HUMAN NUTRITION

Dr Kim Bell-Anderson
School of Life and Environmental Sciences,
Charles Perkins Centre
Learning Outcomes
• Understand the framework for the study of nutrition

• Describe the relationship between nutritional state and

health consequences and outcomes

• Distinguish between macro- and micro-nutrients and

know the classes, sub-classes and nutrient examples.

• State the contribution of macronutrients to energy intake

• Appreciate the health consequences of nutrient

imbalance and deficiencies
Nutrition is a multidisciplinary science

It seeks to integrate information about the food we

eat and how it is processed in the body.
Framework for the study of nutrition
• Human nutrition describes the processes whereby cells
obtain and utilise necessary substances to maintain life

• Exploring the processes requires a multidisciplinary

approach and ranges from a molecular to a societal level
Levels of human function (factors)
Constitutional
• Cell nucleus DNA ßà RNA
• Cells: metabolism
• Internal environment
• Circulation
• All organ systems, also
• Central nervous system
Nutritional status
Health/ ill-health
External Environment
• Food security/insecurity
• Household characteristics; care
• Social and economic circumstances
• Housing, sanitation, politics
• Agriculture, health services
Scientific disciplines of study
• Molecular biology, foods
• Biochemistry, foods
• Biochemistry, physiology, foods
• Physiology, pathology, foods,
pharmacology, etc
• Foods, agriculture, food systems,
sociology, anthropology, economics,
politics, policy, etc
Gibney et al. Introduction to human nutrition 2009
 Relationship between nutrition and health
Nutritional Situation
Optimum nutrition
Food-secure individuals with adequate,
balanced and prudent diets
Undernutrition: hunger
Food-insecure individuals living in poverty, • Decreased physical and mental
ignorance, politically unstable
environments, disrupted societies, war
Health consequences, outcomes
Health, well-being, normal development,
high quality of life
development
• Compromised immune systems
• Increased infectious diseases
• Viscious circle of undernutrition,
underdevelopment, poverty
Gibney et al. Introduction to human nutrition 2009
Relationship between nutrition and health
Nutritional Situation
Overnutrition
Overconsumption of food, especially
macronutrients, plus:
• Low physical activity
• Smoking, stress, alcohol abuse
Malnutrition
Nutrition transition: Individuals and
communities previously food insecure à
confronted with abundance palatable
foods à some undernourished
Health consequences, outcomes
Obesity, metabolic syndrome, CVD, type 2
diabetes, certain cancers: chronic NCDs,
often characterised by overnutrition of
macronutrients and undernutrition of
micronutrients
Double burden of infectious diseases plus
NCDs, often characterised by too many
macronutrients and too few micronutrients
NUTRIENTS
• The chemical and physical structure and characteristics of the
nutrient
• Food sources of the nutrient – food composition and how
processing effects nutrient composition and value
• Digestion, absorption, circulatory transport, cellular uptake of
nutrient (and regulation of these processes)
• Metabolism of the nutrient, it’s function, storage and excretion
• Physiological needs in health and disease, and states (eg
pregnancy), individual variability
• Interactions with nutrients, phytochemicals, antinutrients, drugs
• Deficiency and toxicity
• Therapeutics – nutraceuticals, functional foods
• Factors influencing food and nutrition security and safety
Body composition
1 year old littermates. Largest pig was reared on unlimited access to a good diet. The
smallest pig had very small quantities of the same diet, the third had the same as the
smallest but with unlimited access to sugar. McCance 1974
CLASSES of MACRONUTRIENTS
Class Subclass
Carbohydrates monosaccharides
(macronutrients)
disaccharides
polysaccharides
Proteins Plant and animal source
(macronutrients) proteins
Fats and oils (lipids) Saturated fatty acids
(macronutrients) Monounsaturated fatty
acids
Polyunsaturated fatty
acids (n-3, n-6, n-9)
Gibney et al. Introduction to human nutrition 2009
Nutrient Examples
Glucose, fructose,
galactose
Sucrose, maltose,
lactose
Starch and fibre
Amino acids: aliphatic,
aromatic, sulfur-
containing acidic, basic
Palmitic and stearic acid
Oleic and elaidic fatty
acids
Linoleic, a-linolenic,
arachidonic,
eicosapentaenoic and
docohexaenoic acid
CLASSES of MICRONUTRIENTS
Class Subclass Nutrient Examples
Minerals (micronutrients) Minerals & electrolytes Calcium, sodium,
Trace elements phosphate, potassium,
iron, zinc, selenium,
copper, manganese,
molybdenum, fluoride,
chromium
Vitamins (micronutrients) Fat soluble Retinol (A), calciferols
(D), tocopherols (E), vit K

