Nutritional Principles in Nursing
Exam Two Study Guide
Chapter 1 Nutrition and Health
I. New Challenges for Health Professionals
a. The Obesity Epidemic
b. Shifts in Population
c. New Products in the Marketplace
d. Genes in Nutrition and Health
e. Nutrition Misinformation
II. The Science of Nutrition
a. Functions of Food and Nutrients
i. Essential Nutrients
1. Macronutrients—carbohydrates, fats, proteins
2. Micronutrients—vitamins and minerals
ii. Metabolism
1. The sum of all chemical reactions that use nutrients
iii. Nutrients have three general functions in the body
1. They provide energy
2. They build and repair body tissues and structures
3. They regulate all the metabolic processes that maintain homeostasis
and support life
iv. These function are important to maintain Homeostasis which is
1. State of dynamic equilibrium within the body's internal environment, a
balance achieved through the control of various interrelated physiologic
mechanisms.
v. Energy Sources: Carbohydrates
1. It is the Body’s primary source of fuel for heat and energy and measured
by kilocalories.
a. Calories versus kilocalories
i. Calorie refers to a unit of heat measure and is used
alone to designate the small calorie.
ii. The large calorie, 1000 calories or kilocalorie, is used in
the study of metabolism to avoid the use of very large
numbers in calculations.
iii. Kilocalorie is used in nutrition and refers to energy
content
vi. Energy Sources: Fats
vii. Energy Sources: Proteins
viii. Minerals
1. Help build tissues with very specific functions
2. For example Calcium and phosphorus give strength to bones and teeth
3. Iron is a component of hemoglobin and binds oxygen for transport to
cells
ix. Vitamins
b. Nutrient Interrelationships
, Nutritional Principles in Nursing
Exam Two Study Guide
i. Concept made up of the following two parts:
1. Individual nutrients participate in many different metabolic functions
2. No nutrient ever works alone
ii. Nutritional status
iii. Optimal Nutrition
iv. Undernutrition
III. Nutrition Policy and National Health Problems
a. Diet, Health, and Public Policy
b. Development of Nutrition Policy
c. Health Promotion
d. Nutrition Guides for Food Selection
i. Nutrition standards Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs)
ii. Dietary guidelines
1. Example: Special attention to total diet and individual needs and
preferences
iii. Food guides
1. The US Dept of Agriculture, USDA
2. MyPlate Food Guidance System
3. Exchange Lists for Meal Planning
iv. Safe and Health Food Supply
1. Prevalence and causes of food-borne illness
a. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), agency
tracks and reports the incidence of foodborne illnesses.
2. Prevention
a. Careful washing of fresh produce
b. Thorough cooking of poultry, meat, and eggs
c. Hand washing
3. Food and Drug administration
a. Monitors food health complaints, reviews food labels.
Chapter 6 Vitamins: Essential Nutrients
I. What Is a Vitamin?
a. To be classified as a vitamin, a compound has to meet several criteria:
i. It must be an organic dietary substance that is not energy producing, as are
carbohydrate, fat, and protein.
ii. It is needed in very small quantities to perform a particular metabolic function
and prevent an identified deficiency disease.
iii. It cannot be synthesized by the body, so it must be supplied in food.
II. Basic Principles
a. Individual vitamins are multifunctional
b. One vitamin cannot substitute for another vitamin
, Nutritional Principles in Nursing
Exam Two Study Guide
c. Vitamins work together in carrying out body functions
d. Vitamins function best when all are present in the appropriate proportions
III. Classification
Box 6-1 C l a s s i fi c a ti o n o f V i t a m i n s
Fat-Soluble Vitamins
•A
•D
•E
•K
Water-Soluble Vitamins
• Vitamin C (ascorbic acid)
• Thiamin
• Riboflavin
• Niacin
• Pantothenic acid
• Biotin
• Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine)
• Folate
• Vitamin B12 (cobalamin)
IV. Vitamin A
a. Chemical and Physical Nature
b. Functions of Vitamin A
c. Vitamin A Deficiency and Clinical Applications
i. Vision
1. Rhodopsin
a. The ability of the eye to adapt to changes in light depends on
the light-sensitive pigment, rhodopsin, located in the rods of the
retina. Rhodopsin—commonly known as visual purple—is made
up of the vitamin A molecule retinal and the protein opsin
ii. Growth
1. Vitamin A is essential for the growth of bones and soft tissues
iii. Reproduction
, Nutritional Principles in Nursing
Exam Two Study Guide
1. Vitamin A is needed for normal sexual maturation and function
iv. Immunity
d. Causes of Vitamin A Deficiency
i. In the United States the primary cause of vitamin A deficiency is inadequate
dietary intake,
ii. Vitamin A deficiency occurs with poor absorption
e. Dietary Reference Intake
i. The Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for vitamin A is the amount
required to maintain optimal liver stores.
ii. The RDA for men ages 19 and older is set at 900 mcg, and the RDA for women of
this age is 700 mcg.
f. Vitamin A Toxicity
i. Hypervitaminosis A
1. Impaired vision, gastrointestinal disturbances, and skin abnormalities
g. Food Sources of Vitamin A
i. Liver, milk, cheese, butter, egg yolk, and fish.
ii. Margarine, ready-to-eat cereals, and cereal bars
V. Vitamin D
a. Chemical and Physical Nature
i. Chemically, vitamin D is a sterol
ii. All compounds with vitamin D activity are soluble in fat
b. Forms
i. The body uses two forms of vitamin D: (1) ergocalciferol (vitamin D2) and (2)
cholecalciferol (vitamin D3).
