I85PREP
⌘ K
Tamil Nadu HSE Second Year Nutrition and Dietetics study materials
Tamil Nadu HSE Second Year Nutrition and Dietetics study resources

Tamil Nadu HSE Second Year Nutrition and Dietetics practice questions

One question at a time. Build your Tamil Nadu HSE Second Year Nutrition and Dietetics understanding.

First 50 of 200 questions. Each one lists the choices, the correct answer, and an explanation. The checker at the top of this page saves progress in this browser when it is available.

Continue in the practice tool above to load more questions, 50 at a time.

Question 1Introduction to Nutrition and Dietetics

In the study of nutrition, which term best describes the sum of all chemical processes by which the body breaks down and builds up substances after food is absorbed?

  1. Egestion
  2. Metabolism Correct answer.
  3. Absorption
  4. Digestion

Explanation

Metabolism is the collective term for all the chemical reactions in the body, including catabolic breakdown and anabolic synthesis of nutrients and body substances. Digestion and absorption are earlier steps that prepare nutrients for these reactions, while egestion removes unabsorbed waste.

Question 2Introduction to Nutrition and Dietetics

A student lists the six major classes of nutrients taught in the Tamil Nadu Nutrition and Dietetics syllabus. Which grouping correctly names all six?

  1. Carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins, minerals and fibre
  2. Carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins, minerals and water Correct answer.
  3. Proteins, fats, vitamins, minerals, water and phytochemicals
  4. Carbohydrates, proteins, lipids, enzymes, minerals and water

Explanation

The standard classification of nutrients includes carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins, minerals and water as the six essential nutrient classes. Fibre is a component of carbohydrate foods, enzymes are proteins, and phytochemicals are non-nutrient plant compounds, so none of those belongs in the list of six.

Question 3Introduction to Nutrition and Dietetics

Which energy value is conventionally applied to one gram of dietary fat when calculating the energy content of a meal?

  1. 9 kcal Correct answer.
  2. 2 kcal
  3. 4 kcal
  4. 7 kcal

Explanation

Fat yields approximately 9 kcal per gram, the highest energy density of the macronutrients, which is why fatty foods contribute heavily to total energy intake. Carbohydrate and protein each provide about 4 kcal per gram, and alcohol supplies about 7 kcal per gram.

Question 4Introduction to Nutrition and Dietetics

Riboflavin, thiamine and niacin are grouped together in nutrition because they share which property?

  1. They are minerals required for haemoglobin synthesis
  2. They are fat-soluble vitamins stored mainly in the liver
  3. They are water-soluble vitamins that act as coenzymes in energy release Correct answer.
  4. They are essential amino acids used in tissue repair

Explanation

Thiamine, riboflavin and niacin belong to the B-complex group, are water-soluble, and function as coenzymes in the reactions that release energy from carbohydrate, fat and protein. Because they dissolve in water, excess amounts are excreted in urine rather than stored in body fat.

Question 5Introduction to Nutrition and Dietetics

Which statement correctly describes the role of dietary fibre in the diet?

  1. It is absorbed intact into the bloodstream to supply glucose
  2. It provides about 4 kcal per gram because it is fully digested in the small intestine
  3. It is a mineral that regulates body water balance
  4. It adds bulk that aids peristalsis and helps prevent constipation Correct answer.

Explanation

Dietary fibre consists mainly of indigestible plant carbohydrates that add bulk to the intestinal contents, stimulate peristalsis and help prevent constipation. Humans lack the enzymes to break most fibre down, so it contributes little or no energy and is not absorbed as glucose.

Question 6Introduction to Nutrition and Dietetics

A dietitian assesses a 20-year-old sedentary woman using the Harris-Benedict approach. If her basal metabolic rate is 1300 kcal and her physical activity adds 30 per cent of that value, what is her estimated total daily energy expenditure?

  1. 1990 kcal
  2. 1330 kcal
  3. 1390 kcal
  4. 1690 kcal Correct answer.

Explanation

Total energy expenditure is the basal metabolic rate plus the energy cost of activity. Thirty per cent of 1300 kcal is 390 kcal, and adding this to 1300 kcal gives 1690 kcal per day.

Question 7Introduction to Nutrition and Dietetics

Which food pairing best illustrates the principle of protein complementation in a South Indian vegetarian meal?

