CNC Digestive Health & Gut Nutrition 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which vitamin requires intrinsic factor for absorption and is primarily absorbed in the terminal ileum?
- Vitamin C
- Vitamin D
- Vitamin B12 (Correct answer)
- Folate
Correct answer: Vitamin B12
Vitamin B12 (cobalamin) binds to intrinsic factor (produced by gastric parietal cells) and is absorbed specifically at the terminal ileum via specialized receptors.
Question 2: What is the primary role of hydrochloric acid (HCl) secreted by the stomach?
- Emulsifying fats for absorption
- Activating pepsinogen and creating an acidic environment for protein denaturation (Correct answer)
- Neutralizing pancreatic enzymes
- Absorbing water-soluble vitamins
Correct answer: Activating pepsinogen and creating an acidic environment for protein denaturation
HCl lowers gastric pH (to 1.5–3.5), which activates pepsinogen to pepsin, denatures dietary proteins, and kills most ingested pathogens.
Question 3: Which condition is characterized by chronic inflammation of the inner lining of the colon and rectum?
- Crohn's disease
- Irritable bowel syndrome
- Ulcerative colitis (Correct answer)
- Celiac disease
Correct answer: Ulcerative colitis
Ulcerative colitis is an inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) that causes chronic inflammation and ulcers confined to the mucosal lining of the colon and rectum.
Question 4: According to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, what is the recommended daily fiber intake for adult women under age 50?
- 15 grams
- 25 grams (Correct answer)
- 38 grams
- 45 grams
Correct answer: 25 grams
The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend 25 grams of fiber per day for adult women under 50 and 38 grams for adult men under 50.
Question 5: Which of the following foods is a naturally rich source of probiotics?
- White bread
- Canned corn
- Kefir (Correct answer)
- Apple juice
Correct answer: Kefir
Kefir is a fermented dairy beverage containing live cultures of bacteria and yeasts, making it one of the most potent natural dietary sources of probiotics.
Question 6: What is the enteric nervous system (ENS) often called?
- The second heart
- The third kidney
- The second brain (Correct answer)
- The auxiliary spine
Correct answer: The second brain
The ENS, containing roughly 500 million neurons embedded in the gastrointestinal lining, is called the 'second brain' because it can function autonomously and communicates with the central nervous system via the gut-brain axis.
Question 7: How does chronic psychological stress most directly impair gut health?
- It permanently increases bile acid production
- It elevates cortisol, which can alter gut motility, increase intestinal permeability, and disrupt microbiome balance (Correct answer)
- It reduces the number of taste receptors in the mouth
- It directly prevents absorption of vitamin A
Correct answer: It elevates cortisol, which can alter gut motility, increase intestinal permeability, and disrupt microbiome balance
Elevated cortisol from chronic stress disrupts the gut-brain axis, slows or accelerates motility, weakens the intestinal barrier, and shifts microbiome composition toward less favorable species.
CNC Digestive Health & Gut Nutrition 2
Which vitamin requires intrinsic factor for absorption and is primarily absorbed in the terminal ileum?