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If you are unsure which nutrition certification is right for you, I recommend that you take the quiz or check out my article on the top nutrition certifications. This is especially true because the FNS is slightly out of date.
Important definitions to memorize forย chapter 4 of the NASM FNS
Acesulfame K ~ย is a syntheticย sweetenerย that’sย two hundredย times sweeter than common table sugar (sucrose).ย As a result, it isย notย digestibleย and absorbed by the body; acesulfame contributes no calories to the diet and yields no energyย onceย consumed
Alpha (a) Bonds ~ Chemical bonds linking two monosaccharides (glycosidic bonds) which will be broken by human enteric enzymes, expelling the individual monosaccharides. Both sucrose and maltose contain alpha bonds
Amylopectin ~ A branched-chain carbohydrate composed of D-glucose units
Amylose ~ A straight-chain carbohydrate composed of D-glucose units
Aspartame ~ย is a syntheticย sweetener withย twoย amino acids andย methyl alcohol.
Beta (b) Bonds ~ Chemical bonds linkingย 2ย monosaccharides (glycosidic bonds)ย that human enteric enzymes can’t break.ย The polysaccharide celluloseย contains beta bonds.
B-Glucans ~ useful fiber, consisting of branched carbohydrate chains of glucose monomers, that helps lower blood cholesterol levels. Found in barley and oats
Blood Glucose Levels ~ย the quantityย ofย glucoseย within theย blood at any given time.ย Additionally,ย calledย blood sugarย levels.
Bran ~ The layers of protective coating around the grain kernel that are very rich in dietary fiber and nutrients
Cellulose ~ A straight-chainedย carbohydrateย composed ofย thousands ofย glucoseย unitsย joinedย by beta bonds.ย It isย indigestibleย by humans and aย partย of dietary fiber.
Chitin ~ A long-chain structuralย polysaccharideย of slightlyย changedย glucose. Foundย within theย hardย exterior skeletons of insects, crustaceans, andย differentย invertebrates,ย it also occurs within fungi’s cell walls.
Chitosan ~ carbohydrate polysaccharide derived from chitin
Complex Carbohydrates ~ Chains of over 2 monosaccharides. could also be oligosaccharides or polysaccharides
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Condensation ~ In chemistry, a reactionย during whichย aย chemical bondย is createdย betweenย 2ย molecules by the removal of a water molecule
Dental Caries ~ Destruction of the enamel surface of teeth caused by acidsย ensuingย fromย the microbialย breakdown of sugarsย in theย mouth
Diabetes Mellitus ~ A chronicย illnessย in whichย blood sugar uptakeย by body cells is impaired,ย leading toย highย glucoseย levelsย within theย blood andย excrement.ย A decreased pancreatic release of insulin causes type 1. In type 2, target cells (e.g., fat and muscle cells) lose the abilityย to respondย ordinarilyย toย insulin.
Dietary Fiber ~ Carbohydrates and lignins that are naturally in plants and are nondigestible; that is, they’re not digested and absorbed within the human bowel
Disaccharides ~ Carbohydrates composed ofย 2ย monosaccharideย unitsย coupledย by a glycosidic bond. Theyย includeย sucroseย (common table sugar),ย lactoseย (milk sugar), andย malt sugar.
Endosperm ~ย the biggest, middle portion of a grain kernel. Theย endospermย is high in starchย to feed the growing plant embryo.
Epinephrine ~ Aย hormoneย dischargedย in responseย to stressย orย abruptย danger,ย epinephrineย raisesย blood sugarย levels toย prepareย the body for “fight or flight.”ย additionally known asย adrenaline.
Fructose ~ย a typicalย monosaccharideย containing six carbonsย that areย naturallyย presentย in honeyย and lots ofย fruits;ย oftenย supplementedย to foodsย in theย form ofย high-fructoseย corn syrup.ย Additionallyย calledย levuloseย orย fructose.
Functional Fiber ~ Isolatedย indigestibleย carbohydrates,ย together withย someย factory-madeย carbohydrates that haveย beneficialย effects on humans
Galactose ~ Aย monosaccharideย containing six carbonsย that willย beย convertedย intoย glucoseย within theย body. In foods and living systems,ย galactoseย is typically joined withย differentย monosaccharides.
Germ ~ The innermostย part ofย a grain,ย situatedย atย the kernel’s base,ย willย grow intoย a brand-newย plant. The germ isย richย inย protein, oils, vitamins, and minerals.
Glucagon ~ made by alpha cells within the pancreas, this polypeptide hormone promotes the breakdown of liver glycogen to free glucose, thereby increasing blood glucose. -Glucagon secretion is stimulated by low blood sugar levels and by growth hormone
Glucose ~ย a commonย simple sugarย containing six carbonsย that areย presentย in theย blood;ย additionallyย referred to asย dextroseย andย blood sugar.ย It isย aย partย of the disaccharidesย sucrose, lactose, andย malt sugarย andย numerousย complexย carbohydrates.
Glycemic Index ~ Aย measureย of theย impactย of food onย blood sugarย levels.ย It isย theย quantitative relationย of the blood sugarย valueย afterย feedingย the sameย amountย ofย white breadย or glucose.