  1. Rock salt served with buttermilk
  2. Ghee served with plain cooked rice
  3. Tender coconut water served with banana
  4. Rice served with sambar made of dal Correct answer.

Explanation

Cereals such as rice are low in lysine but adequate in methionine, whereas pulses such as dal are rich in lysine but low in methionine. Combining them in one meal improves the overall amino acid pattern, which is the basis of protein complementation.

Question 8Introduction to Nutrition and Dietetics

Which vitamin deficiency is most directly associated with night blindness and is prevented by consuming foods rich in beta-carotene such as carrots and drumstick leaves?

  1. Vitamin K
  2. Vitamin C
  3. Vitamin A Correct answer.
  4. Vitamin D

Explanation

Vitamin A is required by the retina to form rhodopsin, the pigment needed for vision in dim light, so deficiency leads to night blindness and later xerophthalmia. Beta-carotene in plant foods such as carrots and green leafy vegetables is converted to retinol in the body.

Question 9Introduction to Nutrition and Dietetics

A child shows bow legs, delayed closure of the fontanelle and swelling at the ends of the ribs. Which nutrient deficiency should the dietitian suspect first?

  1. Vitamin B12
  2. Iron
  3. Iodine
  4. Calcium and vitamin D Correct answer.

Explanation

Bow legs, delayed fontanelle closure and beading at the rib ends are classic signs of rickets, caused by inadequate vitamin D and calcium, which impairs mineralisation of growing bone. Sunlight exposure and vitamin D-rich foods are central to prevention.

Question 10Introduction to Nutrition and Dietetics

Which statement correctly distinguishes a balanced diet from a merely adequate one?

  1. A balanced diet supplies enough energy to satisfy hunger regardless of nutrient content
  2. A balanced diet consists mainly of one staple cereal supplemented with vitamin tablets
  3. A balanced diet supplies energy and all nutrients in the correct proportions from varied foods Correct answer.
  4. A balanced diet excludes all fats to prevent obesity

Explanation

A balanced diet provides energy and every essential nutrient in the proportions the body needs, drawn from a variety of food groups. Meeting energy needs alone or relying on a single staple does not ensure that vitamin, mineral and protein requirements are met.

Question 11Introduction to Nutrition and Dietetics

In the ICMR classification of foods into functional groups, which group is the primary source of protein, B vitamins and iron?

  1. Fruits and vegetables
  2. Cereals and millets
  3. Pulses and legumes Correct answer.
  4. Fats and oils

Explanation

Pulses and legumes are grouped as body-building and protective foods because they are concentrated sources of protein, B vitamins and minerals such as iron. Cereals are grouped mainly as energy foods, while fats and oils are concentrated energy sources.

Question 12Introduction to Nutrition and Dietetics

A lactating mother following a strict vegan diet is advised to include a fortified cereal or a supplement. Which nutrient is most critical because its natural dietary source is almost entirely of animal origin?

  1. Vitamin B12 Correct answer.
  2. Vitamin K
  3. Vitamin C
  4. Thiamine

Explanation

Vitamin B12 occurs naturally almost exclusively in foods of animal origin, so vegans are at high risk of deficiency, which can cause megaloblastic anaemia and neurological damage. Fortified foods or supplements are therefore recommended, especially during lactation.

Question 13Introduction to Nutrition and Dietetics

Which change in the diet is most appropriate for a person with hypertension who is otherwise healthy?

  1. Restricting sodium and increasing potassium-rich fruits and vegetables Correct answer.
  2. Increasing salt intake to improve fluid balance
  3. Taking large doses of vitamin A daily
  4. Replacing all cereals with refined sugar

Explanation

Reducing sodium intake lowers blood pressure, and potassium from fruits and vegetables helps counter sodium's effect and supports normal vascular function. This dietary pattern is the basis of dietary approaches to stop hypertension.

Question 14Introduction to Nutrition and Dietetics

A student argues that a food labelled 'low fat' must be suitable for a weight-reduction diet. Which reasoning best evaluates this claim?

  1. It is invalid because fat content alone does not determine total energy or nutrient quality Correct answer.
  2. It is invalid because low-fat foods cannot be part of a balanced diet
  3. It is valid because fat is the only source of energy in foods
  4. It is valid because low-fat foods are always low in sugar

Explanation

Energy content depends on all macronutrients, not fat alone; a low-fat product may still be high in sugar or starch and hence energy-dense. Judging suitability requires considering total energy, sugar, fibre and overall nutrient density.

