10 – Diet and Health – Flashcards
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healthful diet
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necessary component of a lifestyle that provides bets possible chance for good health throughout life
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infectious diseases
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caused by bacteria, viruses, parasites, or other microbes
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transmission of infectious diseases
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can be transmitted through air, water, or food; by contact; or through vector organisms
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nutrition's effect on infectious diseases
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nutrition cannot directly prevent or cure infectious diseases, but it can strengthen or weaken the body's immune system
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immunity and nutrition
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- malnutrition and disease worsen one another (alter appetite, metabolism, and immune response) - can lead to rapid reduction in nutrient stores and wasting of tissues, further worsening health
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chronic diseases
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degenerative conditions or illnesses that progress slowly, are long in duration, and lack an immediate cure
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effects of chronic diseases
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limit functioning, productivity, and quality and length of life
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leading causes of death from greatest to least
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heat disease, cancers, chronic lung diseases, strokes, accidents, alzheimer's disease, diabetes mellitus, kidney diseases, pneumonia and influenza, suicide
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chronic disease risk factors
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- genetic predisposition - personal medical history - lifestyle choices (behavioral) - environmental
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modifiable lifestyle factors that influence chronic disease risk factors
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diet, physical activity, cigarette and alcohol use
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dietary risk factors for cancers
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- high in salty or pickled foods - high in saturated and/or trans fat - low in fruits, veggies, & other foods rich in fiber and phytochemicals - low in vitamins and/or minerals - excessive alcohol intake
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other risk factors for cancers
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- age - environmental contaminants - genetics - sedentary lifestyle - smoking and tobacco use - stress
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causality: necessary-sufficiency model
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- causal component of a disease is necessary when it is required for the event to occur - causal component of a disease is sufficient when if present, the event will occur
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epidemiologists
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researchers who study distribution and determinants of disease in populations, study potential causal components of disease in order to determine factors like attributable risk interactions between risk factors
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causality: directed acyclic graphs (DAGs)
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used to map out potential causal relationships between risk factors and a disease outcome
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cardiovascular disease (CVD)
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- any disease of the heart or blood vessels - includes heart diseases, cerebrovascular diseases, various vascular diseases
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athereosclerosis
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most common form of CVD; hardening of the arteries
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characteristics of athereosclerosis
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- characterized by plaque build-up along inner walls of arteries, beginning with accumulation of fatty streaks - involves complex response of the artery to tissue damage and inflation - artery walls become inelastic, narrowing passageway for blood to travel through them
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hypertension
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- chronic blood pressure - one of the most prevalent forms of CVD - affects 76m US adults - contributes significantly to heart attack and stroke - no perceivable symptoms - known as the "silent killer"
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blood pressure
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- moves blood through body's blood vessels - allows delivery of nutrients and removal of wastes from cells - results from contractions in the heart and resistance blood encounters in the small arteries (when either increases, blood pressure will rise)
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blood pressure represented by two values
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1. systolic blood pressure (SBP) 2. diastolic blood pressure (DBP)
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systolic blood pressure (SBP)
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arterial blood pressure caused by contraction of the heart's left ventricle
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diastolic blood pressure (DBP)
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arterial blood pressure between heart beats
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optimal systolic blood pressure
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below 120
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optimal diastolic blood pressure
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below 80
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risk of high blood pressure
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risk of heart attack and stroke (rises in direct proportion with blood pressure)
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hypertension and atherosclerosis worsen one another
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- hardened arteries stressed and damaged by high blood pressure - inelastic hardened arteries do not let blood flow freely through kidneys
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when hardened plaque ruptures
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body responds similarly to tissue injury by forming a blood clot 1. thrombus 2. embolus
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thrombus
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stationary clot that remains attached to a plaque in an artery and grows
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thrombosis
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when clot grows large enough to close off a blood vessel, called a thrombosis
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embolus
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if a clot breaks loose from an artery, called an embolus
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embolism
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embolus can travel along blood vessel until it reaches an artery too small to allow its passage = embolism
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tissues fed by affected artery (full of plaque)
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tissues fed by affected artery will be starved of oxygen and nutrients, and may die; can lead to heart attack of stroke in an artery feeding the heart or brain
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aneurysm
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as blood pressure builds in an artery, hardened arterial wall may become weakened and balloon out, forming an aneurysm
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risk of aneurysm
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if aneurysm occurs and bursts in a major artery, it can lead to massive bleeding and death
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non-modifiable CVD risk factors
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- age - gender - family history
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non-modifiable CVD risk factors: age & gender
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CVD risk increases as we grow older, although disproportionately in men and women - men: significantly increased risk after 45 yrs - women: significantly increased risk after 55 yrs
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non-modifiable CVD risk factors: family history
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- genetic inheritance - early heart disease in immediate family members is predictive factor - the more family members affected and the younger the age at which they develop the disease, the greater the risk to the individual
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modifiable CVD risk factors
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- cholesterol - diabetes - obesity
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LDL cholesterol
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low-density lipoprotein: carries cholesterol to the cells and may contribute to plaque formation
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HDL cholesterol
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high-density lipoprotein: carries cholesterol away from the cells
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LDL and HDL cholesterol strongly linked to risk of CVD
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- high LDL and low HDL increase risk - low LDL and high HDL decrease risk (protective effect)
