Reason – these trans fats will act like sat fats + even worse

• No – if natural: Know examples – Conjugated Linoleic acid + Vaccenic Acid

Why is Coconut oil unhealthy?
• MUST memorise all 3 (ex:
Lauric Acid is C12:0)
• Palmitic acid – also in palm
oil,
• V bad for you
• Hypercholesterolemic FA – a
FA that will raise a person’s
cholesterol levels
• Vs Stearic Acid – no effect
on cholesterol = good
 Lipoproteins = transports fats in body
What to know
- Func of each of these
- Compare protein, fat composition + density
between the 4

- More LDL >>>> HDL

- Greater risk of high cholesterol

- Lower LDL: HDL by:

1. Exercise increases HDL levels
2. LDL increased by saturated fats – thus lower
intake of sat fats + also artificial trans fats
Source of omega 3 + 6 Omega 3 Omega 6
(excess in
western diets)
- Reduce - Lowers bad
platelet LDL,
aggregation, Increases HDL
thrombosis - Promotes clot
- Lowers formation
triglyceride - Reduces risk
levels in blood of heart
- Lowers risk of disease
CHD
Common misconception
• Avoiding high cholesterol foods, e.g. Egg yolks, red meat, fish (shellfish) & poultry – in
order to lower blood cholesterol levels
• Dietary cholesterol 🡺 little effect on blood cholesterol
• Mainly Triglycerides (Fats) 🡺 Raises BCL
• Trans Fats esp.
• Sat fats
How do we lower BCL?
• Diet modification
• Lower fat diet (esp sat & trans fats)
• Trans fats are in fast foods, but not really in manufactured products
• Eating PUFAs help lower LDL
• Nt: MUFA – no diff

• Use up the BCL

• Dietary Fibers = bulky, takes bile & cholesterol w it
• Bile must be remade by liver
• Cholesterol – substrate for bile
Dietary fibers + Bile
• Bile removed
• Cholesterol in blood must be
used up to make bile
• Thus lower BCL
Carbohydrates
• Q: Which of these carbs will be higher in GI ?
Glycemic Index
• How high your blood sugar rises after eating a particular carb
• More processed, refined 🡺 The quicker the carb is broken down into
glucose 🡺 The higher your blood sugar rises
• Thus Greater the GI
• ANS: Amylopectin
• GI = mathematical ratio, AUC = area under curve,
Compares the same g of carbs to each other
• GL = Glycaemic Load
Also considers how much carb actually in that food
Why can’t we digest dietary fibre?
Digestion
• MEMORISE THESE 3 HORMONES!!!!
 Bio accessibility vs Bioavailability
• Bioavailability: rate & extent that a nutrient is absorbed & available for use in the body
🡺 Asking how much of what you’re eating is actually in a form that your body can use

• Bioaccessibility: The accessibility of a nutrient for digestion &

absorption from foods
Digestion in detail
• Peristalsis = constant. Segmentation = periodic – mix food back

•
Absorption of nutrients via small intestine
• Water soluble nutrients & small product of fat digestion 🡪
Blood Directly
• Portal vein (all blood from intestine) 🡪 Liver

• Fat-soluble vitamins & larger fats form chylomicrons 🡪

Lymph system … far later 🡪 blood via Right lymph duct +
thoracic duct 🡪 into subclavian vein.
• If long FA 🡪 goes into micelle + reforms back into a
triglyceride within a chylomicron 🡪 lymph
• Undergoes extensive breakdown within lymph 🡪 before
rejoins blood vessel
• Vs Fat soluble vitamins + Fats 🡪 Lacteals (dead end lymph
vessels) 🡪 skips liver
• Why ? Prevents fatty liver
Function of the large intestine
• Why is it called large? Only 1 m length, bigger diameter > sml
intestine
• Func: absorb H2O, Na+, K+
•  ^ Important to note that sml intestine absorbs more water than
large intestine
• Home of the microbiome
• Digestion of SOLUBLE fibre
Cereal
Memorise
Practice Exam Q’s
Practice MCQ
• Q: Which of the following leads to a rise in blood cholesterol
levels?
• A. Stearic Acid (18:0)
• B. Palmitic Acid (16:0)
• C. Vaccenic Acid (18:1 trans -11)
• D. Linoleic Acid (18:2n6)
Practice SAQ
• Q: Explain the process of naming omega fatty acids & provide
the formula for each. Explain whether you can change the
family type of each fatty acid.
• Linoleic Acid
• Linolenic Acid
OMEGA 6 PUFA

OMEGA 3 PUFA