Question 15Introduction to Nutrition and Dietetics

Two adults consume the same total energy, but one obtains 20 per cent of energy from protein and the other 5 per cent. Which conclusion is most defensible from a nutrition standpoint?

  1. Protein percentage has no bearing on diet quality
  2. The 5 per cent diet is likely inadequate in protein for tissue maintenance and repair Correct answer.
  3. Both diets are equally adequate because total energy is identical
  4. The 20 per cent diet is harmful because excess protein is always stored as fat

Explanation

The percentage of energy from protein matters because protein supplies essential amino acids for growth and tissue repair; a very low proportion may fail to meet requirements even when energy intake is adequate. The 20 per cent level is within accepted ranges for most healthy adults.

Question 16Introduction to Nutrition and Dietetics

A community nutritionist finds that a village has adequate food availability but high rates of anaemia and goitre. Which explanation best accounts for this pattern?

  1. Food availability alone guarantees nutritional adequacy
  2. Both conditions result from overconsumption of vitamin C
  3. The diet may be energy-sufficient but deficient in iron and iodine Correct answer.
  4. Anaemia and goitre are caused by excessive protein intake

Explanation

Nutritional status depends on diet quality, not merely the quantity of food available. A diet can meet energy needs while lacking iron and iodine, producing anaemia and goitre despite adequate food supply.

Question 17Food Groups, Food Guide Pyramid and Balanced Diet

In the five food group classification used in the Tamil Nadu Higher Secondary Nutrition and Dietetics syllabus, which food group is the chief source of calcium and riboflavin in a typical South Indian diet?

  1. Pulses and legumes group
  2. Milk and milk products group Correct answer.
  3. Fats and oils group
  4. Cereals and millets group

Explanation

The milk and milk products group includes milk, curd, buttermilk and paneer, which supply the largest share of dietary calcium and riboflavin because these nutrients occur in high concentration in milk. Cereals, pulses and fats contain calcium only in small amounts and cannot meet daily needs without dairy or other calcium-rich foods.

Question 18Food Groups, Food Guide Pyramid and Balanced Diet

A dietitian classifies groundnuts in the five food group plan. Groundnuts are placed in the fats and oils group rather than the pulses group mainly because of their high content of which component?

  1. Starch
  2. Ascorbic acid
  3. Dietary fibre
  4. Fat Correct answer.

Explanation

Foods are grouped by the nutrient they contribute most significantly to the diet. Groundnuts contain about forty to fifty per cent fat, so their energy contribution resembles that of oils, and they are therefore grouped with fats and oils even though botanically they are legumes.

Question 19Food Groups, Food Guide Pyramid and Balanced Diet

In the food guide pyramid, which level forms the broad base and should contribute the largest number of servings in a balanced daily diet?

  1. Fats, oils and sugar
  2. Cereals, millets and their products Correct answer.
  3. Vegetables and fruits
  4. Milk and meat products

Explanation

The pyramid is drawn widest at the base to show foods that should be eaten most liberally. Cereals and millets form this base because they are affordable energy sources that supply the bulk of calories and B vitamins in Indian diets.

Question 20Food Groups, Food Guide Pyramid and Balanced Diet

A school canteen menu planner wants to apply the food guide pyramid principle to a lunch menu. Which change best reflects the pyramid's guidance?

  1. Reduce the fried snack portion and increase the vegetable and cereal portions Correct answer.
  2. Serve only milk and meat and omit cereals and vegetables
  3. Replace the cereal portion with an extra serving of ghee
  4. Double the sugar in the dessert and remove the fruit

Explanation

The pyramid advises eating most from the cereal and vegetable levels and least from the fats and sugar apex. Shrinking the fried snack and enlarging cereal and vegetable servings therefore moves the meal towards the recommended pattern of high nutrient density with moderate energy.

Question 21Food Groups, Food Guide Pyramid and Balanced Diet

Which statement correctly describes a balanced diet as defined in nutrition textbooks?

