TEAS Nutrition and Health Science Review: Essential Concepts for the Science Section

Nutrition and health science questions appear regularly on the TEAS Science section, yet they're among the most under-studied topics. While most students focus heavily on anatomy and physiology, questions about macronutrients, vitamins, metabolism, and dietary guidelines can make the difference between a good score and a great one.

This comprehensive review covers every nutrition and health science concept you're likely to encounter on the TEAS, organized from foundational knowledge to more advanced topics. Whether you're a complete beginner or doing a final review, this guide has you covered.

Macronutrients: The Big Three

Macronutrients are the nutrients your body needs in large amounts to function. There are three macronutrients, and understanding their roles, caloric values, and food sources is essential for the TEAS.

Carbohydrates (4 calories per gram)

Carbohydrates are your body's primary and preferred energy source, especially for the brain and during high-intensity exercise. They are broken down into glucose, which cells use for immediate energy or store as glycogen in the liver and muscles.

• Simple carbohydrates: monosaccharides (glucose, fructose, galactose) and disaccharides (sucrose, lactose, maltose) — digested quickly, cause rapid blood sugar spikes
• Complex carbohydrates: polysaccharides (starch, glycogen, fiber) — digested slowly, provide sustained energy
• Fiber is a carbohydrate the body cannot digest — it aids digestion, promotes bowel health, and helps regulate blood sugar
• Recommended intake: 45-65% of total daily calories should come from carbohydrates

Proteins (4 calories per gram)

Proteins are made of amino acids and serve as the building blocks for tissues, enzymes, hormones, and immune system components. Of the 20 amino acids, 9 are essential — meaning the body cannot produce them and must obtain them from food.

• Complete proteins contain all 9 essential amino acids (meat, fish, eggs, dairy, soy)
• Incomplete proteins lack one or more essential amino acids (most plant sources like beans, nuts, grains)
• Complementary proteins: combining incomplete proteins to get all essential amino acids (rice + beans)
• Proteins are NOT the body's preferred energy source — they're used for energy only when carbohydrate and fat stores are depleted
• Recommended intake: 10-35% of total daily calories

Fats/Lipids (9 calories per gram)

Fats provide the most concentrated source of energy at 9 calories per gram — more than double that of carbohydrates or proteins. Beyond energy, fats insulate organs, help absorb fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, K), and are essential components of cell membranes.

• Saturated fats: solid at room temperature, found in animal products and tropical oils — associated with increased LDL cholesterol
• Unsaturated fats: liquid at room temperature — monounsaturated (olive oil, avocados) and polyunsaturated (fish, flaxseed) are considered heart-healthy
• Trans fats: artificially created through hydrogenation — increase LDL ("bad") cholesterol and decrease HDL ("good") cholesterol; the most harmful type
• Omega-3 and Omega-6 are essential fatty acids the body cannot produce
• Recommended intake: 20-35% of total daily calories

Vitamins: Fat-Soluble vs. Water-Soluble

Vitamins are micronutrients — needed in small amounts but essential for countless body processes. The TEAS commonly tests the distinction between fat-soluble and water-soluble vitamins.

• Fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, K): stored in body fat and liver, do not need daily replacement, can accumulate to toxic levels
• Vitamin A: vision, immune function, skin health (carrots, sweet potatoes)
• Vitamin D: calcium absorption, bone health (sunlight, fortified milk, fatty fish)
• Vitamin E: antioxidant, protects cell membranes (nuts, seeds, vegetable oils)
• Vitamin K: blood clotting, bone metabolism (leafy greens, broccoli)
• Water-soluble vitamins (B-complex, C): not stored in the body, excess excreted in urine, need regular replenishment
• Vitamin C: collagen synthesis, immune function, antioxidant (citrus fruits, peppers, strawberries)
• B vitamins: energy metabolism, red blood cell formation, nervous system function

Essential Minerals

Minerals are inorganic elements that play critical roles in body function. The TEAS typically focuses on the major minerals and their primary functions.

