Lecture 1

Introduction to the Nutrition and Dietetics

Mayura Maitri
Teaching Faculty
B.Sc.(Microbiology), Pg. Dip in DMLT,
M.Sc.(Health Science),
Pg. Dip in (Clinical Dietetics).
Objectives
• Introduction
• Definitions
• Energy from food
• Functions of food nutrients
• Composition of human body
• Nutrition assessment of individual
• Sign of good nutrition
• The relationship of nutrition with other
sciences
• Nutrient intake limits
Introduction
 Most of the organized studies of nutrition have been
confined to the 20th century.
 Although there was evidence of long-standing curiosity
about nutrition.
 Hippocrates, the father of medicine(400 BC) considered
food as one universal nutrient.
 Antonie Lauret Lavoisier(18th century, a French chemist) is
known as father of nutrition.
 In Islam there are many verses of the Quran and Hadeeths
in food and nutrition.
 Some of these fact has just been proved by the modern
science and some not.
 Nutrition science

Nutrition science:
1-The study of nutrients and other substances in foods
and the body's handling of them.
2-Its foundation depends on several other sciences
including biology, biochemistry, and physiology.
3- Comprises the body of knowledge governing the food
requirement growth, activity, reproduction and lactation.
How the Digestive System
Works?
Definitions
 Food:

Foods are products derived from plants or

animals
that can be taken into the body to yield
energy and nutrients for maintenance of
life ,for growth and repair tissues.
Food is that nourishes the body.
Food is a prerequisite of nutrition.
Food composition
Nutrients:
Chemical substances obtained from foods used in the body
to provide energy, structure materials, regulating agents to
support growth, maintenance, repair of body's tissues and
may also reduce the risks of some diseases.
 •
Nutrients divided into two categories

 Macronutrients

• Are the nutrients which the body needed in large amount

such as carbohydrate, protein and fats.

• Carbohydrates, protein and fats are the main source of

energy for human body.

 Micronutrients
Are nutrients needed in lesser amounts such
as: Vitamins & minerals.
 Chemical composition of the
nutrients

Organic nutrients: substance that contain carbon

atom.
Inorganic: substances that do not contain carbon
atoms.
 Essential nutrients:
Are nutrients a person must obtain from food because
the body cannot make them for itself insufficient
quantity to meet physiological needs. Also called
indispensable nutrients.
Nutritional requirements
The amounts of nutrient which are needed for
covering the human needs to be healthy
depend on sex, age and few other factors.
 Nutritional status
An individual condition of health in relation to digestion and
absorption of nutrients.

Nutritional care:
Application of the science of nutrition in nourishing the body
regardless of health problems or potential problems.

Adequate diet: is a diet

providing all the needed nutrients in the right
total amounts.

Junk food:
Refers to harmful foods.
 Calories

• The energy released from carbohydrates, proteins and

fats can be measured in calories.
• A calorie is the amount of heat necessary to raise
temperature of 1 gm of water by 1 C.
• 1000-calorie metric units are known as
kilocalories (kcal).

Empty-kcalorie foods
a popular term used to denote foods contribute energy
(from sugars, fat or both) but lack in protein, vitamins
and minerals Example:(potato chips and candies).
 Dietetics
the health profession responsible for the application of
nutrition science to promote human health and treat
disease

Metabolism
The sum of all chemical reactions that take place in the
body which it maintains itself produces energy for its
 Nutritional genomics:
functioning.
the science of how nutrients affect the activities of
genes and how genes affect the interactions between
diet and disease.
 Malnutrition: Malnutrition has two ty
Undernutrition: deficient energy or nutrients.
•Symptoms of under nutrition (extremely thin, losing
muscle tissues, prone to infection and disease, skin
rashes, hair loss, bleeding gum and night blindness).
Overnutrition: excess energy or nutrient.
•Symptoms of overnutrition (heart disease, diabetes,
yellow skin, rapid heart rate and low blood pressure).
 Nutritive value

The amounts of nutrient which the food consist of,

determined by using:
 Food analysis.
 Food analysis tables.
Energy from food

• The amount of energy a food provide depends on how much

CHO, fat, and protein contains.
• When completely broken down in the body,

1 gm CHO 4 kcal of energy

1 gm protein 4 kcal of energy
1 gm of fat  9 kcal of energy
therefore fat has the greater energy density than either CHO
or protein.
• Alcohol is not considered a nutrient because it interferes
with health but it yields energy
1 gm of alcohol 7 kcal of energy
Functions of food nutrients

1-Provide energy sources

2-Build tissues
3-Regulate metabolic process
Provide energy sources
The major carbohydrates in the human diet are starch,
sucrose, fructose and glucose.

• Dietary carbohydrate (starches and sugars) provided the

body's primary source of fuel for energy.

• Oxidation of carbohydrates to CO2 and H2O in the body

produces approximately 4 kcal/g.

• They also maintain the back-up store of quick energy as

glycogen (animal starch).
Build tissues

• Proteins are composed of amino acids that are

joined to form linear chains.
• The digestive process breaks down proteins to their
constituent to amino acids, which enter the blood.
• The primary function of protein is tissue building
and repairing body tissues.
• Dietary protein provides amino acids, which are the
building unit necessary for the construction and
repair of body tissues.
• Muscle protein is essential for body movement.
• Other nutrients such as minerals and vitamins used
in tissue building and maintaining tissue.
• Minerals are also found in the fluids of the body and
influence their properties.
There are 13 different vitamins, one vitamin enables
the
• eyes to see in dim light,
• protect the lungs from air pollution
• make the sex hormones,
• stop the bleeding,
• helps repair the skin,
• replace old blood cells and
lining of the digestive tract.
3-Regulate metabolic process

• Many vitamins and minerals function as coenzymes factors

in cell metabolism.

• Other nutrients (water and fibers),

water provides the environment in which nearly
all the body's activities.
Also, in many metabolic reactions and supplies the medium
for transporting vital materials to cells and waste products
away from them.
• Dietary fibers help regulate the passage of food material
through the gastrointestinal tract and influences absorption
of various nutrients.
Composition of human body

6% 2%

14%
water (61%)
Protein (17%)
Fats(13.8)
Minerals(6.1%)
17% 61% Carbohydrates(1.5)
 Nutrition assessment of individual

Evaluation of person's nutrition

1- Historical information (socioeconomic status,
drug use, diet and person's family history).

2- A=Anthropometric data (height and weight).

3- B= biochemical data (Laboratory tests).

4- C=Clinical assessment (Physical

examinations)

5- D=Dietary assessment
 Sign of good nutrition
1. Well-developed body.
2. Ideal weight.
3. Good muscle development.
4. The skin is smooth and clear
5. The hair glossy and the eyes clear
and bright.
6. Appetite, digestion and elimination
are normal.
7. Have good resistance to infection.
The relationship of nutrition with
other sciences
 Nutrient intake limits
Accurate View
Naive View

Nutrition organizations in Danger of

government toxicity
india marginal
Safety • International Union of Nutritional
Safety
Sciences.
•Food and Agriculture Organization
RDA of the United Nations. RDA
•National Institute of Nutrition. Safety
•Federation of Asian Nutrition
Societies (FANS)
Danger marginal
•Indian Council of Medical Research
(ICMR)
•World Health Organisation (WHO, Danger of
International, India) deficiency
Thank you for
listening 