  1. A diet that supplies all essential nutrients in the required amounts and correct proportions to maintain health Correct answer.
  2. A diet that supplies mainly energy foods in large quantity to prevent weight loss
  3. A diet that contains equal weights of every food group at each meal
  4. A diet that excludes all fats and sugars to prevent chronic disease

Explanation

A balanced diet is defined by adequacy and proportion of nutrients rather than by equal weights of foods. It must meet the requirement for energy, protein, vitamins, minerals and water while including enough fibre and staying within safe limits for fat and sugar.

Question 22Food Groups, Food Guide Pyramid and Balanced Diet

Two students of the same age and sex have different occupations: one does desk work and the other does heavy manual labour. Their balanced diets should differ chiefly in which respect?

  1. Calcium content, which is unrelated to activity level
  2. Protein quality, since one needs only incomplete protein
  3. Total energy content, mainly from cereals and fats Correct answer.
  4. Vitamin C content, which doubles with physical work

Explanation

Energy requirement rises with physical activity, so the heavy worker needs a larger total energy intake. This extra energy is supplied chiefly by increasing cereal and fat portions, while the requirement for most vitamins and minerals changes far less.

Question 23Food Groups, Food Guide Pyramid and Balanced Diet

Cereals are commonly called the staple food of a balanced Indian diet. Which nutritional role best justifies this description?

  1. They supply the largest share of dietary energy and B vitamins such as thiamine Correct answer.
  2. They supply complete protein with all essential amino acids in ideal proportion
  3. They supply the largest share of dietary retinol and vitamin D
  4. They supply the largest share of dietary calcium and vitamin C

Explanation

Cereals such as rice, ragi and wheat are eaten in large quantity and therefore contribute most of the day's energy, along with thiamine, niacin and iron. Their protein is incomplete and their calcium, retinol and vitamin C contents are low, so the other options misstate their role.

Question 24Food Groups, Food Guide Pyramid and Balanced Diet

Which combination of foods best illustrates the principle of complementary proteins in a balanced vegetarian South Indian meal?

  1. Boiled potato with salt
  2. Ragi porridge with jaggery
  3. Rice with coconut chutney
  4. Rice with sambar made from red gram dhal Correct answer.

Explanation

Cereals are low in lysine while pulses are low in methionine, so eating them together supplies a better amino acid pattern than either alone. Rice with red gram dhal is the classic cereal-pulse combination that demonstrates this complementary effect.

Question 25Food Groups, Food Guide Pyramid and Balanced Diet

Green leafy vegetables are placed in the protective food group mainly because they are rich in which set of nutrients?

  1. Beta-carotene, iron, calcium and riboflavin Correct answer.
  2. Starch, fat and vitamin D
  3. Sucrose, sodium chloride and saturated fat
  4. Retinol, vitamin B12 and cholesterol

Explanation

Protective foods are those rich in vitamins and minerals that prevent deficiency diseases. Green leafy vegetables supply beta-carotene, iron, calcium and riboflavin, and their fibre and folate add further protective value.

Question 26Food Groups, Food Guide Pyramid and Balanced Diet

A family wants to improve the iron content and iron absorption of a vegetarian meal based on rice and dhal. Which practice is most effective?

  1. Add extra polished rice to the plate
  2. Replace the dhal with more ghee
  3. Serve strong tea with the meal
  4. Add a squeeze of lemon or amla to the dhal and include a green leafy vegetable Correct answer.

Explanation

Plant foods contain non-haem iron, whose absorption is enhanced by vitamin C and inhibited by tannins and phytates. Adding a vitamin C source such as lemon or amla together with an iron-rich leafy vegetable therefore raises both the iron content and its bioavailability.

Question 27Food Groups, Food Guide Pyramid and Balanced Diet

In the five food group plan, which group is the richest source of high-quality protein, iron and B vitamins including B12?

  1. Sugar and jaggery group
  2. Cereals and millets group
  3. Fruits and vegetables group
  4. Meat, fish, egg and pulses group Correct answer.

Explanation

The meat, fish and egg group supplies complete protein, haem iron and vitamin B12, while pulses in the same group contribute inexpensive protein and B vitamins. Fruits, vegetables, cereals and sugars lack vitamin B12 and are poorer in complete protein.

Question 28Food Groups, Food Guide Pyramid and Balanced Diet

A dietitian compares the food guide pyramid with the five food group plan. Which statement correctly distinguishes the two tools?