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diabetes - major and independent risk factor for CVD
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- with diabetes, atherosclerosis progresses rapidly, blocking blood vessels and diminishing circulation - high blood glucose concentrations associated with poorly controlled diabetes is particularly harmful to blood vessels
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obesity, especially central obesity, increases person's risk of CVD
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obesity associated with: - elevated LDL cholesterol - lowered HDL cholesterol - elevated triglycerides - increased blood pressure - increased insulin resistance (and type 2 diabetes)
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metabolic syndrome (strongly predictive of CVD risk)
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combination of any three or more of the following: 1. central obesity 2. low blood HDL 3. high blood triglycerides 4. elevated blood pressure 5. elevated fasting blood glucose
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modifiable behaviors and CVD: cigarette smoke
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- strong harmful risk factor - toxins directly damage vascular tissue - smoking increases heart's workload - estimated that after the first year a person stop smoking, risk is reduced by half and continues to drop in the years following
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modifiable behaviors and CVD: physical activity
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- strong protective risk factor - strengthens heart muscle - improves many CVD risk factors (eg. increases HDL cholesterol, improves insulin sensitivity)
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diet to reduce CVD risk
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- high in omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids - high in soluble fiber - moderate alcohol consumption
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omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids
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- found in fish oils and plant-based sources - lower blood triglyceride levels - decrease inflammation - prevent blood clots
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soluble fiber
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- found in whole grains, legumes, fruits, and vegetables - helps lower CVD risk - lower LDL cholesterol
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moderate alcohol consumption
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(2 drinks/day for men and 1 drink daily for women has shown to be healthful) - raise HDL cholesterol - reduce risk of blood clots
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heavy alcohol use
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- over 3 drinks a day - been shown to increase risk of heart disease and death
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diet and hypertension
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- diet directly influences blood pressure - fruit, veggies, low-fat dairy products: lower blood pressure (calcium, potassium, magnesium intake) - salt intake: higher blood pressure - excess alcohol consumption: higher blood pressure
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DASH Diet
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Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension; known to significantly lower blood pressure
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aspects of the DASH diet
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1. includes fruits, veggies, nuts, whole grains, and low fat dairy products 2. limits foods that are high in sodium, total fat and saturated fat 3. provides good sources of fiber, potassium, magnesium, and calcium 4. limits added sugars
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Lifestyle modifications to reduce blood pressure
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1. weight reduction: maintain healthy body weight (BMI below 25) 2. DASH eating plan: adopt diet rich in fruits, veggies, and low-fat products with reduced saturated fat intake 3. sodium restriction: reduce dietary sodium intake to less than 2300 milligrams sodium (less than 6 g salt) per day 4. physical activity: perform aerobic physical activity for at least 30 min per day, most days of the week 5. moderate alcohol consumption: men limited to 2 drinks/day; women and lighter-weight men limited to 1 drink per day
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Cancer
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- ranks second only to heart disease as leading cause of of death in the US - recent advances in early detection and treatment have transformed several cancers into curable diseases or treatable chronic illnesses - prevention of cancers is still preferable
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How does cancer develop?
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- DNA codes for proteins that regulate cell functions - DNA damage causes change in gene expression and/or the primary structure (function) of protein - genes related to cancer affect DNA repair, cell cycle, apoptosis (programmed cell death), migration, etc. - numerous mutations need to occur for cancer to develop
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modifiable risk of cancer factors
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- smoking - physical inactivity - obesity - alcohol intake
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modifiable cancer risk factors: obesity
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as BMI increases, so does risk of developing cancers of the colorectal, breast, pancreas, gallbladder, and kidney
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modifiable cancer risk factors: physical activity
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- may lower risk of some cancers - helps balance energy intake and body weight - alters hormone levels and immunity, which may be protective against cancer
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Diet and cancer
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- diet is thought to be a causal component in approx. 30-40% of cancers - diet patterns that emphasize fatty/processed meat, alcohol, sodium, sodium, and excess calories and that minimize fruits and veggies, and whole grains have been focus of much cancer research
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caloric effect
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describes drop in cancer incidence whenever food energy is restricted - one of the most effective cancer-related dietary interventions
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high-fat diets and cancer
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high-fat diets associated with increased cancer rates, but results are mixed - type of fat may influence cancer promotion or prevention; some evidence suggests that omega-3 fatty acids from fish may protect against certain cancers and support recovery during treatment - recommendations: reduce saturated fat intake and increase omega-3 fatty acids in the diet
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alcohol intake and cancer
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- raises risk of developing a number of cancers: - breast cancer, cancers of the mouth, throat, esophagus - alcoholism often damages liver and can results in liver cancers
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difference between alcohol intake effect on cancer and CVD
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unlike CVD, there is no protective effect of moderate alcohol consumption of cancer risk
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meat diets and cancer
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- diets high in red meat and processed meat increase risk of cancer, especially colon cancer
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processed meats effect on cancer
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- nitrites and nitrates in processed meats may form carcinogenic compounds in GI tract - high intakes of iron may increase risk
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smoked, grilled, broiled, fried, and well-done meats effect on cancer
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- chemical reactions during browning of meat at high temps form known carcinogens in food
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dietary fiber effect on cancer
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- increased dietary fiber decreases risk for colon cancer - fiber may protect against cancer by diluting and helping to remove potential carcinogens from the GI tract - other constituents of fiber-rich foods may also be protective (phytochemicals, vitamins, minerals)
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sodium intake effect on cancer
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- increased sodium intake increases risk of stomach cancer
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folate effect on cancer
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- folate may protect against various cancers - folate plays roles in DNA synthesis and repair - inadequate intake may allow DNA damage to accumulate
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calcium effect on cancer
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- foods that contain calcium may protect against colon cancer - vitamin D (often added to milk) may also be at work
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whole foods and whole diets effect on cancer
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- whole foods and whole diets, not single nutrients, may be most influential in cancer development - studies have found correlation between eating fruits and veggies and low incidence of cancers - fruits and veggies contain number of nutrients and phytochemicals that may prevent or reduce oxidative damage - some phytochemicals in fruits and veggies are thought to act as anticarcinogens
