Food Nutrition Quiz

Fruits, vegetables and cereals are potent sources of:

• A. Antioxidants

• B. Unsaturated fat

• C. Saturated fat

• D. Free radicals

Answer explanation

In addition to the above-mentioned foods, legumes (including broad beans, pinto beans, and soybeans) are good sources of antioxidant vitamins and a variety of phytonutrients that often act as antioxidants, protecting the cells of the body from the damaging effect of free radicals. Some of the best sources of antioxidants are berries, ginger, pomegranate, sunflower seeds, and walnuts.

The leading source of antioxidants in the U.S. diet is:

• A. Citrus fruits

• B. Spinach

• C. Coffee

• D. Egg yolks

Answer explanation

Because most Americans do not consume the recommended number of servings of fruits and vegetables each day, coffee is the leading source of antioxidants in Americans’ diets. It is not because coffee is especially high in antioxidants, but because Americans drink so much of it. Their morning coffee gives Americans nearly 1,300 mg daily of antioxidants in the form of polyphenols.

The essential fatty acids that must be derived from the diet are:

• A. Stearidonic acid and eicosatetraenoic acid

• B. Eicosapentaenoic acid and docosapentaenoic acid

• C.Linoleic and alpha-linoleic acid

• D. Gamma-linoleic acid and arachidonic acid

Answer explanation

Although essential fatty acids are required for human metabolism, the body does not produce linoleic acid (LA or ?-6 or omega-6) and alpha-linoleic acid (LNA or ?-3 or omega-3), and they must be derived from the diet. Also known as polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids play vital roles in brain function as well as normal growth and development.

All of the following statements about omega-3 fatty acids are true except:

• A. They help to maintain healthy triglyceride and high-density lipoprotein

• B. They have significantly contributed to the obesity epidemic

• C. They are necessary for healthy infant growth and development

• D. They play an important role in the production of hormones that govern numerous metabolic and biological processes

Answer explanation

In addition to the above-mentioned facts, omega-3 fatty acids are necessary for the structure of cell membranes, especially in the brain and retina. The cardioprotective effects of omega-3 fatty acids relate to improvements in blood pressure, cardiac function, and arterial and vascular function as well as improved lipid metabolism, antiplatelet, and anti-inflammatory effects.

All of the following may be associated with scurvy except:

• A. Loss of appetite and irritability

• B. Diarrhea and feverC.

• C. Tenderness and swelling in legs

• D. First symptom is altered mental status 

Answer explanation

Scurvy is caused by insufficient consumption of vitamin C. Although it is rare, older adults, persons who abuse alcohol, and those who eat a diet that does not contain fresh fruit and vegetables may be at risk of developing scurvy. Along with the above-mentioned symptoms, persons with scurvy may suffer bleeding gums, petechial hemorrhage of the skin and mucous membranes, bleeding in the eye, hyperkeratosis, and sicca syndrome.

The only fat-soluble antioxidant synthesized in the body is?

• A. Vitamin D

• B. Thiamine

• C. Ascorbic acid

• D. CoQ10

Answer explanation

Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) is a fat-soluble quinone, a vitamin-like compound that is vital for activities related to energy metabolism. CoQ10 is the coenzyme for at least three mitochondrial enzymes as well as enzymes in other parts of the cell and is involved in the key biochemical reactions that produce energy in cells. It also is a free radical scavenger and is metabolized to ubiquinol, which prolongs the antioxidant effect of vitamin E. The highest amounts of it are found in the mitochondria of cells of organs with high-energy requirements such as the heart muscle, liver, kidneys, and pancreas.

Good source of vitamin D include all except:

• A. blueberries

• B. Sunlight

• C. Salmon, tuna sardines and mackerel

• D. Fortified milk and other dairy products

Answer explanation

Humans obtain vitamin D from two natural sources: sunlight and consumed food. Solar UVB radiation penetrates the skin and converts 7-dehydrocholesterol to previtamin D3, which is rapidly converted to vitamin D3. Along with the above-mentioned foods, cod liver oil is a potent source of vitamin D and some orange juice, soy, and rice beverages are fortified with vitamin D.

One of the fat-soluble vitamins involved in coagulation is:

• A. Vitamin K 

• B.Vitamin A

• C. Vitamin D

• D. Vitamin E

Answer explanation

Vitamin K1 is a cofactor needed for the synthesis of some of the substances that help blood to clot. In adults, low dietary intake of vitamin K may be the result of chronic illness, malnutrition, alcoholism, multiple abdominal surgeries, long-term parenteral nutrition, malabsorption, gallbladder disease, liver disease, cystic fibrosis, inflammatory bowel disease, and long-term use of drugs such as antibiotics and cholestyramine, which binds to bile acids, preventing fat-soluble vitamin absorption.

Products that contain live microorganisms in sufficient numbers to alter intestinal microflora and promote intestinal microbial balance are known as:

• A. Antibiotics

• B. Probiotics

• C. Fruits and vegetables

• D. Digestive enzymes

Answer explanation

Probiotics protect against harmful bacteria in the following ways: by penetrating and binding to the surfaces of harmful organisms; by stimulating the lining of the digestive tract to prevent penetration by pathogens; and by modifying immunoregulation. Probiotics have been shown to relieve temporary abdominal bloating and to reduce intestinal gas.

Nondigestible food ingredients that stimulate the growth and activity of certain bacteria in the colon are called:

• A. Insoluble fiber

• B. Probiotics

• C. PrebioticsD

• D. Cellulose

Answer explanation

Prebiotics are primarily oligosaccharides-short chains of sugar molecules that can only partially be digested. Most naturally occurring oligosaccharides are found in plants. Prebiotics are often called bifidogenic factors because they primarily stimulate growth of bifidobacteria. Prebiotics work in concert with probiotics and have been found to produce many of the same health benefits.