  1. Both tools classify foods only by their energy value in kilocalories
  2. Both tools are used only for planning therapeutic diets in hospitals
  3. The pyramid ranks groups by recommended servings, while the food group plan lists foods by the nutrients they contribute Correct answer.
  4. The pyramid lists foods by nutrient content, while the food group plan ranks them by servings

Explanation

The five food group plan is a classification system that groups foods according to the nutrients they supply. The food guide pyramid builds on that classification and adds a quantitative and qualitative dimension by placing groups in levels according to the number of servings recommended.

Question 29Food Groups, Food Guide Pyramid and Balanced Diet

Which food is the most concentrated source of retinol among the following, and is therefore placed in the protective food group for vitamin A?

  1. Potato
  2. Rice
  3. Liver Correct answer.
  4. Cabbage

Explanation

Retinol, the preformed form of vitamin A, occurs almost exclusively in animal foods, and liver stores so much of it that liver is the richest dietary source. Cabbage supplies beta-carotene rather than retinol, while potato and rice contain negligible amounts of either form.

Question 30Food Groups, Food Guide Pyramid and Balanced Diet

A low-income family cannot afford milk daily. Which locally available combination best replaces the calcium and protein contribution of milk in their diet?

  1. Refined wheat flour with ghee
  2. Potato with salt and chilli powder
  3. Polished rice with sugar
  4. Ragi with a small amount of green leafy vegetable and a pulse Correct answer.

Explanation

Ragi is unusually rich in calcium among cereals, and green leafy vegetables and pulses add further calcium and protein. Combining these inexpensive foods gives a nutrient profile closer to milk than any of the energy-only combinations listed.

Question 31Food Groups, Food Guide Pyramid and Balanced Diet

Which statement about the apex of the food guide pyramid is correct?

  1. Fats and sugar must be totally removed from every balanced diet
  2. Fats and sugar should form the largest share of daily servings because they are energy dense
  3. Fats and sugar are grouped with milk because both supply calcium
  4. Fats, oils and sugar should be used sparingly because they add energy with few other nutrients Correct answer.

Explanation

The apex is narrow to indicate that fats, oils and sugar should be used in small amounts. They are concentrated sources of energy that contribute little protein, vitamin or mineral value, so large intakes displace protective foods and promote obesity.

Question 32Food Groups, Food Guide Pyramid and Balanced Diet

A pregnant woman's balanced diet plan increases her intake of green leafy vegetables, milk and pulses. Which nutrient needs does this change chiefly address?

  1. Refined starch and sucrose for maternal weight gain
  2. Iron, calcium and protein for fetal growth and maternal tissue Correct answer.
  3. Saturated fat and cholesterol for hormone synthesis
  4. Sodium, chloride and free sugar for blood volume

Explanation

Pregnancy raises requirements for iron for expanded maternal blood volume and fetal stores, calcium for fetal skeleton, and protein for maternal and fetal tissue growth. Leafy vegetables, milk and pulses are the practical dietary sources of these three nutrients.

Question 33Food Groups, Food Guide Pyramid and Balanced Diet

Which of the following is the best example of a food that serves as both a body-building and a protective food?

  1. Refined rice
  2. Sugar
  3. Coconut oil
  4. Curd Correct answer.

Explanation

Body-building foods supply protein for growth and repair, while protective foods supply vitamins and minerals. Curd supplies good-quality protein together with calcium and riboflavin, so it fulfils both roles at once.

Question 34Food Groups, Food Guide Pyramid and Balanced Diet

When planning a balanced diet for an adolescent girl in Tamil Nadu, a dietitian uses food exchange lists. What is the main purpose of an exchange list in such planning?

  1. To fix the cost of the diet regardless of seasonal availability
  2. To eliminate cereals from the diet and replace them with fruits
  3. To permit free substitution between any two groups because all foods are nutritionally equal
  4. To allow substitution of foods within a group so that a similar nutrient content is maintained Correct answer.

Explanation

An exchange list groups foods of similar energy and macronutrient content so that one item can replace another within the same list without changing the diet's nutrient value. This gives variety and permits the use of seasonal and local foods while keeping the plan's adequacy intact.

Question 35Food Groups, Food Guide Pyramid and Balanced Diet

Which practice best preserves the B vitamins of rice during home cooking, in line with the balanced diet principle of minimising nutrient loss?

