Friday, December 13, 2013

Mnemonics on nutrition

Hey guys!
These are some mnemonics I made on nutrition which is a part of my Preventive & Social Medicine (also known as Community Medicine).
We'll keep updating this section.
Please, please, please feel free to add your mnemonics as well ^__^

Deficiency of vitamin B1:
Thiamine deficiency causes Ber1 Ber1 (B1).

Deficiency of vitamin B2:
"A2 B2 C2"
A2 - 2 ATPs (FAD and FMN are derived from riboFlavin)
B2 - Vitamin B2
C2 - Cheilosis, Corneal vascularization
Let’s call it ri-two-bo-flavin!

Deficiency of vitamin B3:
"B3 causes D3"
You can also remember the three vowels in nIAcIn, so it's vitamin B three.
Dermatitis, Dementia, Death.
Random fact: P3llagra also tends to occur in areas where people eat maize (or corn, the only grain low in digestible niacin) as a staple food.
Mnemonic: Corny people can't be nice. (Corn can't have niacin)

"Have a nice trip to serotonin land"
Tryptophan is needed to make Niacin, Serotonin and Melatonin (Seratonin rhymes with Melatonin).

"Please catch the tyre"
Tyrosine is created from Phenylalanine which is required for the synthesis of catecholamines.

Protein deficiency diseases: Kwashiorkor & Marasmus mnemonic.
Kwashiorkor has a lot of O’s
O is a fat alphabet.
That should remind you of fatty liver.
No proteins to send lipids out of liver.
Kwashy is squashy for the edema associated with Kwashiorkor
Only protein deficient.

Marasmus has a lot of A’s
A is for appetite.
Ready to eat - which should tell you calories and proteins are deficient in Marasmus.

Dietary sources of essential fatty acids:
"Flowers and nuts contain linoleic acid.
GreeNs and beaNs have an extra N for linolenic acid."
Sources of linoleic acid are -
Flowers: Safflower oil, sunflower oil
Nuts: Groundnut, coconut.
Sources of linolenic acid are -
Greens: Green leafy vegetables
Beans: Soyabean oil.
Exam question: Olive oil is rich in Oleic acid. I was asked this in a viva.

Limiting aminoacids:
Cereal proteins (corn, wheat) are deficient in Lysine & Threonine.
I remember the word "CuLT" for this
Random fact: Significant proportions of lysine are found in soyabeans.
Pulse proteins are deficient in Methionine.
Mnemonic: PM
Exam question: I was asked which aminoacids are limiting in groundnuts in my practical exam. I read online that three aminoacids are particularly low - Lysine, Threonine and Methionine.. I don't have a mnemonic but make sure you remember this!

Updated on 16th Jan, 2014: Olive oil and groundnut facts.
Updated on 20th Mar, 2014: Serotonin land mnemonic
Updated on 24th Mar, 2014: Phenylalanine mnemonic

Related posts:
Biotin (vitamin B7) mnemonic
Vitamin C mnemonic

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