Ch. 11 Nutrients and Diets
Absorption
The process in which blood or lymph capillaries pick up digested nutrients to be carried by the circulatory system to every cell in the body.
Bland Diet
A diet consisting of easily digested foods that do not irritate the digestive tract.
Calorie-Controlled Diets
Diets that include both low-calorie (for weight loss) and high-calorie (for weight gain) options.
Digestion
The process by which the body breaks down food into smaller parts, changes it chemically, and moves it through the digestive system.
Hypertension
High blood pressure, which may be caused by excess fat or salt in the diet.
Anorexia Nervosa
A psychological disorder in which a person drastically reduces food intake or refuses to eat at all.
Body Mass Index (BMI)
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.
Essential Nutrients
Chemical elements found in food used by the body to perform many different functions.
Lipids
Fats and Oils
Antioxidants
Organic molecules 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.
Fat-Restricted Diets
Also called low-fat diets, these usually limit fats to less than 50 grams daily.
Liquid Diets
Diets consisting of foods that are liquid at body temperature, including clear and full liquid varieties.
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.
Cholesterol
A sterol lipid found in body cells and animal products used for hormone production and cell membranes.
Fats (Lipids)
Organic compounds that provide the most concentrated form of energy, maintain body temperature, and cushion organs.
Low-Cholesterol Diet
A diet that restricts foods containing cholesterol and limits fats.
Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR)
The rate at which the body uses energy just for maintaining its own tissue, without doing any voluntary work.
Calorie
A unit used to measure the amount of heat produced during metabolism; represents the energy content of food.
Diabetes Mellitus
A metabolic disease caused by insufficient secretion or use of insulin, leading to increased blood glucose levels.
Fiber Diets
Diets classified as high-fiber (to stimulate digestive activity) or low-fiber (for digestive/rectal diseases).
Malnutrition
A state of poor nutrition caused by a poor diet or illness.