Annotation of gnutrition/gnutrition.texi, revision 1.1
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! 8: @node Top
! 9: @titlepage
! 10: @title GNUtrition
! 11: @subtitle Version 0.33rc1
! 12: @subtitle $Id: gnutrition.texi,v 1.4 2026/05/08 22:26:25 asm Exp $
! 13: @author @uref{https://antonm.org/, Anton McClure} @email{asm@@gnu.org, <asm@@gnu.org>}
! 14: @author Edgar Denny
! 15: @author Ian Haywood
! 16: @end titlepage
! 17:
! 18: @ifhtml
! 19: Version 0.33rc1
! 20: @*
! 21: $Id: gnutrition.texi,v 1.4 2026/05/08 22:26:25 asm Exp $
! 22:
! 23: @uref{https://antonm.org/, Anton McClure} @email{asm@@gnu.org, <asm@@gnu.org>}
! 24: @*
! 25: Edgar Denny
! 26: @*
! 27: Ian Haywood
! 28: @html
! 29: <hr>
! 30: @end html
! 31: @end ifhtml
! 32:
! 33: @menu
! 34: * Introduction::
! 35: * The Main Window::
! 36: * The Main GUI Window::
! 37: * The Nutrients in GNUtrition::
! 38: * GNU Free Documentation License::
! 39: * Bibliography::
! 40: @end menu
! 41:
! 42: @node Introduction
! 43: @chapter Introduction
! 44: @anchor{#introduction}
! 45: GNUtrition is a program designed to produce a detailed nutritional
! 46: analysis of the human diet.
! 47:
! 48: @menu
! 49: * Downloading GNUtrition::
! 50: * Running GNUtrition for the First Time::
! 51: @end menu
! 52:
! 53: @node Downloading GNUtrition
! 54: @section Downloading GNUtrition
! 55: @anchor{#downloading-gnutrition}
! 56: GNUtrition is is freely available at
! 57: @uref{http://www.gnu.org/software/gnutrition,www.gnu.org}. It is
! 58: released under the GNU General Public Licence version 3 or later. See
! 59: the file @code{LICENCE} for details.
! 60:
! 61: @menu
! 62: * Requirements::
! 63: @end menu
! 64:
! 65: @node Requirements
! 66: @subsection Requirements
! 67: @anchor{#requirements}
! 68: GNUtrition requires the following packages:
! 69:
! 70: Build-time
! 71:
! 72: @itemize
! 73: @item
! 74: GNU Make
! 75:
! 76: @item
! 77: C compiler with C99 support (e.g., GCC)
! 78:
! 79: @item
! 80: ncurses development headers and library
! 81:
! 82: @item
! 83: sqlite3 development headers and library
! 84:
! 85: @item
! 86: libm (typically part of the C standard library on GNU/Linux)
! 87:
! 88: @end itemize
! 89:
! 90: Run-time
! 91:
! 92: @itemize
! 93: @item
! 94: ncurses library
! 95:
! 96: @item
! 97: sqlite3 library
! 98:
! 99: @item
! 100: A USDA food database (@code{food.db}) built with @code{build_db.sh}
! 101:
! 102: @end itemize
! 103:
! 104: This list looks daunting, but all of these packages should be standard
! 105: on modern Linux systems, but you may have to install SQLite separately.
! 106:
! 107: @node Running GNUtrition for the First Time
! 108: @section Running GNUtrition for the First Time
! 109: @anchor{#running-gnutrition-for-the-first-time}
! 110: Install the database used for food information first:
! 111:
! 112: @verbatim
! 113: $./build_db.sh
! 114: @end verbatim
! 115:
! 116: Then you can start GNUtrition for the command-line simply:
! 117:
! 118: @verbatim
! 119: $gnutrition
! 120: @end verbatim
! 121:
! 122: @menu
! 123: * Entering your Information::
! 124: @end menu
! 125:
! 126: @node Entering your Information
! 127: @subsection Entering your Information
! 128: @anchor{#entering-your-information}
! 129: The profile options give you the option to enter your age in years, your
! 130: current height, your current weight, and your activity level. This is
! 131: subject to change prior to GNUtrition 1.0.