c. Absorption, Transport, and Storage
i. Absorption
1. Vitamin D is absorbed in the small intestine
Exam Two Study Guide
Chapter 1 Nutrition and Health
I. New Challenges for Health Professionals
a. The Obesity Epidemic
b. Shifts in Population
c. New Products in the Marketplace
d. Genes in Nutrition and Health
e. Nutrition Misinformation
II. The Science of Nutrition
a. Functions of Food and Nutrients
i. Essential Nutrients
1. Macronutrients—carbohydrates, fats, proteins
2. Micronutrients—vitamins and minerals
ii. Metabolism
1. The sum of all chemical reactions that use nutrients
iii. Nutrients have three general functions in the body
1. They provide energy
2. They build and repair body tissues and structures
3. They regulate all the metabolic processes that maintain homeostasis
and support life
iv. These function are important to maintain Homeostasis which is
1. State of dynamic equilibrium within the body's internal environment, a
balance achieved through the control of various interrelated physiologic
mechanisms.
v. Energy Sources: Carbohydrates
1. It is the Body’s primary source of fuel for heat and energy and measured
by kilocalories.
a. Calories versus kilocalories
i. Calorie refers to a unit of heat measure and is used
alone to designate the small calorie.
ii. The large calorie, 1000 calories or kilocalorie, is used in
the study of metabolism to avoid the use of very large
numbers in calculations.
iii. Kilocalorie is used in nutrition and refers to energy
content
vi. Energy Sources: Fats
vii. Energy Sources: Proteins
viii. Minerals
1. Help build tissues with very specific functions
2. For example Calcium and phosphorus give strength to bones and teeth
3. Iron is a component of hemoglobin and binds oxygen for transport to
cells
ix. Vitamins
b. Nutrient Interrelationships
, Nutritional Principles in Nursing
Exam Two Study Guide
i. Concept made up of the following two parts:
1. Individual nutrients participate in many different metabolic functions
2. No nutrient ever works alone
ii. Nutritional status
iii. Optimal Nutrition
iv. Undernutrition
III. Nutrition Policy and National Health Problems
a. Diet, Health, and Public Policy
b. Development of Nutrition Policy
c. Health Promotion
d. Nutrition Guides for Food Selection
i. Nutrition standards Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs)
ii. Dietary guidelines
1. Example: Special attention to total diet and individual needs and
preferences
iii. Food guides
1. The US Dept of Agriculture, USDA
2. MyPlate Food Guidance System
3. Exchange Lists for Meal Planning
iv. Safe and Health Food Supply
1. Prevalence and causes of food-borne illness
a. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), agency
tracks and reports the incidence of foodborne illnesses.
2. Prevention
a. Careful washing of fresh produce
b. Thorough cooking of poultry, meat, and eggs
c. Hand washing
3. Food and Drug administration
a. Monitors food health complaints, reviews food labels.
Chapter 6 Vitamins: Essential Nutrients
I. What Is a Vitamin?
a. To be classified as a vitamin, a compound has to meet several criteria:
i. It must be an organic dietary substance that is not energy producing, as are
carbohydrate, fat, and protein.
ii. It is needed in very small quantities to perform a particular metabolic function
and prevent an identified deficiency disease.
iii. It cannot be synthesized by the body, so it must be supplied in food.
II. Basic Principles
a. Individual vitamins are multifunctional
b. One vitamin cannot substitute for another vitamin
, Nutritional Principles in Nursing
Exam Two Study Guide
c. Vitamins work together in carrying out body functions
d. Vitamins function best when all are present in the appropriate proportions
III. Classification
Box 6-1 C l a s s i fi c a ti o n o f V i t a m i n s
Fat-Soluble Vitamins
•A
•D
•E
•K
Water-Soluble Vitamins
• Vitamin C (ascorbic acid)
• Thiamin
• Riboflavin
• Niacin
• Pantothenic acid
• Biotin
• Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine)
• Folate
• Vitamin B12 (cobalamin)
IV. Vitamin A
a. Chemical and Physical Nature
b. Functions of Vitamin A
c. Vitamin A Deficiency and Clinical Applications
i. Vision
1. Rhodopsin
a. The ability of the eye to adapt to changes in light depends on
the light-sensitive pigment, rhodopsin, located in the rods of the
retina. Rhodopsin—commonly known as visual purple—is made
up of the vitamin A molecule retinal and the protein opsin
ii. Growth
1. Vitamin A is essential for the growth of bones and soft tissues
iii. Reproduction
, Nutritional Principles in Nursing
Exam Two Study Guide
1. Vitamin A is needed for normal sexual maturation and function
iv. Immunity
d. Causes of Vitamin A Deficiency
i. In the United States the primary cause of vitamin A deficiency is inadequate
dietary intake,
ii. Vitamin A deficiency occurs with poor absorption
e. Dietary Reference Intake
i. The Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for vitamin A is the amount
required to maintain optimal liver stores.
ii. The RDA for men ages 19 and older is set at 900 mcg, and the RDA for women of
this age is 700 mcg.
f. Vitamin A Toxicity
i. Hypervitaminosis A
1. Impaired vision, gastrointestinal disturbances, and skin abnormalities
g. Food Sources of Vitamin A
i. Liver, milk, cheese, butter, egg yolk, and fish.
ii. Margarine, ready-to-eat cereals, and cereal bars
V. Vitamin D
a. Chemical and Physical Nature
i. Chemically, vitamin D is a sterol
ii. All compounds with vitamin D activity are soluble in fat
b. Forms
i. The body uses two forms of vitamin D: (1) ergocalciferol (vitamin D2) and (2)
cholecalciferol (vitamin D3).
c. Absorption, Transport, and Storage
i. Absorption
1. Vitamin D is absorbed in the small intestine
