ACBN Nutrition Science Fundamentals Flashcards

Essential amino acids must be obtained from the diet because the body cannot synthesize them. How many essential amino acids are there for adults?

Answer: 9

There are 9 essential amino acids for adults: histidine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, threonine, tryptophan, and valine.

Which type of dietary fiber is fermented by gut bacteria, producing short-chain fatty acids?

Answer: Soluble fiber

Soluble fiber (e.g., pectin, inulin) is fermented by colonic microbiota to produce short-chain fatty acids like butyrate, propionate, and acetate.

The glycemic index (GI) measures how quickly a food raises blood glucose compared to which reference food?

Answer: Pure glucose or white bread

GI is measured relative to pure glucose (GI=100) or white bread (GI=100) consumed in the same carbohydrate amount.

Which omega-3 fatty acid is primarily found in fatty fish and is directly used by the body for anti-inflammatory processes?

Answer: EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid)

EPA is a long-chain omega-3 found in fatty fish and is directly incorporated into cell membranes and serves as a precursor to anti-inflammatory eicosanoids.

Iron absorption from non-heme sources is enhanced by consuming which nutrient simultaneously?

Answer: Vitamin C

Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) reduces ferric iron to the more absorbable ferrous form and forms a chelate that keeps iron soluble in the intestinal lumen.

The Maillard reaction, relevant in cooking and food processing, involves a reaction between:

Answer: Amino acids and reducing sugars

The Maillard reaction is a non-enzymatic browning process between amino acids and reducing sugars that produces flavor compounds and brown pigments.