! 132:
! 133: @node The Main Window
! 134: @chapter The Main Window
! 135: @anchor{#the-main-window}
! 136: The main window shows you a daily budget based on USDA recommendations,
! 137: along with the following options
! 138:
! 139: @itemize
! 140: @item
! 141: s @code{Search}
! 142:
! 143: @item
! 144: l @code{Log}
! 145:
! 146: @item
! 147: p @code{Profile}
! 148:
! 149: @item
! 150: q @code{Quit}
! 151:
! 152: @end itemize
! 153:
! 154: The search tool lets you search by food names and descriptions.
! 155:
! 156: The log lets you view foods you add, and lets you edit those entries.
! 157:
! 158: @node The Main GUI Window
! 159: @chapter The Main GUI Window
! 160: @anchor{#the-main-gui-window}
! 161: At the top of the new main window is Search, Profile, and About.
! 162:
! 163: Under that, you have both a daily budget based on USDA recommendations,
! 164: along a daily food log.
! 165:
! 166: The search window lets you search by food names and descriptions.
! 167:
! 168: @node The Nutrients in GNUtrition
! 169: @chapter The Nutrients in GNUtrition
! 170: @anchor{#notes}
! 171: This chapter contains some notes on the nutrients analysed by
! 172: GNUtrition. They are not a definitive guide, for detailed information
! 173: refer to a standard text of nutrition or dietetics.
! 174:
! 175: @menu
! 176: * Caveat::
! 177: * Macro nutrients::
! 178: * Vitamins::
! 179: * Metals::
! 180: * Amino acids::
! 181: * Lipids::
! 182: @end menu
! 183:
! 184: @node Caveat
! 185: @section Caveat
! 186: @anchor{#caveat}
! 187: When Ian was researching the information for the Recommended Daily
! 188: Intakes (RDIs). he found the information conflicting but incomplete, so
! 189: for some nutrients there may be a European value, a US value, and a UN
! 190: value. In general, he chose the US value, in the hope this will be
! 191: compatible with the database.
! 192:
! 193: If you know of a good reference for RDIs, we would be eager to hear from
! 194: you, mail us at
! 195: @uref{mailto:bug-gnutrition@@gnu.org,bug-gnutrition@@gnu.org}
! 196:
! 197: It also should be noted that RDIs are a @emph{guide} to nutrition, not
! 198: the definition of it. Individuals may vary from the RDIs provided for
! 199: many reasons. For example, active people need more energy and protein
! 200: than inactive people, and illness increases the RDIs for almost
! 201: everything.
! 202:
! 203: In summary, just because the program spits out a nice column of
! 204: ``100%'', that doesn't automatically mean you have a healthy diet. The
! 205: old rules about balance and lots of green vegetables still apply, we're
! 206: afraid.
! 207:
! 208: @node Macro nutrients
! 209: @section Macro nutrients
! 210: @anchor{#macro-nutrients}
! 211: Macro nutrients constitute the bulk of the food we eat, they provide
! 212: energy and chemical building-blocks for tissues.
! 213:
! 214: @table @asis
! 215: @item Protein
! 216:
! 217: Proteins consists of long chains of @ref{#acids,amino acids} , to which
! 218: it is broken down to in the digestive system. Much of these amino acids
! 219: are reconstituted by the body to form human proteins. Human proteins are
! 220: universal in the body: as enzymes they regulate chemical reactions
! 221: within cells and the blood, they form tendons and ligaments which hold
! 222: the body together, and they provide muscle with its ability to contract.
! 223: Excess protein can be converted to sugar by the liver.
! 224:
! 225: @item Carbohydrate
! 226:
! 227: consists of sugar, and chains of sugar molecules called starches.
! 228: Starches are broken down in a similar manner to protein. In plants and
! 229: bacteria, carbohydrates provide structure, but in animals they are used
! 230: for energy.
