An Overview of Nutrition
Nutrition and Health
The Hashemite University
Faculty of Allied Health Sciences
Department of Clinical Nutrition and Dietetics
Nutrition in Your Life
• Nutrition
– The science of nutrients in foods and their
actions within the body.
• Food
– Products derived from plant or animal sources
that provide energy and nutrients
– Used by the body for maintenance, growth, and
repair
• Diet
– The foods and beverages a person eats and
drinks
• The quality of which affects the risk of chronic
diseases
Food Choices
• Personal preference
• Habit
• Ethnic heritage or tradition
• Social interactions
• Availability, convenience, economy
• Positive and negative associations
• Emotional comfort
• Values
• Body weight and image
• Nutrition and health benefits
The Nutrients
• Nutrient: chemical substances obtained from
food and used in the body to provide
– energy
– Structural materials
– Regulating agents
• Essential nutrients: nutrients a person must
obtain from food
The Nutrients
• Composition of foods
– Six classes of nutrients
• Carbohydrate
• Lipids
• Protein
• Water
• Vitamins
• Minerals
– Nonnutrients
The Nutrients
• A macronutrient is a nutrient that is
needed in relatively large amounts in the
diet.
– Carbohydrates
– Proteins
– Lipids
– Water
The Nutrients
• A micronutrient is a nutrient that is
needed in relatively small amounts in the
diet.
– Vitamins
– Minerals
Body Composition
The Nutrients
• Chemical composition of nutrients
– Inorganic
• Minerals
• Water
– Organic nutrients
• Carbohydrates
• Lipids
• Proteins
• Vitamins
The Nutrients
Energy-Yielding
Nutrients
• Calories and
kilocalories
Energy-Yielding Nutrients
• Energy from foods
– Energy density: A measure of the
energy a food provides relative to the
amount of food (Kcalories per gram)
Energy Density
Energy-Yielding Nutrients
• Energy in the body
– Energy for activity
– Stored energy
• Other roles of energy-yielding nutrients
Vitamins
• Organic
• Not energy-yielding
• Essential
• Water-soluble vs. fat-soluble
• Vulnerable to destruction
Minerals
• Inorganic
• Not energy-yielding
• Essential
• Indestructible
Water
• Inorganic
• Not energy-yielding
• Essential
Dietary Reference Intakes
(DRI)
• DRI: a set of nutrient intake value for healthy
people. These values are used for planning
and assessing diets and include:
– Estimated Average Requirements (EAR)
– Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDA)
– Adequate Intakes (AI)
– Tolerable Upper Limits (UL)
DRI
Energy Recommendations
• Estimated Energy Requirement
• Acceptable Macronutrient Distribution
Ranges
– Carbohydrate: 45% - 65%
– Fat: 20% - 35%
– Protein: 10% - 35%
Energy Recommendations
Nutrition Assessment
• Malnutrition
– Undernutrition vs. overnutrition
Nutrition Assessment of
Individuals
• Historical information
• Anthropometric data
• Physical examination
• Laboratory tests
Nutrition Assessment
Nutrition Assessment of
Individuals
• Primary deficiency vs. secondary
deficiency
• Overt symptoms
• Subclinical deficiency
– Covert symptoms
Nutrition Assessment of
Populations
• National nutrition surveys
• National health goals
– Healthy People 2000
– Healthy People 2010