Overview of Nutrition
and Health
Learning Objectives
1.1 Describe how various factors influence personal food choices.
1.2 Name the six major classes of nutrients and identify which
are organic and which yield energy.
1.3 Define the four categories of the DRI, the Estimated Energy
Requirement (EER), and the Acceptable Macronutrient
Distribution Ranges (AMDR), and explain their purposes.
1.4 Describe the kinds of information researchers collect from
nutrition surveys and explain how the information is used.
Learning Objectives
1.5 Explain the use of the dietary ideals or standards to plan
a healthy diet:
PDRI – Philippine Dietary Reference Intakes / RDA
FEL - Food Exchange Lists
FCT - Food Composition Tables
RENI per Day for Filipinos
10 Nutritional Guidelines for Filipinos (revised ed 2012)
1.6 Compare the information on food labels to make selections
that meet specific dietary and health goals.
1.7 Recognize misinformation and describe how to identify
reliable nutrition information.
Health
● A range of states with physical, mental, emotional,
spiritual, and social components.
● At a minimum, health means freedom from physical
disease, mental disturbances, emotional distress,
spiritual discontent, social maladjustment, and
other negative states.
● At a maximum, health means wellness.
Wellness
● Maximum well-being; the top range of health states;
● The goal of the person who strives toward realizing
his or her full potential physically, mentally,
emotionally, spiritually, and socially
Nutrition
● The science of foods and the nutrients and other
substances they contain, and of their ingestion,
digestion, absorption, transport, metabolism,
interaction, storage, and excretion.
● A broader definition includes the study of the
environment and of human behavior as it relates to
these processes.
Food Choices
● A person selects foods for many different reasons.
● Food choices influence health—both positively and
negatively.
● Individual food selections neither make nor break a
diet’s healthfulness, but the balance of foods selected
over time can make an important difference to health
● In the interest of health, people are wise to think
“nutrition” when making their food choices.
Factors which influence food choices
u Preference u Availability, convenience,
u Habit and economy
u Associations u Age
u Ethnic heritage and u Body weight and image
regional cuisines u Medical conditions
u Values u Health and nutrition
u Social interaction
u Emotional state
The Nutrients
Six classes of nutrients: Water, carbohydrates, fats,
proteins, vitamins, and minerals
u Which ones are essential?
§ Foods must supply these
u Which ones are organic?
§ Contain carbon
u Which ones are energy-yielding?
u Which ones are vitamins?
§ Facilitate the release of energy
u Which ones are inorganic?
§ Regulate the release of energy and other roles
The Nutrients
kCalories: a measure of energy
u 1000-calorie metric unit: commonly called
“calories”
u Carbohydrates and protein
§ 4 kcalories of energy per gram
u Fat: greater energy density
§ 9 kcalories of energy per gram
u Energy nutrients in foods
§ Most foods have a mixture of all three energy-yielding
nutrients
The Nutrients
u kCalories: a measure of energy
u Energy storage in the body
u Excess nutrients results in weight gain
u Alcohol, not a nutrient
u Contributes energy; seven kcalories per gram
Computation
Nutrient Recommendations
Philippine Dietary Reference Intakes (PDRI):
A set of values for the dietary nutrient intakes of
healthy people in the Philippines. These values are
used for planning and assessing diets.
Nutrient Recommendations
Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDA)
A set of values reflecting the average daily amounts
of nutrients considered adequate to meet the known
nutrient needs of practically all healthy people in a
particular life stage and gender group; a goal for dietary
intake by individuals.
Nutrient Recommendations
Estimated Average Requirement (EAR)
Is the daily nutrient intake level that meets the
median or average requirement of half of the healthy
individuals in a particular life stage and gender group,
corrected for incomplete utilization or dietary nutrtient
bioavailability; used in nutrition research and
policymaking and as the basis on which RDA values are
set.
Nutrient Recommendations
Adequate Intake (AI)
● A set of values that are used as guides for nutrient intakes
when scientific evidence is insufficient to determine an
EAR.
● Requirement: the lowest continuing intake of a nutrient
that will maintain a specified criterion of adequacy.
● Deficient: in regard to nutrient intake, describes the
amount below which almost all healthy people can be
expected, over time, to experience deficiency symptoms
by individuals.
Nutrient Recommendations
Tolerable Upper Intake Level or Upper Limit (UL)
Is the highest average daily nutrient intake level
likely to pose no adverse health effects risk of to almost
all healthy individuals in the general population. Lack of
suitable data could not establish Uls for other nutrients,
but this does not mean that there is no potential adverse
effects resulting from high intake. As intake increases
above the UL, the potential risk of adverse health
effects increases. When data about adverse effects are
extremely limited, extra caution may be warranted.
Nutrient Recommendations
Estimated Energy Requirement (EER)
The dietary energy intake level that is predicted to
maintain energy balance in a healthy adult of a defined
age, gender, weight, and physical activity level
consistent with good health.
Nutrient Recommendations
Acceptable Macronutrient Distribution Ranges (AMDR)
Ranges of intakes for the energy yielding nutrients
that provide adequate energy and nutrients and reduce
the risk of chronic disease
Nutrient Recommendations
The PDRI committee has determined that a diet that provides
the energy yielding nutrients in the following proportions
provides adequate energy and nutrients and reduces the risk of
chronic disease:
➢ 55 to 75 percent of kcalories from carbohydrate
➢ 15 to 30 percent of kcalories from fat
➢ 10 to 15 percent of kcalories from protein
DRI (US)
Carbohydrate = ?
Fat = ?
Protein = ?
Dietary Guidelines and Food Guides
Key Recommendations of The 2012 Nutritional
Guidelines for Filipinos
1 Eat a variety of foods everyday to get the nutrients
needed by the body
2 Breastfeed infants exclusively from birth up to 6 months
then give appropriate complementary foods while
continuing breastfeeding for 2 years and beyond for
optimum growth and development.
Key Recommendations of The 2012 Nutritional
Guidelines for Filipinos
3. Eat more vegetables and fruits everyday to get the
essential vitamins, minerals and fiber for regulation of
body processes.
4. Consume fish, lean meat, poultry, egg, dried beans or nuts
daily for growth and repair of body tissues.
5. Consume milk, milk products and other calcium-rich.
foods, such as small fish and shellfish everyday for healthy
bones and teeth.
Key Recommendations of The 2012 Nutritional
Guidelines for Filipinos
6. Consume safe foods and water to prevent diarrhea and
other food – and water – borne diseases.
7. Use iodized salt to prevent Iodine Deficiency Disorders.
8. Limit intake of salty, fried, fatty and sugar rich foods to
prevent cardiovascular diseases.
9. Attain normal body weight through proper diet and
moderate physical activity to maintain good health and
help prevent obesity.
10.Be physically active, make healthy food choices, manage
stress avoid alcoholic beverages and do not smoke to help
prevent lifestyle – related
Food Labels
● list the ingredients, the serving size, the number of kcalories provided,
and the key nutrient quantities in a food—information consumers need
to select foods that will help them meet their nutrition and health
goals.
● Daily Values are a set of nutrient standards created by the FDA for use
on food labels.
● Reliable health claims are backed by the highest standards of scientific
evidence.
References
Nutrition & Diet Therapy, Ninth Edition by Linda Kelly DeBruyne, Kathryn
Pinna, Ellie Whitney
