Food Nutrition: Carbohydrates, Digestion, and Supplement Analysis

This assignment provides a comprehensive overview of food nutrition, covering essential concepts such as carbohydrates, dietary fiber, and added sugars. It defines key terms like glycogen, starch, and dietary supplements, and addresses fundamental questions about macronutrients, the digestive system, and the roles of different organs. The assignment explores the impact of dietary choices on health, including discussions on celiac disease, lactose intolerance, and the importance of limiting added sugar intake. It also offers guidance on selecting and using dietary supplements responsibly, emphasizing the need for medical consultation and careful label review. The assignment concludes with a list of relevant references, providing a solid foundation for understanding the principles of food nutrition.

Running head: FOOD NUTRITION 1
Food Nutrition
Student’s Name:
Institutional Affiliation

FOOD NUTRITION
Food Nutrition
Definition of Terms
Glycogen is a polysaccharide that stores energy in fungi, bacteria, and animals. This
polysaccharide occurs in the form of glucose granules in most cells.
Starch is a type of carbohydrate that is majorly produced by green plants as a source of
energy. This polymeric carbohydrate is white, tasteless, and very insoluble in alcohol or water.
Dietary fibre is a carbohydrate that cannot be broken down by body enzymes. This
product is found in edible green plants such as vegetables, dry peas, nuts, grains, cereals, and
fruits.
Added sugar is a general term describing all the syrups and sugars that are usually mixed
in beverages and foods during industrial processing. Added sugar excludes fructose and lactose,
which are mainly found in ripe fruits and milk.
A dietary supplement is any industrially processed product majorly tailored to
complement existing diet. Dietary supplements can be taken in the form of tablets, capsules,
pills, or even liquid.
Question 1
As an essential macronutrient in the body, carbohydrates exist in the form of fibres,
starches, and sugars (Thompson & Noel, 2017). Dairy products, fruits, grains, legumes, starchy
vegetables, and sugary sweets are examples of foods that contain carbohydrates.
Question 2
Dietary fibre is a carbohydrate that cannot be broken down by body enzymes. Notably,
this product can either occur as a soluble or insoluble fibre. The soluble fibre readily dissolves in
water to produce a swollen gel-like substance that occupies the majority of the colon.
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FOOD NUTRITION
On the other hand, insoluble fibre constitutes of all ingested fibres that cannot dissolve in
water. The main sources of insoluble fibre include whole grains, nuts, seeds, beans, and root
vegetables such as carrots.
Question 3
The mouth is an organ of the digestive system whose sole function is to break down food
into small particles for easy swallowing.
The esophagus is another organ of the digestive system whose function is to transfer food
from mouth to stomach. The organ makes use of muscular movements known as peristalsis to
move food boluses down the canal.
The stomach is an essential organ of the digestive that makes use of acids and enzymes
secreted from its walls to break down foods.
The small intestine is a 22-foot muscular column whose primary function is to break
down foods products further using enzymes for easy absorption. Through its ileum and jejunum
sections, the digested foods products are then absorbed into the bloodstream (Collins &
Badireddy, 2019).
The pancreas is an essential organ of the digestive system tasked to produce digestive
enzymes into the duodenum for the breakdown of fats.
The liver is another useful organ whose primary function is to process all the nutrients
absorbed from the small intestines.
The gallbladder’s main function is to store and produce bile, which is essential in the
digestion of fats in the duodenum.
The colon is another vital organ of the digestive system whose main function is to absorb
water from stool and store the remains in the sigmoid area ready for evacuation.
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FOOD NUTRITION
The rectum is an eight-inch canal that receives stool from the colon and stores it before
the evacuation process.
Lastly, the anus is an essential organ of the digestive system that makes use of sphincters
and pelvic floor muscles to evacuate stool outside the body.
Question 4
The small intestine is the main section of the GI, where the majority of absorption and
digestion of foods takes place (Collins & Badireddy, 2019). Most food minerals and nutrients are
absorbed into the bloodstream in this section.
Question 5
When people with celiac disorder ingest foods that are rich in gluten, their immune
system responds by destroying the villi of the small intestine (Meijer, Shamir, Szajewska &
Mearin, 2018). Therefore, people suffering from celiac diseases need to avoid foods that are rich
in gluten, such as barley. Also, they may resort to eating nutritious foods such as fish products,
fruits, rice, and vegetables.
Question 6
Lactose intolerance is a disorder in which the body fails to break down lactose in ingested
food products. People diagnosed with lactose intolerance need to adjust to lactose-free diets and
avoid milk products. Moreover, they are advised to consider taking calcium supplements to boost
their vitamin D levels (Canania, 2018).
Question 7
Added and natural sugars are the two common starches in American diets. Natural sugars
are found in the form of lactose and fructose in milk and fruits, respectively. They include all
industrially processed sweeteners that are usually added in beverages and processed foods.
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Excessive consumption of added sugar is the sole reason behind the escalated cases of obesity in
America. Notably, added sugar only boosts the energy levels in the body but contributes zero
nutrients. Therefore, people need to reduce their ingestion of added sugar to less than six and
nine teaspoons for women and men, respectively. Moreover, people need to ensure that added
sugar only constitute half of their daily discretional calorie allowance.
Question 8
Before buying a dietary supplement, you should seek a medical opinion from a physician.
Once a given supplement has been medically recommended, you should then consider verifying
the dosage and necessary certification of the supplement. This can be retrieved from the labels
attached to the product. Moreover, you should consider checking the expiry date, ingredients,
manufacturer, and the listing service size before purchasing the product.
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FOOD NUTRITION
References
Canania, M. D. C. R. B. (2018). Lactose Intolerance: Common Misunderstandings. Ann Nutr
Metab, 73(4), 30-37.
Collins, J. T., & Badireddy, M. (2019). Anatomy, Abdomen and pelvis, small intestine.
Meijer, C., Shamir, R., Szajewska, H., & Mearin, L. (2018). Celiac disease prevention. Frontiers
in Pediatrics, 6, 368.
Thompson, M. E., & Noel, M. B. (2017). Issues in Nutrition: Carbohydrates. FP essentials, 452,
26-30.
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