Chapter 2- Nutrition

A summary of the 2nd Chapter- Nutrition of the AQA Human Health and Physiology textbook

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  • Created by: R_Hall
  • Created on: 11-06-12 19:15

Nutrition and a balanced diet

  • The main nutrients we need are carbohydrate, protein, lipids (fats), vitamins, minerals, water and fibre
  • The recommended daily amount (RDA) was calculated by dieticians to find out how much of the food types we need
  • Dietary requirements depend on age, gender, lifestyle and any medical conditions
  • Our diet provides building materials for cells and gives energy for movement, chemical reactions, growing and warmth
  • Nutritionists and dieticians produce data to help us chose foods so we eat a balanced diet with the correct energy intake.
  • A person can suffer from malnutrition if they eat too much/little food, or have an excess/a lack of an essential nutrient
  • Starvation is form of malnutrition, where the person does not have enough energy for daily needs
  • Dieticians will say that the only way to healthily losweight is with a balanced diet, lower energy intake and more exercise. This is safe and sustainable, and allows the chemical balance of the body to adjust
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2.2 Food labelling and testing

  • By law, manufacturers have to put accurate dietary information on labels
  • Nutritional information tells you what is in 100g of the food
  • Glucose present- Clear blue to cloudy when boiled with Benedict's reagent
  • Starch present- Brown to black with iodine
  • Protein present- Blue to lilac with biuret reagent
  • Vitamin C present- Blue to colourless with DCPIP
  • We can find the energy content of food by burning a piece and heating a boiling tube of water
  • Energy content= Volume of water x temperature rise x 1.2J / weight of food (g)
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