Fiche de révision : Nutrition-Related Health Conditions

📋 Course Outline

1. Blood Glucose Imbalances
2. Glycaemic Index and Food Choices
3. Type 1 Diabetes
4. Type 2 Diabetes Management
5. Osteoporosis Prevention

📖 1. Blood Glucose Imbalances

🔑 Key Concepts & Definitions

• Blood glucose level : indicates the amount of glucose in the blood, with a normal level of about 10 mmol/litre of blood.
• Hypoglycaemia : a low blood glucose level caused by a sudden removal of glucose from the blood.
• Hyperglycaemia : a high blood glucose level in which sugar builds up in the blood instead of being converted to energy.

★ Must-know

📌 Low blood glucose is managed by eating slow-release or low-GI carbohydrates at every meal to keep the blood glucose level stable.

Further detail

• Low blood glucose levels can develop after: skipping meals or eating too little, exercising hard or for a long time without extra food, eating high-fat or high-glycaemic-index foods that trigger insulin release and a sharp glucose drop

💡 Memory Hook

Hypoglycaemia means glucose is too low, whereas hyperglycaemia means glucose is too high.

📖 2. Glycaemic Index and Food Choices

🔑 Key Concepts & Definitions

• Glycaemic Index : measures how much a carbohydrate-containing food raises blood glucose on a scale from 1 to 100.

★ Must-know

📌 Low-GI foods have a Glycaemic Index of 1–55, whereas high-GI foods have an index of 70 or more.

Further detail

• Examples of low-GI foods include:

  • seed loaf
  • rye bread
  • legumes
  • baked beans
  • sweet potato
  • some fruits
  • salad vegetables

• Examples of high-GI foods include:

  • white, brown and whole wheat bread
  • biscuits
  • sweets
  • rice cakes
  • sports drinks

• High-GI foods provide instant energy because they break down quickly during digestion and release glucose rapidly into the bloodstream.

💡 Memory Hook

Low GI releases glucose slowly; high GI releases it quickly.

📖 3. Type 1 Diabetes

🔑 Key Concepts & Definitions

• Type 1 diabetes : occurs when pancreatic cells are damaged or unable to produce insulin, causing glucose to build up in the blood.

★ Must-know

• Symptoms of type 1 diabetes include: excessive weight loss despite eating large amounts, excessive thirst or hunger, frequent urination, low energy levels, digestive problems

• Untreated diabetes can lead to: blindness, kidney disease, nerve disease, coronary heart disease, including heart attacks and strokes

📌 Type 1 diabetes is treated with regular insulin injections, a diabetic diet and sufficient exercise, and daily insulin injections are necessary to prevent death from the disease.

Further detail

• Type 1 diabetes occurs in children and young adults when pancreatic cells are damaged or unable to make insulin.

📌 Type 1 diabetes management includes lean protein, fibre-rich foods, limited saturated fat and cholesterol, carbohydrate counting and at least 30 minutes of exercise on most days of the week.

💡 Memory Hook

Damaged pancreatic cells → no insulin → glucose builds up in the blood.

📖 4. Type 2 Diabetes Management

🔑 Key Concepts & Definitions

• Type 2 diabetes : the most common form of diabetes and develops when the body does not make enough insulin or cannot use the insulin it makes effectively.

★ Must-know

• Obesity and lack of physical activity are two of the most common causes of type 2 diabetes, although not every person with type 2 diabetes is overweight.

📌 Type 2 diabetes may be prevented or controlled through maintaining an ideal body weight, active living, prescribed dietary changes, exercise programmes and medicines when needed.

📌 Dietary management of type 2 diabetes includes at least three meals daily, about 60 per cent of daily kilojoules from low-GI starchy foods, soluble and insoluble fibre, limited fat and reduced protein intake to avoid kidney stress.

Further detail

• Type 2 diabetes is related to lifestyle, can occur at any age, and is most often found in older people.

• Regular exercise helps control body weight and enables the body to use insulin more effectively, which helps control blood glucose levels.

💡 Memory Hook

Obesity and inactivity → insulin resistance → poor blood-glucose control.

📖 5. Osteoporosis Prevention

🔑 Key Concepts & Definitions

• Osteoporosis : a condition in which calcium is withdrawn from bones faster than it is replaced, making the bones smaller, thinner and fragile.

★ Must-know

• Osteoporosis increases the risk of fractures, particularly in the hips, legs and wrists, and is common in older adults, especially women, although it can occur at any age.

• The most common causes of bone loss include:

  • oestrogen deficiency after menopause
  • inadequate calcium
  • inadequate phosphorus
  • inadequate vitamin D
  • smoking
  • alcohol use
  • some medicines such as cortisone

• Calcium sources include:

  • low-fat or non-fat milk
  • yoghurt
  • cheese
  • canned fish
  • legumes
  • dark green leafy vegetables

Further detail

📌 Vitamin D can be obtained from oily fish, enriched margarine, dairy products and daily exposure to the sun, while fluoride from sources such as fluoridated water strengthens bone mineral.

📌 Osteoporosis prevention includes regular lifelong exercise, avoiding smoking and excess alcohol, limiting tea and coffee, avoiding excess protein and limiting medicines that may cause bone loss.

💡 Memory Hook

Insufficient bone nutrients and harmful lifestyle factors → bone loss → fractures.

📊 Synthesis Tables

Diabetes Types Compared