Ch. 11 Nutrients and Diets
Absorption
The process in which blood or lymph capillaries pick up the digested nutrients.
Bland diet
consists of easily digested foods that do not irritate the digestive tract; used for patients with gastric disorders or colitis.
Diabetic diet
Also called a carbohydrate-controlled diet, it is used for patients with diabetes mellitus; patients must calculate the amount of carbohydrates in each meal.
Hypertension
High blood pressure; may be caused by an excess amount of fat or salt in the diet.
Anorexia
A psychological disorder in which a person drastically reduces food intake or refuses to eat at all.
Body mass index
A calculation that measures weight in relation to height and correlates this with body fat.
Carbohydrates
The major source of readily usable human energy, commonly called starches or sugars.
Digestion
The process by which the body breaks down food into smaller parts, changes the food chemically, and moves the food through the digestive system.
Lipids
Organic compounds commonly called fats and oils; they provide the most concentrated form of energy.
Antioxidants
Organic molecules (like vitamins A, C, and E) that help protect the body from harmful chemicals called free radicals.
Bulimarexia
A psychological disorder in which a person alternately binges and then induces vomiting or uses laxatives to get rid of food.
Cellulose
The fibrous, indigestible form of plant carbohydrate that provides bulk in the digestive tract.
Calorie-controlled diets
Include both low-calorie diets (for overweight patients) and high-calorie diets (for patients who are underweight or have hyperthyroidism).
Liquid diets
Diets that include both clear liquids (nutritionally inadequate) and full liquids; used for short periods after surgery or for patients with acute infections.
Atherosclerosis
A condition in which arteries are narrowed by the accumulation of fatty substances on their inner surfaces.
Bulimia
A psychological disorder in which a person alternately binges and then fasts, or refuses to eat at all.
Cholesterol
A sterol lipid found in body cells and animal products; used in the production of steroid hormones, vitamin D, and bile acids.
Fat-restricted diets
Also called low-fat diets, these limit fats to less than 50 grams daily and are used for patients with gallbladder and liver disease or obesity.
Malnutrition
The state of poor nutrition; may be caused by poor diet or illness.
Basal metabolic rate
The rate at which the body uses energy just for maintaining its own tissue, without doing any voluntary work.
Calorie
calories" as a unit of energy
Diabetes mellitus
A metabolic disease caused by insufficient secretion or use of insulin.
Fiber diets
Classified as high-fiber (at least 30 grams to stimulate activity in the digestive tract) or low-fiber/low-residue (for patients with colitis or diarrhea).
Metabolism
The process in which nutrients are used by the cells for building tissue, providing energy, and regulating various body functions.