• Calcium: bone and teeth formation, muscle contraction, nerve signaling (dairy, leafy greens, fortified foods)
• Iron: oxygen transport in hemoglobin, energy production (red meat, beans, spinach, fortified cereals)
• Sodium: fluid balance, nerve impulses, muscle contraction (table salt, processed foods)
• Potassium: fluid balance, heart rhythm, muscle function (bananas, potatoes, oranges)
• Zinc: immune function, wound healing, DNA synthesis (meat, shellfish, legumes)
• Magnesium: muscle and nerve function, blood sugar regulation, bone development (nuts, whole grains, leafy greens)

The Digestive Process: From Mouth to Absorption

Understanding how the body processes food is central to both nutrition and anatomy questions on the TEAS. Here's the complete digestive pathway and what happens at each stage:

• Mouth: mechanical digestion (chewing) and chemical digestion begins — salivary amylase starts breaking down starches into maltose
• Esophagus: peristalsis moves food to the stomach — no significant digestion occurs here
• Stomach: gastric acid (HCl) and pepsin break down proteins — the stomach also kills most bacteria and converts food into chyme
• Small intestine: primary site of nutrient absorption — bile from the liver/gallbladder emulsifies fats, pancreatic enzymes complete digestion of carbs, proteins, and fats
• Large intestine (colon): absorbs water and remaining electrolytes, houses gut bacteria that produce some vitamins (K and B12), forms and stores feces
• Liver: produces bile, detoxifies blood, stores glycogen, and processes absorbed nutrients
• Pancreas: produces insulin/glucagon for blood sugar regulation and digestive enzymes (lipase, amylase, trypsin)

Metabolism: Anabolism vs. Catabolism

Metabolism is the sum of all chemical reactions in the body. It has two components that the TEAS frequently tests:

• Catabolism: breaking down complex molecules into simpler ones, releasing energy (e.g., breaking down glucose during cellular respiration)
• Anabolism: building complex molecules from simpler ones, requiring energy (e.g., building muscle protein from amino acids)
• Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR): the minimum energy your body needs at rest to maintain vital functions — affected by age, sex, muscle mass, and thyroid function
• ATP (adenosine triphosphate): the energy currency of the cell — produced primarily through cellular respiration in the mitochondria

Water: The Forgotten Nutrient

Water is technically not a macronutrient or micronutrient, but it's the most essential nutrient for survival. The human body is approximately 60% water, and it plays a role in virtually every bodily function.

• Regulates body temperature through sweating and vasodilation
• Transports nutrients and oxygen to cells via blood plasma
• Cushions and lubricates joints and organs
• Aids in digestion and waste removal
• Recommended intake: approximately 8 cups (64 oz) daily, more during exercise or hot weather
• Dehydration can impair cognitive function, physical performance, and kidney function

Dietary Guidelines and Nutrition Labels

The TEAS may include questions about interpreting nutrition labels or understanding dietary recommendations. Here are the key concepts:

• Percent Daily Value (%DV) on nutrition labels is based on a 2,000-calorie diet
• 5% DV or less is considered low; 20% DV or more is considered high
• The ingredients list is ordered by weight — the first ingredient is the most abundant
• Added sugars are now listed separately from total sugars on updated nutrition labels
• Serving sizes on labels may not match the amount you actually eat — always check the serving size first

Quick-Reference Summary Table

Use this summary for your final review before test day:

• Carbohydrates → 4 cal/g → primary energy source → 45-65% of diet
• Proteins → 4 cal/g → tissue building and repair → 10-35% of diet
• Fats → 9 cal/g → energy storage, insulation, vitamin absorption → 20-35% of diet
• Fat-soluble vitamins → A, D, E, K → stored in body → can be toxic in excess
• Water-soluble vitamins → B-complex, C → not stored → need regular intake
• Primary absorption site → small intestine
• Protein digestion begins → stomach (pepsin + HCl)
• Carbohydrate digestion begins → mouth (salivary amylase)
• Fat digestion → small intestine (bile + pancreatic lipase)

Nutrition questions on the TEAS are highly score-able once you understand the core concepts. Unlike complex anatomy topics that require extensive memorization, nutrition follows logical patterns — if you understand what each nutrient does and where digestion happens, you can reason through most questions even if you don't remember every detail. Use this guide as your foundation, then reinforce with practice questions to lock in your knowledge.