  1. Washing rice gently in a small quantity of water and cooking by absorption without discarding the water Correct answer.
  2. Washing rice repeatedly and draining the cooked water as kanji
  3. Adding baking soda while cooking to shorten the cooking time
  4. Soaking polished rice overnight in excess water and throwing the water away

Explanation

Thiamine and other B vitamins are water soluble and are lost when rice is washed repeatedly or when the cooking water is drained away. Gentle washing and absorption cooking keep the vitamins in the grain and in the retained water, so they reach the consumer.

Question 36Food Groups, Food Guide Pyramid and Balanced Diet

Which of the following is a correct statement about the number of food groups used in the standard five food group classification?

  1. Seven groups are used, one for each vitamin and mineral
  2. Three groups are used, covering energy foods, body-building foods and protective foods
  3. Two groups are used, covering vegetarian and non-vegetarian foods
  4. Five groups are used, covering cereals, pulses and meat, milk, vegetables and fruits, and fats and sugars Correct answer.

Explanation

The five food group plan classifies foods into cereals and millets, pulses and meat products, milk and milk products, vegetables and fruits, and fats and sugars. The three-fold classification into energy, body-building and protective foods is a different, functional system, not the five food group plan.

Question 37Macronutrients: Carbohydrates, Proteins and Lipids

In the Tamil Nadu diet, rice is the staple cereal. Which macronutrient does rice supply most abundantly?

  1. Protein
  2. Dietary fibre
  3. Fat
  4. Carbohydrate Correct answer.

Explanation

Rice is a cereal grain whose endosperm is dominated by starch, so it is primarily a carbohydrate food. It supplies only small amounts of protein and negligible fat, while its fibre content is low because the bran is removed in polished rice.

Question 38Macronutrients: Carbohydrates, Proteins and Lipids

Which of the following is a monosaccharide that is absorbed directly into the blood without further digestion?

  1. Maltose
  2. Glucose Correct answer.
  3. Sucrose
  4. Starch

Explanation

Monosaccharides such as glucose, fructose and galactose need no digestion and are absorbed directly by the intestinal cells. Disaccharides and polysaccharides must first be hydrolysed to monosaccharides before absorption.

Question 39Macronutrients: Carbohydrates, Proteins and Lipids

Amino acids that the human body cannot synthesise in sufficient amounts and must obtain from the diet are called:

  1. Non-essential amino acids
  2. Essential amino acids Correct answer.
  3. Limiting amino acids
  4. Conditionally essential amino acids

Explanation

Essential amino acids must be supplied by food because the body cannot make them at a rate that meets needs. There are nine for adults: histidine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, threonine, tryptophan and valine.

Question 40Macronutrients: Carbohydrates, Proteins and Lipids

Which lipid fraction is chemically a steroid and serves as the precursor of bile acids and vitamin D?

  1. Phospholipid
  2. Triglyceride
  3. Cholesterol Correct answer.
  4. Free fatty acid

Explanation

Cholesterol has a four-ring steroid nucleus and is the starting material for bile acid and steroid hormone synthesis and for vitamin D formation in the skin. Triglycerides, phospholipids and free fatty acids have different backbone structures and do not share this role.

Question 41Macronutrients: Carbohydrates, Proteins and Lipids

Which disaccharide is formed when one glucose unit and one galactose unit are joined?

  1. Maltose
  2. Sucrose
  3. Trehalose
  4. Lactose Correct answer.

Explanation

Lactose, the sugar of milk, is a disaccharide of glucose and galactose joined by a beta-1,4 bond. Its digestion depends on intestinal lactase, which explains lactose intolerance in people with low lactase activity.

Question 42Macronutrients: Carbohydrates, Proteins and Lipids

Which food combination best illustrates protein complementation for a predominantly rice-eating population?

  1. Rice served with sambar made with toor dal Correct answer.
  2. Rice served with ghee
  3. Rice served with sugar
  4. Rice served with coconut chutney

Explanation

Cereals such as rice are low in lysine but adequate in methionine, while pulses such as toor dal are rich in lysine but low in methionine. Combining rice with dal supplies both limiting amino acids, raising the overall protein quality of the meal.

Question 43Macronutrients: Carbohydrates, Proteins and Lipids

Which enzyme begins the digestion of starch in the mouth?