Water soluble Ascorbic acid (C),

thiamine (B1), riboflavin
(B2), niacin (B3),
pyridoxine (B6), folate,
cobalamin (B12)

Water Water Water

Sources of knowledge about nutrition
- some examples -

• Animals
• Feeding domestic (farm) animals
• Controlled experiments (mostly) in rodents
• Humans
• Natural experiments (famine and war)
• Controlled experiments (clinical trials)
• Hunter-gatherers
• Epidemiology
• Case studies, e.g. individuals with rare disease
• Patients reliant on intra-venous feeding
Acceptable Macronutrient Distribution Range
AMDR

Carbohydrate 45-65%

Fat 20-35%

Protein 15-25%
 Carbohydrate
Contribution to total energy intake
Total carbohydrate
~44% E

Fibre

Sugars Starches
~20% E ~24% E
How much do we eat?
Carbohydrate (grams per day)
300

250

200

150

100

50

0
total carbohydrate starch sugars fibre

males females
The glycemic index

• A tool to rate the glycemic potential of the

carbohydrates in different foods (as eaten)
Glycemic index
Most starchy foods have a high GI
Glucose = 100
• White bread 70
• Whole meal bread 69
• Dark rye bread 86
• Potatoes (boiled) 88
• Cornflakes 84
• Rice (Calrose brown) 87
• Crumpets 69
• Weet-Bix 69
Few starchy foods have a low GI
(Glucose = 100)

• Barley 25
• Legumes 30’s
• Pastas 40’s
• Heavy grain breads 40’s
• Allbran™ 42
• Porridge oats 50
Dietary fat

• Dietary fats are composed of triglycerides,

phospholipids, sterols and other minor lipids

• Dietary fat contributes 25-40% of energy

intake
• Animal and plant sources
• Source of energy (37 kJ/g; 9 kcal/g)
Effect of diet on plasma lipids
• Dietary components • Potential point of
• Protein
interaction
• Fat absorption
• Fat
• Bile acid re-absorption
• Dietary fibre • VLDL synthesis by liver
(carbohydrate) • LDL uptake by tissues
• Vitamins • HDL synthesis
• Minerals • Exchange of lipids between
lipoproteins (lipid transfer)
• Other constituents
 Protein requirement
The diet should provide the essential amino acids and
enough amino acid nitrogen to synthesise the non-essential
amino acids.

Minimum requirement is 25g protein/day if all

amino acids are present and in their optimal ratio

Safe level according to FAO/WHO : 37g for men, 29g for women
Protein requirements
Australian RDI : 64g (men) (52g)
46g (women) (37g)
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(EAR)

UK RDI : 10% of dietary energy

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USA RDA : 56g (men)

44g (women)
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(0.8g/kg BW)

Usually we eat more : ~100g/day

 Protein quality

• Protein quality depends on:-

• The amino acid make-up
• The digestibility
• The amount present

C C C C C C C C C
Limiting amino acids
Food Limiting amino acid
maize tryptophan
wheat lysine
beef methionine/cysteine
soy bean methionine/cysteine

Supplementary value = the capacity of a protein to make

good the deficiency of another
Eg. Soy bean (low methionine) + rice
Protein content of some typical
foods
Meat, poultry; cooked 20-30%
Fish; cooked or canned 19-30%
Cheese, cheddar 25%
cottage 13-17%
Nuts 16%
Eggs 13%
Cereals; dry 7-14%
Bread; white 8-9%
Legumes; cooked 7-8%
Cereals; cooked meal or flakes 2%