Nutritional Issues
Nutritional Issue Objectives
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Provide examples of nutrient deficiencies and explain how a person can be “hypernourished” and “malnourished” at the same time.
- Describe lactose intolerance, including what it is, why many people have it, the effects, and why some people can tolerate dairy into adulthood.
- List some of the concerns related to eating foods fried in oil.
We are starting with two contrasting concerns: malnutrition and hypernutrition. These are complicated; either of these could relate to food access, what an individual consumes, digestive processes, and/or absorption efficiency. Governments and researchers search for the most straight-forward and cost-effective ways to manage this aspect of public health, such as making iron more accessible in frequently consumed food items.
Identifying specific nutrients that are lacking in an individual’s diet makes it easier to supplement those nutrients, possibly through fortified foods.
Genetically engineered “golden rice” contains genetic material from daffodils and bacteria, creating rice that contains beta carotene. Beta carotene is the precursor to vitamin A, and vitamin A deficiency impacts close to 200 million people worldwide.
Iron deficiency is the most common form of malnutrition. It can occur due to dietary insufficiency, difficulty in absorption, excessive blood loss, and illness.
Which cells need iron to effectively carry oxygen? ________ Which protein in these cells utilizes iron as a binding site? _________
Hypernutrition, or excessive nutrients, can lead to health issues. Excessive calories from consumed fats, sugars, or proteins can be converted to fat and stored in cells, including the adipocytes. As we will explore in the upcoming Endocrine System guide, adipocytes release hormones and other chemicals that can cause changes in many organs. In some people, this correlates with higher disease incidence.
Where the fat is stored may impact health. Subcutaneous fatty tissue and visceral fatty tissue serve important roles (temperature regulation & energy storage). Increased amounts have different correlations with disease. Generally the visceral fat is more problematic, possibly due to proximity with other organs.
Dairy
A majority of humans are lactose intolerant as adults. Find out why, and how this has occurred.
Fried Foods
Most people know we are supposed to limit foods fried in oil, this video provides more detail.
A look at lipid content of foods people often eat as appetizers before a meal. A reminder that fat is an essential component of the human diet, concerns arise with excessive amounts and particular forms of fat.
The next section provides an overview of upper G.I.T. disorders.
Check your knowledge. Can you:
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provide examples of nutrient deficiencies and explain how a person can be “hypernourished” and “malnourished” at the same time?
- describe lactose intolerance, including what it is, why many people have it, the effects, and why some people can tolerate dairy into adulthood?
- list some of the concerns related to eating foods fried in oil?
Go back to the Nutrients Page
Go forward to the Upper G.I.T. Disorders Page
Digestive Disorders Lecture Guide Contents
The material from this guide and corresponding lecture is assessed on the weekly quiz.
Back to Module 4
This week’s overview
This Guide
Digestive Disorders
