Fundamentals of Nutrition and Nutritional Analysis
Fundamentals of Nutrition
- Nutrition is the process of providing or obtaining the food necessary for health, growth, and overall body maintenance.
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Foods requiring attention in nutritional assessments include carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins, minerals, fibre and water.
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Macronutrients such as carbohydrates, proteins, and fats contribute significantly to energy production within the body.
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Carbohydrates are the body's main energy source, contributing about 60% of total daily energy requirements. They can be classified as simple or complex.
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Protein is an essential macronutrient involved in building, repairing, and maintaining body tissues. It can be of animal or plant origin.
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Fats play a crucial role in maintaining healthy skin and hair, insulating body organs, and supporting cell growth.
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Micronutrients include vitamins and minerals which are needed in smaller quantities but play a crucial role in body processes such as disease prevention and management.
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Vitamins can be fat-soluble (vitamin A, D, E, K) or water-soluble (vitamin C, B group). They are essential for efficient energy production, immune function, and blood clotting.
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Minerals like calcium, iron, and magnesium play a key role in several body functions including bone structure, heartbeat, and synthesizing DNA and RNA.
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Fibre besides being a non-digestible carbohydrate, it aids in bowel movement regularity, reducing the risk of constipation, and could contribute towards maintaining healthy weight.
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Water is fundamental to our lives. It is vital for digestion, absorption, transportation of nutrients, and body temperature regulation.
Nutritional Analysis
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Nutritional Analysis covers the determination of nutrients present in food substances. It involves the use of different methodologies to determine the caloric content as well as the amount and type of nutrients contained in food samples.
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It often assesses nutrients such as proteins, carbohydrates, fat, fibre, naturally occurring sugars, vitamins, and minerals.
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Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs) serve as the fundamental guide in nutritional evaluation. They provide important data like the Recommended Daily Allowances (RDAs) and Acceptable Upper Intake Levels (ULs).
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Comprehensive nutritional analysis utilises methodologies like Spectrophotometry, Chromatography and Mass Spectrometry. These provide specific details about nutrient levels in food samples.
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Nutritional analysis also informs the production of food labels. These labels provide vital information regarding nutrient content to guide informed food choices among consumers.
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Accurate nutritional analysis is critical in food formulation and fortification, ensuring the development of food products that meet specific nutritional requirements or targets. It is also key in addressing malnutrition and nutritional deficiencies.
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Finally, nutritional analysis serves as a vital tool for dietary planning and management of nutritional-related conditions, helping healthcare professionals to tailor dietary needs to individual patient requirements.