! 231:
! 232: @item Fat
! 233:
! 234: consists of fatty acids (@ref{#lipids,lipids}), which are chain of
! 235: carbon atoms with a acid group at the end. These fatty acids are linked
! 236: in groups of three by glycerol. Once again,. this structure is broken
! 237: down in the gut, only to be re-formed in fat cells. Some fatty acids
! 238: have special functions, but mostly fat is a store of energy.
! 239:
! 240: @item Alcohol
! 241:
! 242: Rightfully a drug, but its energy component, between fat and protein,
! 243: can be significant in some people. There is no recommended intake for
! 244: alcohol, but their are recommended maximum intakes, these being 40g a
! 245: day for men and 20g a day for women. @footnote{according to the Drug and
! 246: Alcohol Centre, St. Vincent's Hospital, Melbourne, Australia.}
! 247:
! 248: @item Energy
! 249:
! 250: A total calculated from the above, which is expressed in both
! 251: kilocalories (the traditional unit in chemistry), and kilojoules (the
! 252: physicist's unit).
! 253:
! 254: There is a base requirement for energy, which can be estimated by age
! 255: and weight. However, muscle mass requires more energy to maintain than
! 256: fat mass, so persons of the same weight can have widely different base
! 257: energy requirements. In addition, active people will obviously need more
! 258: energy.
! 259:
! 260: @item Fibre
! 261:
! 262: is indigestible by human enzymes, and is largely excreted, or digested
! 263: by bacteria in the large intestine. Nevertheless, it is very important,
! 264: and often deficient in first-world diets. It dilutes toxins that build
! 265: up the gut and retains water. It softens faeces and increases its
! 266: volume, making bowel motions more efficient. Deficiency causes
! 267: constipation, and has been linked to bowel cancer.
! 268:
! 269: @item Water
! 270:
! 271: Arguably the most important nutrient, in terms of amount (two-thirds of
! 272: the body), and essentiality (people die of thirst long before they
! 273: starve).
! 274:
! 275: @end table
! 276:
! 277: @node Vitamins
! 278: @section Vitamins
! 279: @anchor{#vitamins}
! 280: Vitamins are cofactors -- special molecules which support various
! 281: biochemical reactions with in the body -- required only in very small
! 282: amounts, and can be stored for extended periods. They are divided into
! 283: two groups:
! 284:
! 285: @menu
! 286: * Fat-soluble vitamins::
! 287: * Water-soluble vitamins::
! 288: @end menu
! 289:
! 290: @node Fat-soluble vitamins
! 291: @subsection Fat-soluble vitamins
! 292: @anchor{#fat-soluble-vitamins}
! 293: @table @asis
! 294: @item Vitamin A
! 295:
! 296: is used for light-detecting chemicals in the retina of the eye, and
! 297: maintaining proper skin moisture and softness. In deficiency, poor night
! 298: vision, hard and rough skin, and anaemia can occur. Vitamin A is also an
! 299: anti-oxidant and protects against cancer.
! 300:
! 301: @item Vitamin D
! 302:
! 303: regulates calcium. Deficiency leads to rickets (soft, malformed bones)
! 304: in children. With adequate sunlight, the body can make its own vitamin
! 305: D, so little or none is required by the diet. It is not included in the
! 306: USDA database, and so not analysed by GNUtrition.
! 307:
! 308: @item Vitamin E
! 309:
! 310: is a strong anti-oxidant: it destroys cancer-causing chemicals called
! 311: @@emph@{free radicals@}. No deficiency syndrome has been described.
! 312:
! 313: @item Vitamin K
! 314:
! 315: is used by the liver to make special proteins, which circulate in the
! 316: blood. When a person is injured, these proteins. help to form a clot.
! 317: Intestinal bacteria can make vitamin K, however, it is also required in
! 318: the diet, but in low amounts. It is not included in the database.