  1. Salivary amylase Correct answer.
  2. Trypsin
  3. Lipase
  4. Pepsin

Explanation

Salivary amylase (ptyalin) hydrolyses alpha-1,4 glycosidic bonds of starch into dextrins and maltose in the mouth. Its action stops in the acidic stomach and resumes with pancreatic amylase in the small intestine.

Question 44Macronutrients: Carbohydrates, Proteins and Lipids

Which statement correctly describes the energy value of fat compared with carbohydrate?

  1. Fat yields about 4 kcal per gram, the same as carbohydrate
  2. Fat yields about 7 kcal per gram, less than alcohol
  3. Fat yields about 9 kcal per gram, more than twice that of carbohydrate Correct answer.
  4. Fat yields about 4 kcal per gram but is absorbed more slowly

Explanation

Fat provides approximately 9 kcal per gram, whereas carbohydrate and protein each provide about 4 kcal per gram. This high energy density explains why even small amounts of oil or ghee add substantially to the energy content of a meal.

Question 45Macronutrients: Carbohydrates, Proteins and Lipids

A student's diet supplies 60 g protein, 250 g carbohydrate and 50 g fat daily. Using Atwater factors, what is the approximate total energy intake?

  1. 1,690 kcal
  2. 1,970 kcal Correct answer.
  3. 2,170 kcal
  4. 2,470 kcal

Explanation

Multiply each macronutrient by its Atwater factor: protein 60 × 4 = 240 kcal, carbohydrate 250 × 4 = 1,000 kcal, fat 50 × 9 = 450 kcal. Adding these gives 240 + 1,000 + 450 = 1,690 kcal, so the closest listed figure is 1,690 kcal.

Question 46Macronutrients: Carbohydrates, Proteins and Lipids

Which statement about dietary fibre is correct?

  1. Soluble fibre such as pectin lowers blood cholesterol by binding bile acids Correct answer.
  2. Soluble fibre is found only in wheat bran
  3. Fibre provides about 9 kcal per gram when fermented
  4. Insoluble fibre is fully digested by human intestinal enzymes

Explanation

Soluble fibres such as pectin and gums form gels and bind bile acids, increasing their excretion so the liver diverts cholesterol to make more bile acids, which lowers blood cholesterol. Insoluble fibres such as cellulose add bulk and speed transit but are not digested by human enzymes.

Question 47Macronutrients: Carbohydrates, Proteins and Lipids

Which protein is the main structural protein of connective tissue and is rich in glycine, proline and hydroxyproline?

  1. Collagen Correct answer.
  2. Gluten
  3. Casein
  4. Albumin

Explanation

Collagen is the fibrous protein of skin, tendon and bone matrix, with an unusual amino acid pattern dominated by glycine, proline and hydroxyproline. Its deficiency of tryptophan makes it a poor-quality protein when eaten alone.

Question 48Macronutrients: Carbohydrates, Proteins and Lipids

Which lipoprotein carries the highest proportion of triglyceride and transports newly absorbed dietary fat from the intestine?

  1. Low-density lipoprotein
  2. High-density lipoprotein
  3. Chylomicron Correct answer.
  4. Very-low-density lipoprotein

Explanation

Chylomicrons are formed in the intestinal mucosa and are richest in triglyceride, carrying dietary fat through lymph into blood. VLDL carries mainly liver-derived triglyceride, while LDL and HDL are cholesterol-rich particles.

Question 49Macronutrients: Carbohydrates, Proteins and Lipids

Which fatty acid is essential and must be obtained from dietary vegetable oils?

  1. Linoleic acid Correct answer.
  2. Palmitic acid
  3. Stearic acid
  4. Oleic acid

Explanation

Linoleic acid (18:2, omega-6) cannot be synthesised by humans because they lack the desaturase needed to introduce a double bond beyond carbon 9. It must come from foods such as sunflower, safflower and sesame oils.

Question 50Macronutrients: Carbohydrates, Proteins and Lipids

A child with protein-energy malnutrition shows oedema, fatty liver and low plasma albumin with relatively preserved subcutaneous fat. Which condition does this describe?

  1. Obesity
  2. Kwashiorkor Correct answer.
  3. Marasmus
  4. Scurvy

Explanation

Kwashiorkor is protein-energy malnutrition dominated by protein deficiency, producing hypoalbuminaemia, oedema and fatty liver, with energy intake sometimes near normal. Marasmus instead reflects severe overall energy deficiency with marked wasting.