SACE Stage 2 Nutrition flashcards

33 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.

Atwater energy factors

Standard values for metabolisable energy: carbohydrate 17 kJ/g, protein 17 kJ/g, fat 37 kJ/g, alcohol 29 kJ/g and dietary fibre about 8 kJ/g. They are used to calculate the energy content of foods.

Percentage energy from fat

Calculated by multiplying grams of fat by 37 kJ/g, dividing by total food energy in kJ, then multiplying by 100. The result is compared with the acceptable macronutrient distribution range of 20–35 percent.

Acceptable macronutrient distribution range

The range of energy intake from each macronutrient associated with reduced chronic disease risk: carbohydrate 45–65 percent, fat 20–35 percent and protein 15–25 percent of total energy for adults.

Protein recommended dietary intake

Approximately 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body mass per day for healthy adults. Requirements increase during growth, pregnancy, lactation and recovery from illness or injury.

Glycaemic index

A ranking of carbohydrate foods based on the blood glucose rise over two hours after a portion containing 50 grams of available carbohydrate, compared with a reference food such as glucose.

Glycaemic load

Calculated as glycaemic index multiplied by available carbohydrate in grams, divided by 100. It combines quality and quantity of carbohydrate, so low-load foods raise blood glucose less.

Nutrient density

The amount of nutrients a food supplies relative to its energy content. Foods high in vitamins, minerals, protein and fibre with low energy content are nutrient dense.

Energy density

The kilojoules supplied per gram of food. Water-rich fruit and vegetables have low energy density, whereas fat-rich foods and added-sugar products have high energy density.

Basal metabolic rate

The energy used to maintain vital functions at rest, typically 60–75 percent of total energy expenditure. It depends mainly on lean body mass, age, sex and hormonal status.

Thermic effect of food

The energy expended digesting, absorbing and metabolising nutrients, roughly 5–10 percent of energy intake. Protein has a higher thermic effect than carbohydrate or fat.

Essential amino acids

Nine amino acids the body cannot synthesise in adequate amounts: histidine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, threonine, tryptophan and valine. They must come from food.

Limiting amino acid

The essential amino acid present in the lowest proportion relative to body requirements, which restricts protein synthesis. Cereals are limited by lysine, and legumes by methionine.

Protein complementation

Combining foods with different limiting amino acids, such as cereal plus legume or cereal plus dairy, so the combined meal supplies a complete pattern of essential amino acids.

Essential fatty acids

Linoleic acid (omega-6) and alpha-linolenic acid (omega-3) cannot be made by the body and must be eaten. They support cell membranes, skin integrity and eicosanoid production.

Fat-soluble vitamins

Vitamins A, D, E and K, which are absorbed with dietary fat, stored in the liver and adipose tissue, and carried by lipoproteins. Steatorrhoea can cause deficiency.

Haem versus non-haem iron

Haem iron from animal foods is absorbed efficiently. Non-haem iron from plants is absorbed less well, enhanced by vitamin C and inhibited by phytates, tannins and calcium.

Calcium reference intake

Adults need about 1000 milligrams of calcium daily, with higher needs during adolescence and after menopause. Dairy foods and fortified plant alternatives are major sources.

Salivary amylase

An enzyme in saliva that begins starch digestion in the mouth, breaking starch into shorter chains and maltose. It is inactivated by the acidic environment of the stomach.

Bile salts

Produced by the liver and stored in the gallbladder, they emulsify fat into small droplets in the small intestine, increasing the surface area for pancreatic lipase to act.

Villi and microvilli

Finger-like projections and brush-border folds lining the small intestine. They greatly increase absorptive surface area, and their damage in coeliac disease impairs nutrient absorption.

Lactose intolerance

A digestive condition caused by reduced lactase activity, so undigested lactose is fermented by colonic bacteria, producing bloating, cramps and diarrhoea. It is not an immune allergy.

Coeliac disease

An autoimmune disorder in which gluten peptides trigger damage to small-intestinal villi. It causes malabsorption of iron, calcium, folate and fat-soluble vitamins and requires a lifelong gluten-free diet.

Body mass index

Body mass divided by height in metres squared. Adult categories are under 18.5 underweight, 18.5–24.9 healthy, 25–29.9 overweight and 30 or above obese.

Waist circumference

A measure of central adiposity that complements body mass index. Increased risk is commonly indicated above about 94 centimetres for men and 80 centimetres for women.

ABCD nutrition assessment

A framework using anthropometric, biochemical, clinical and dietary measures together. Combining several methods improves reliability, since each single method has limitations.

Twenty-four hour recall

A dietary assessment method asking a person to describe everything eaten and drunk in the previous day. It is quick but relies on memory and may not represent usual intake.

Food frequency questionnaire

A dietary assessment tool asking how often specified foods are eaten over a period. It estimates habitual intake but depends on accurate recall and a well-designed food list.

Food security pillars

Availability, access, utilisation and stability. Together they describe whether people can obtain, safely use and reliably access sufficient nutritious food for an active healthy life.

Nutrition information panel

A mandatory label listing energy, protein, total and saturated fat, total carbohydrate and sugars, and sodium, reported per serving and per 100 grams or millilitres.

Health claim on food labels

A statement linking a food or nutrient to a health outcome, permitted only when the product meets specified nutrient criteria. General nutrition claims must also meet defined conditions.

Ultra-processed foods

Group four of the NOVA classification: industrial formulations with additives, refined ingredients and little whole food. High intake is associated with poorer diet quality and chronic disease risk.

Temperature danger zone

The range between 5 and 60 degrees Celsius where food-poisoning bacteria multiply fastest, with optimal growth near 37 degrees. High-risk moist, protein-rich foods should stay outside this range.

Fortification versus enrichment

Fortification adds a nutrient to food to prevent or correct a documented deficiency, such as iodine in salt. Enrichment restores nutrients lost during processing to original levels.