! 319:
! 320: @end table
! 321:
! 322: @node Water-soluble vitamins
! 323: @subsection Water-soluble vitamins
! 324: @anchor{#water-soluble-vitamins}
! 325: @table @asis
! 326: @item Vitamin C
! 327:
! 328: is used in making collagen, a tough protein that provides a ``glue''
! 329: holding cells together. Vitamin C deficiency, known as @@emph@{scurvy@},
! 330: leads to easy bruising and bleeding, as lack of collagen weakens blood
! 331: vessels. It also aids the absorption of of iron, and may be an
! 332: anti-oxidant.
! 333:
! 334: It is not a cure for the common cold.
! 335:
! 336: @item Vitamin B-1 (Thiamine)
! 337:
! 338: is used in the biochemical processes by which cells obtain energy from
! 339: sugar. Deficiency causes mental disturbance, clumsiness, and
! 340: double-vision, which can occur in alcoholics, and in third-world
! 341: countries.
! 342:
! 343: @item Riboflavin; Niacin; Pantothenic acid
! 344:
! 345: are also important in energy utilisation by cells, by forming parts of
! 346: different enzymes. Niacin deficiency causes @@emph@{pellagra@},
! 347: characterised to dermatitis, diarrhoea, and dementia.
! 348:
! 349: @item Vitamin B-6 (pyridoxine)
! 350:
! 351: is used for processing of amino acids, deficiency causes a type of
! 352: anaemia.
! 353:
! 354: @item Folate
! 355:
! 356: is used for the synthesis of DNA. Deficiency leads to anaemia. In
! 357: pregnant women, higher intakes protects against neural tube defects in
! 358: their children.
! 359:
! 360: @item Vitamin B-12
! 361:
! 362: is also used for DNA synthesis, also leads to anaemia when deficient.
! 363: Only available in animal sources, so strict vegans require
! 364: supplementation.
! 365:
! 366: @end table
! 367:
! 368: @node Metals
! 369: @section Metals
! 370: @anchor{#metals}
! 371: @table @asis
! 372: @item Iron
! 373:
! 374: is used mainly in haemoglobin, a chemical that binds oxygen in the
! 375: blood, giving it its red colour. Deficiency, more common in women, leads
! 376: to mild anaemia.
! 377:
! 378: @item Calcium
! 379:
! 380: is used mainly in bones, to provide mechanical strength. Low calcium
! 381: intake has been linked to osteoporosis (weakening of the bones) in old
! 382: people.
! 383:
! 384: @item Selenium
! 385:
! 386: is essential to an anti-oxidant enzyme, which works in a similar manner
! 387: to Vitamin E.
! 388:
! 389: @item Potassium; Sodium
! 390:
! 391: are used to provide electrical potentials across nerve and muscle cell
! 392: membranes, also to provide the necessary osmotic force in body fluids.
! 393: Excess sodium was once linked to high blood pressure, but this not
! 394: emphasised today.
! 395:
! 396: @item Magnesium
! 397:
! 398: is used in controlling nerve impulses, deficiency causes weakness and
! 399: tremors.
! 400:
! 401: @item Copper; Manganese; Zinc
! 402:
! 403: combine with specific proteins to form various different enzymes.
! 404:
! 405: @end table
! 406:
! 407: @node Amino acids
! 408: @section Amino acids
! 409: @anchor{#acids}
! 410: Amino acids are the breakdown products of proteins. They are divided
! 411: into two groups, essential and non-essential:
! 412:
! 413: @float Table
! 414: @multitable {Phenylalanine} {Non-essential}
! 415: @headitem
! 416: Essential
! 417: @tab Non-essential
! 418: @item
! 419: Histidine
! 420: @tab Glycine
! 421: @item
! 422: Isoleucine
! 423: @tab Glutamate
! 424: @item
! 425: Leucine
! 426: @tab Aspartate
! 427: @item
! 428: Lysine
! 429: @tab Proline
! 430: @item
! 431: Methionine
! 432: @tab Serine
! 433: @item
! 434: Phenylalanine
! 435: @tab Alanine
! 436: @item
! 437: Threonine
! 438: @tab Tryptophan
! 439: @item
! 440: Tryptophan
! 441: @tab Arginine
! 442: @item
! 443: Valine
! 444: @tab
! 445: @end multitable
! 446: @caption{The Amino Acids}
! 447: @end float
! 448: Deficiency of any of the nine leads to wasting as proteins cannot be
! 449: made without them. This usually only occurs with a very monotonous vegan
! 450: diet, where the chief food is a plant that does not have one or more
! 451: essential amino acid. A varied vegetarian diet solves the problem.