Glycogen ~ย an awfullyย large,ย highlyย branched polysaccharide composed of multipleย glucoseย units.ย Generallyย known asย animal starch,ย glycogenย is animals’ primary glucose storage form.
Gums ~ Dietary fibersย thatย containย galactoseย andย otherย monosaccharides found between plant cell walls
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Hemicelluloses ~ a set of large polysaccharides in dietary fiber that are fermented more easily than a polysaccharide such as cellulose
Husk ~ Theย uneatableย covering of a grain kernel.ย Additionallyย known asย the chaff
Insulin ~ย synthesizedย by beta cellsย within theย pancreas, thisย peptideย hormoneย stimulates blood sugar uptakeย into muscle andย fatย cells, the synthesis ofย glycogen within theย liver, andย variousย otherย processes.
Ketone Bodies ~ Moleculesย fashionedย whenย insufficientย –ย carbohydrateย is consumedย to metabolize fat completely. The formation ofย ketoneย bodies is promoted byย very low-glucoseย levels and highย acylย CoA levelsย amongย cells. Acetone, acetoacetate, and beta-hydroxybutyrateย are typicallyย improperlyย known asย ketone.
Ketosis ~ Abnormally high concentration of ketone bodies in body tissues and fluids
Lactose ~ Aย disaccharideย composed ofย glucoseย and galactose,ย additionallyย known asย milk sugar. As a result,ย it’sย the mainย sugar in milk andย dairyย product.
Lignins ~ Insoluble fibers composed of multi-ring alcohol units that represent the sole noncarbohydrate element of a dietary fiber
Maltose ~ Aย oligosaccharideย composed ofย 2ย glucoseย molecules;mย was generally known asย maltose.ย Malt sugarย rarelyย is presentย naturally in foods;ย however,ย it is synthesized whenever long starch molecules break down.
Monosaccharides ~ Any sugars that aren’t broken down throughout digestion and have the overall formula CnH2nOn, where n=3 to 7. The common monosaccharides glucose, fructose, and galactose all have six carbon atoms (n=6)
Mucilages ~ย gelatinlike (jellylike)ย soluble fibers containingย galactose, mannose, andย differentย monosaccharides; found inย an alga
Neotame ~ย syntheticย sweetenersย kind of likeย aspartame,ย however,ย oneย that’sย sweeter andย doesn’tย needย a warning label for phenylketonuria
Nonnutritive Sweeteners ~ Substances that impart sweetness to foods, however,ย provideย very littleย or no energy to the body;ย additionallyย known asย artificial orย alternative sweeteners. Theyย typically includeย acesulfame, aspartame, saccharin, and sucralose.
Oligosaccharides ~ Short saccharide chains composed of three to ten sugar molecules
Pancreatic amylase ~ Starch-digesting catalyst secreted by the pancreas
Pectins ~ a kind of dietary fiber found in fruits
Pentoses ~ Sugar molecules containing 5 carbon atoms
Phenylketonuria (PKU) ~ย is anย inherited diseaseย caused byย scarcityย or deficiency of theย protein catalystย that convertsย phenylalanineย toย tyrosine
Sugar Alcohols ~ Compoundsย formedย from monosaccharides byย substituting aย protonย with hydroxylย (-OH);ย normallyย used asย nutrientย sweeteners.ย additionallyย known as polyols
Polysaccharides ~ Long saccharide chains composed of more than ten sugar molecules. Polysaccharides may be straight or branched
Refined Sweeteners ~ Composed of monosaccharides and disaccharides that have been extracted and processed from other types of foods
Resistant Starch ~ A starch that’s not digestible
Saccharin ~ย is a syntheticย sweetener that tastesย aroundย three hundredย to 700 times sweeter thanย table sugar.
Simple Carbohydrates ~ Sugars composed ofย oneย sugar molecule (a monosaccharide) orย 2ย joined sugar molecules (a disaccharide).
Starch ~ย is the keyย storageย type ofย sugarย in plants; starchย consistsย of long chains ofย glucoseย moleculesย in aย straight (amylose) or branching (amylopectin) arrangement.
Stevioside ~ A dietary supplement not approvedย to be usedย as a sweetenerย that’sย extracted and refined from Stevia rebaudiana leaves.
Sucralose ~ย is a syntheticย sweetenerย made up ofย sucrose;ย it wasย approvedย to be usedย in theย united statesย in 1998 and has beenย utilized inย Canadaย since 1992. Sucralose is non-nutritive andย aroundย 600 times sweeter than sugar.
Sucrose ~ Aย oligosaccharideย composedย of 1ย molecule ofย glucoseย and one molecule ofย fructoseย joinedย along.ย Additionallyย referred to asย table sugar.
Sugar Alcohols ~ Compoundsย formedย from monosaccharides byย substituting aย protonย with hydroxylย (-OH);ย normallyย used asย nutrientย sweeteners.ย Additionallyย known as polyols.
Total Fiber ~ Theย added sumย of dietary fiber andย usefulย fiber.
Trehalose ~ Aย oligosaccharideย ofย 2ย sugarย molecules,ย however,ย with a linkageย completely differentย fromย malt sugar. Used as anย artificial additiveย and sweetener.
Tyler Read
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