MEDICAL NUTRITION THERAPY

Lesson 5 Worksheet
Determine Basic Concepts Of Medical Nutrition Therapy
Angela Martin
United States University

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Worksheet

Determine Basic Concepts of Medical Nutrition Therapy

1.
List signs or symptoms that could indicate nutritional deficiencies.
The signs and symptoms of nutritional deficiency vary according to area, symptom and
deficiency as depicted below:
Area
Endocrine
GI

Symptom
Thyromegaly
Odynophagia or Dysphagis
Dysgeusia
Diarrhea
Musculoskeletal
Swelling or Joint Pain
Bone tenderness
Bone deformities
Wasting of muscle
Neurologic
Dementia
Sensory and Cognitive Deficits
Tetany
Paresthesias
Extremities
Edema
Mouth
Bleeding Gums
Eyes
Nails and Hair
Skin

2.

Deficiency
Iodine
Iron
Zinc
Vitamin B12, Folate, Niacin, Protein
Vitamin C
Vitamin D
Calcium, Vitamin D
Protein
Vitamin B12, niacin, Thiamin
Vitamin B12, niacin, Thiamin, pyridoxine
Magnesium, Calcium
Thiamin
Protein
Riboflavin, Vitamin C

Glossitis and Cheilosis

Iron, pyridoxine, niacin, riboflavin

Corneal keratomalacia
Impaired night vision
Uncurling or Spooning nails
Premature hair Whitening
Loss or thinning of Hair
Easy Bruising
Rash in sun-exposed areas
Rash

Vitamin A
Vitamin A
Iron
Selenium
Protein
Vitamin K or C
Niacin
Fatty acids, zinc and vitamins

Do these signs or symptoms always indicate a nutritional problem?

No these symptoms does not always indicate a nutritional problem. Majority of

symptoms as found in nutritional deficiencies are common in other diseases, for instance rashes
are common in skin allergies; easy bruising is a symptom of high sugar and cholesterol; loss or
thinning of hair can be a symptom of cancer; bleeding gums can be a symptom of mouth allergy;
and dementia can be a symptom of old age memory loss. So these symptoms are found by

MEDICAL NUTRITION THERAPY

physical examination and the link of these symptoms and nutritional deficiency needs to be
further substantiated by conducted other examination.
3.

List an example of nutritional excess and the problems it could cause.

An example of nutritional excess is an individual that exceeds the upper limit of a

nutrient (Agostoni et.al. 2010). For instance if an individual consumes excess magnesium, i.e.
more than 350 mg of magnesium supplement on daily basis; he or she can have explosive
diarrhea or very loose stool. Similarly is an individual consumes excess niacin, it can result in a
tingling and flushing sensation. Other nutrients that can result into gastrointestinal health
concerns if consumed in excess quantity are iron, copper, calcium, niacin and Vitamin C.
Another example is a pregnant women consuming Vitamin A in excess, this can carry huge
consequences in the form of birth defects in infant.
4.

Using your diet manual, name a diet that would meet each of the following

nutritional goals:
Goal - Maintain normal nutrition: Balanced Diet
Goal - Increase body weight: Protein Diet
Goal - Correct a nutritional deficiency: Dietary Supplements
Goal - Permit a body organ to rest: Fast Diet
Goal - Adjust the bodys ability to use a specific nutrient: Fast Diet
Goal - Prevent a disease: Balanced Diet
Goal - Reduce body weight: DASH Diet
Goal - Correct constipation: High Fiber Diet
5.

What resources would be useful when determining carbohydrate content of a menu?

In order to deter the carbohydrate content of a menu we need to see how much

carbohydrates are found in a serving of food. Carbohydrates basically provide glucose in our
bloodstream, so they are an important source of energy. First of all majority of vegetables contain
small amount of carbohydrates that can be consumed without carbohydrate counting. However
certain vegetables are counted as carbohydrate such as beans, lentils, peas, winter squash,
pumpkin, peas, corn, yams, sweet potatoes and potatoes, when their serving size range from

MEDICAL NUTRITION THERAPY

more than quarter cup. Useful resources for determining carbohydrate content of a menu are
nutrition facts panel found at the back of packaged foods and online resources such as The
Diabetes Carbohydrate & Fat Gram Guide, Fat & Carbohydrate Counter and The Calorie King
(Howlett, Burton & Kozup, 2008).

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References

Agostoni, C., Buonocore, G., Carnielli, V. P., De Curtis, M., Darmaun, D., Decsi, T., ... &
ESPGHAN Committee on Nutrition. (2010). Enteral nutrient supply for preterm infants:
commentary from the European Society of Paediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and
Nutrition Committee on Nutrition. Journal of pediatric gastroenterology and
nutrition, 50(1), 85-91.
Howlett, E., Burton, S., & Kozup, J. (2008). How modification of the nutrition facts panel
influences consumers at risk for heart disease: the case of trans fat.Journal of Public
Policy & Marketing, 27(1), 83-97.