! 452:
! 453: The other amino acids can be synthesised by the liver. The liver can
! 454: also interchange two pairs: cysteine and methionine, and tyrosine and
! 455: phenylalanine. This means a shortage of one can be made up from the
! 456: other, so total as the total requirement is met.
! 457:
! 458: Amino acid supplements are of no proven benefit over proteins containing
! 459: the amino acids (but are much more expensive).
! 460:
! 461: @node Lipids
! 462: @section Lipids
! 463: @anchor{#lipids}
! 464: Lipids include fatty acids (breakdown products of fat) and cholesterol.
! 465:
! 466: @table @asis
! 467: @item Fatty acids
! 468:
! 469: can be divided into three main groups: saturated @footnote{`saturation'
! 470: in this sense refers to hydrogen. Ask an organic chemist.},
! 471: mono-unsaturated and polyunsaturated. With these three the key is the
! 472: @emph{ratio} -- lots of saturated fatty acids, relative to the others
! 473: leads to atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries).
! 474:
! 475: Their specific chemical structures are available in organic chemistry or
! 476: biochemistry textbooks, in general they consists of a vary chain of
! 477: carbon-atoms, with a carboxylic acid group at one end.
! 478:
! 479: Fatty acids are used to make certain types of hormones, as well as to
! 480: store energy. Two fatty acids, linoleic and alpha-linoleic acid, are
! 481: essential for humans.
! 482:
! 483: @item Omega-3, and -6
! 484:
! 485: Some fatty acids are referred as "omega-3" and "omega-6". This refers to
! 486: the location of a double bond from the final (omega) carbon atom in the
! 487: fatty acid.
! 488:
! 489: It is believed that omega-3 fatty acids, found in fish oil, may have
! 490: beneficial health effects, but there is little hard evidence for this.
! 491:
! 492: @item Cholesterol
! 493:
! 494: can be made by the liver, so there is little dietary need. When we eat
! 495: cholesterol, the liver compensates by making less. Contrary to popular
! 496: belief, dietary cholesterol seems to have little effect on
! 497: blood-cholesterol levels, instead saturated fatty acids seem to be more
! 498: important.
! 499:
! 500: @item Phytosterols
! 501:
! 502: Not sure about these. Many be one and the same as phyto-oestrogens,
! 503: plant mimics of the female sex hormone. Intake is believed to control
! 504: symptoms of menopause.
! 505:
! 506: @end table
! 507:
! 508: @node GNU Free Documentation License
! 509: @chapter GNU Free Documentation License
! 510: @anchor{#gfdl}
! 511: @include gfdl.texi
! 512:
! 513: @node Bibliography
! 514: @chapter Bibliography
! 515: @anchor{#bibliography}
! 516:
! 517: Robert Bateman, Hamlyn, @emph{Every Boy's Handbook}, 1960.
! 518: David Bender and Arnold Bender, Oxford, @emph{Nutrition: A reference
! 519: handbook}, 1997.
! 520:
! 521: Stephen G. Chancy, Wiley-Liss, @emph{Principles of Nutrition I & II},
! 522: 1997.
! 523:
! 524: @emph{Textbook of Biochemistry}, Edited by Thomas Devlin.
! 525: Lubert Stryer, W. H. Freeman, @emph{Biochemistry, 4th ed.}, 1995.
! 526:
! 527: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service,
! 528: @emph{@uref{http://www.ars.usda.gov/ba/bhnrc/ndl,@emph{Nutrient Database
! 529: of Standard Reference, Relase 21}}} , 2008.
! 530:
! 531: @bye
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