OVERVIEW ON BASIC NUTRITION, BASIC STUDY TOOLS IN THE STUDY OF
NUTRITION, BASIC CONCEPTS IN NUTRITION, AND DIET PLANNING PRINCIPLES
BASIC NUTRITION: AN OVERVIEW
Important terms in Nutrition
Nutrition
• Nutrition is the study of food in relation to the health of an individual, community
and society, and the process through which food is used to sustain life and growth
• Nutrition is the science of food, the nutrients, and other substances therein, their
action, interaction, and balance in relation to health and disease, and the
processes by which an organism ingests, digests, absorbs, transports, utilizes, and
excretes food substances (Food and Nutrition Council)
Food
• any substance, organic or inorganic, when ingested or eaten, nourishes the body
by building and repairing tissues, supplying heat and energy, and regulating body
processes (Ruiz and Claudio, 2011)
• are products derived from plants or animals that can be taken into the body to yield
energy and nutrients for growth and repair of tissues (Whitney and Rolfes, 2011)
Nutrients
• are chemical substances needed by the body for one or more of the following
functions: to provide heat or energy, to build and repair tissues, and to regulate life
processes (Ruiz and Claudio, 2011)
• are chemical substances obtained from food and used in the body to provide
energy, structural materials, and regulating agents to support growth,
maintenance, and repair of the body’s tissues (Whitney and Rolfes, 2011)
Essential Nutrients
• also called “indispensable nutrients”
• substances required for normal growth and health that the body cannot generally
produce, or produce in sufficient amounts; therefore, must be obtained in the diet
Non-essential Nutrients
• nutrients required for normal growth and health that the body can manufacture in
sufficient quantities from other components of the diet.
• A dietary source of non-essential nutrients is not required
Bioavailability
• the amount of a nutrient consumed that is available for absorption and use by the
body
Calorie
• a unit of measure used to express the amount of energy produced by foods in the
form of heat
, • The calorie used in nutrition is the large “Calorie”, or the “KiloCalorie”. It equals the
amount of energy needed to raise the temperature of 1 kilogram of water (about 4
cups) 1 degree centigrade
• 1 Calorie= 4.2 Kjoule
Empty-calorie foods
• Foods that provide an excess of calories in relation to nutrients
Examples: Soft drinks, candy, sugar, alcohol, and fats
Nutrient-dense foods
• Foods that contain relatively high amount of nutrients compared to their calorie
value
Examples: Brocolli, bread, cantaloupe, and lean meats
Nutrient Density
• The ratio obtained by dividing a food’s contribution to the needs for a nutrient by
its contribution to kilocalorie needs
Nutritional Status/Nutriture
• State of the body resulting from the consumption and utilization of nutrients
• Clinical observations, biochemical analyses, anthropometric measurements, and
dietary studies are used to determine this state
Health
• State of physical, mental, and emotional well-being, and not merely freedom from
disease or the absence of any ailment
Malnutrition
• State of impaired biologic activity or development due to a discrepancy between
the nutrient supply and the nutrient demand of cells
• Any condition caused by excess or deficient food energy or nutrient intake or by
an imbalance of nutrients
Optimum/Good nutrition
• means that the body has adequate supply of essential nutrients that are efficiently
utilized such that growth and good health are maintained at the highest possible
level
Undernutrition
• deficient energy or nutrient
Overnutrition
• excess energy or nutrients
NUTRITION, BASIC CONCEPTS IN NUTRITION, AND DIET PLANNING PRINCIPLES
BASIC NUTRITION: AN OVERVIEW
Important terms in Nutrition
Nutrition
• Nutrition is the study of food in relation to the health of an individual, community
and society, and the process through which food is used to sustain life and growth
• Nutrition is the science of food, the nutrients, and other substances therein, their
action, interaction, and balance in relation to health and disease, and the
processes by which an organism ingests, digests, absorbs, transports, utilizes, and
excretes food substances (Food and Nutrition Council)
Food
• any substance, organic or inorganic, when ingested or eaten, nourishes the body
by building and repairing tissues, supplying heat and energy, and regulating body
processes (Ruiz and Claudio, 2011)
• are products derived from plants or animals that can be taken into the body to yield
energy and nutrients for growth and repair of tissues (Whitney and Rolfes, 2011)
Nutrients
• are chemical substances needed by the body for one or more of the following
functions: to provide heat or energy, to build and repair tissues, and to regulate life
processes (Ruiz and Claudio, 2011)
• are chemical substances obtained from food and used in the body to provide
energy, structural materials, and regulating agents to support growth,
maintenance, and repair of the body’s tissues (Whitney and Rolfes, 2011)
Essential Nutrients
• also called “indispensable nutrients”
• substances required for normal growth and health that the body cannot generally
produce, or produce in sufficient amounts; therefore, must be obtained in the diet
Non-essential Nutrients
• nutrients required for normal growth and health that the body can manufacture in
sufficient quantities from other components of the diet.
• A dietary source of non-essential nutrients is not required
Bioavailability
• the amount of a nutrient consumed that is available for absorption and use by the
body
Calorie
• a unit of measure used to express the amount of energy produced by foods in the
form of heat
, • The calorie used in nutrition is the large “Calorie”, or the “KiloCalorie”. It equals the
amount of energy needed to raise the temperature of 1 kilogram of water (about 4
cups) 1 degree centigrade
• 1 Calorie= 4.2 Kjoule
Empty-calorie foods
• Foods that provide an excess of calories in relation to nutrients
Examples: Soft drinks, candy, sugar, alcohol, and fats
Nutrient-dense foods
• Foods that contain relatively high amount of nutrients compared to their calorie
value
Examples: Brocolli, bread, cantaloupe, and lean meats
Nutrient Density
• The ratio obtained by dividing a food’s contribution to the needs for a nutrient by
its contribution to kilocalorie needs
Nutritional Status/Nutriture
• State of the body resulting from the consumption and utilization of nutrients
• Clinical observations, biochemical analyses, anthropometric measurements, and
dietary studies are used to determine this state
Health
• State of physical, mental, and emotional well-being, and not merely freedom from
disease or the absence of any ailment
Malnutrition
• State of impaired biologic activity or development due to a discrepancy between
the nutrient supply and the nutrient demand of cells
• Any condition caused by excess or deficient food energy or nutrient intake or by
an imbalance of nutrients
Optimum/Good nutrition
• means that the body has adequate supply of essential nutrients that are efficiently
utilized such that growth and good health are maintained at the highest possible
level
Undernutrition
• deficient energy or nutrient
Overnutrition
• excess energy or nutrients
