Clinical Nutritionist CCN Trivia 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which plant compound found in soybeans is classified as a phytoestrogen due to its structural similarity to estradiol?
- Lycopene
- Resveratrol
- Genistein (Correct answer)
- Quercetin
Correct answer: Genistein
Genistein is an isoflavone in soy that binds estrogen receptors and can exert weak estrogenic or anti-estrogenic effects depending on tissue context.
Question 2: The body's primary short-term energy storage form of carbohydrate, found mainly in the liver and muscles, is:
- Starch
- Glycogen (Correct answer)
- Sucrose
- Glucose-6-phosphate
Correct answer: Glycogen
Glycogen is a branched polymer of glucose stored in liver (~100g) and muscle (~400g) and rapidly mobilized during fasting or exercise.
Question 3: Which condition is characterized by excessive accumulation of iron in organs such as the liver, heart, and pancreas?
- Wilson's disease
- Hemochromatosis (Correct answer)
- Anemia of chronic disease
- Thalassemia
Correct answer: Hemochromatosis
Hereditary hemochromatosis results from mutations (most commonly HFE gene C282Y) causing dysregulated iron absorption and progressive organ damage.
Question 4: Which vitamin is uniquely found almost exclusively in animal-sourced foods, making vegans at high risk for deficiency?
- Vitamin A
- Vitamin B12 (Correct answer)
- Vitamin E
- Vitamin K1
Correct answer: Vitamin B12
Vitamin B12 (cobalamin) is synthesized only by microorganisms and is present in meaningful amounts only in animal products, requiring supplementation in vegan diets.
Question 5: The process by which the small intestine absorbs iron most efficiently — in the ferrous (Fe2+) form — is facilitated by which transporter?
- Ferroportin
- Transferrin receptor 1
- DMT1 (divalent metal transporter 1) (Correct answer)
- Ferritin
Correct answer: DMT1 (divalent metal transporter 1)
DMT1 on the apical surface of duodenal enterocytes transports ferrous iron (Fe2+) across the brush border membrane into the cell.
Question 6: A clinical nutritionist counseling a client with phenylketonuria (PKU) would advise strict avoidance of foods high in which amino acid?
- Leucine
- Phenylalanine (Correct answer)
- Methionine
- Lysine
Correct answer: Phenylalanine
PKU results from deficient phenylalanine hydroxylase activity, so dietary phenylalanine accumulates and causes neurotoxicity if not restricted.
Question 7: Which standardized tool is commonly used by CCNs to screen patients for malnutrition risk in clinical settings?
- Beck Depression Inventory
- Malnutrition Universal Screening Tool (MUST) (Correct answer)
- Mini-Mental State Examination
- Harris-Benedict Equation
Correct answer: Malnutrition Universal Screening Tool (MUST)
MUST is a validated five-step screening tool that assesses BMI, unplanned weight loss, and acute disease effect to identify adults at risk of malnutrition.
Clinical Nutritionist CCN Trivia 4
Which plant compound found in soybeans is classified as a phytoestrogen due to its structural similarity to estradiol?