NUTR1023 Chapter Notes - Chapter 1-3, 10: Tempeh, Randomized Controlled Trial, Food Composition Data
NUTR1023 Readings Module One
Tapsell
• Food is a substance consumed as part of a meal or snack to provide energy and
nutrients for sustaining health; originating from plants and animals and consumed as
whole or components thereof with or without processing and blending other ingredients
Nutrition is both a science and a practice. The world Health Organisation (WHO)
defines nutrition as 'the intake of food, considered in relation to the body's dietary
needs.' Scientifically, it builds a very broad knowledge base from a range of disciplines
that practitioners are then able to apply. A great deal of nutrition knowledge comes
from basic sciences such as:
-chemistry (study of composition, structure, and properties of substances and the
transformations they undergo)
-bio-chemistry (study of chemistry of living organisms)
-biology (study of living organisms and vital processes)
-physiology (study of the vital biological functions of plants and animals)
Other knowledge comes from health discipline such as
-epidemiology (study of the incidence, distribution, and control of disease in a
population)
-dietetics (science of applying the principles of nutrition to the diet)
-medicine
And even from some social sciences, such as
-sociology
-anthropology
-economics
When food is eaten, it is broken down in the digestive system and most is absorbed as
small molecules into the blood stream. It is transported to various parts of the body to
serve functions that enable the organism to survive.
Over the last 100 years, scientists have identified the chemical composition of critical
food components that have proved essential for life:
-nutrients
-macronutrients (protein, fats, carbohydrate)
-micronutrients (vitamins, minerals)
• The concept of balance is critical in nutrition. This relates to the delivery of multiple
nutrients as well as the construction of whole diets from different foods. It is consistent
with the medical concept of homeostasis-- the physiological process by which the
internal systems of the body are maintained at equilibrium, despite variations in external
conditions.
• Nutritional balance is meeting the required amounts of all nutrients while at the same
time meeting requirements for energy intakes
• Mechanistic research explains natural processes in physical or deterministic terms. It
is a form of research that explains how the isolated compounds in food might act in
physiological and biochemical processes. It involves highly controlled experiments that
use cell cultures or animal models where a great deal is already known and the
pathways under study can be isolated and observed. Given the nature of this research, it
is not taken as direct evidence of effects but helps to explain observations that suggest
this may be happening.
• Another form of research that builds important knowledge for practice comes from
epidemiology. Population health research can provide important observations of
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relationships between dietary patterns and health outcomes, which is an observational
study. Findings from observational studies still provide indirect evidence but these
studies are stronger than mechanistic research because they are more directly related to
the consumption of food and measurements on human health.
• Randomise controlled tests (RTCs) provide the best evidence, where the participants
are consuming foods and health outcomes are measured. Even so, RCTs creates
limitations as people normally eat food in a more flexible environment, and the results
may not be very generalisable
• From the perspective of Western populations, nutrition science developed during war
times when food rationing became a major issue. Methods for measuring population
eating patterns and observing relationships with health outcomes were developed and
led to the first observations of the relationship between diet and the development of
cardiovascular disease (CVD). This has now expanded to diet and chronic disease
generally, isolating food components and food patterns that may prove deleterious to
health when consumed in excess. This research had led to a reconsideration of the
emphasis in nutrition on nutrient and other food components rather than whole food and
whole diets.
• The emerging concept of food synergy suggests that the sum of the parts may be more
effective the component parts themselves.
• Dietary guidelines are statements on strategies for choosing a healthy diet based on
scientific evidence on the effects of food intake and dietary patterns on health. They
provide recommendations for achieving a healthy diet; food standards regulate the
composition of food and the statements that can be made about food products
• Understanding the body's needs throughout different life stages provides some insight
into determining which foods might be best to consume. The resources needed during
the infancy life stage are critical, with subsequent growth and development affected by
how the nutritional stage is set. E.g., pregnancy and lactation are changed physiological
conditions with specific requirements for nutrition resources.
• Meting requirements is also important for infants and children, but there are particular
considerations such as the development of health eating patterns and the prevention of
child obesity.
• With maturation of the adult person and possible declines in physical activity, body
composition may change, as will body chemistry and function, altering the need for
energy and nutrients. Most people are healthy to begin with, so the focus is on meeting
nutritional requirements and maintaining energy balance.
• The main focus of adulthood is the prevention of chronic lifestyle diseases, such as
cardiovascular disease, obesity, hypertension and diabetes, with special emphasis on
dietary patterns that are proving protective
• Older age is different again, particularly when seniors are institutionalised and may
suffer from malnutrition.
• Australia has been classified as mildly iodine-deficient by WHO.
• Food composition databases are lists of foods and their nutrient composition. They are
required to convert information on food to that of nutrients.
• Population nutrient reference values are amounts of nutrients that are recommended
for consumption for groups and individuals in a population. A starting point in nutrition
practice is the ability to assess dietary intake using valid methods and to make
judgements on the quality of the diet with reference to dietary guidelines and food
standards. They provide the values for nutrient intakes that would best support the
health of most people in the population.
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Document Summary
Nutrition is both a science and a practice. The world health organisation (who) defines nutrition as "the intake of food, considered in relation to the body"s dietary needs. " Scientifically, it builds a very broad knowledge base from a range of disciplines that practitioners are then able to apply. A great deal of nutrition knowledge comes from basic sciences such as: Chemistry (study of composition, structure, and properties of substances and the transformations they undergo) Biology (study of living organisms and vital processes) Physiology (study of the vital biological functions of plants and animals) Other knowledge comes from health discipline such as. Epidemiology (study of the incidence, distribution, and control of disease in a population) Dietetics (science of applying the principles of nutrition to the diet) And even from some social sciences, such as. When food is eaten, it is broken down in the digestive system and most is absorbed as small molecules into the blood stream.
