Practice Test GeeksCNS - Certified Nutrition Specialist Exam Practice Test
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CNS Functional Nutrition Flashcards

6 cards from real CNS practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.

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  1. Which dietary protocol involves a 3–7 day period of water-only or very low-calorie intake used in functional nutrition to trigger autophagy and cellular repair?

    Answer: Therapeutic fasting

    Therapeutic fasting activates autophagy (cellular self-cleaning) by lowering insulin and mTOR signaling, promoting removal of damaged cellular components.

  2. In functional nutrition, which short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) produced by gut bacteria is the primary energy source for colonocytes and supports intestinal barrier integrity?

    Answer: Butyrate

    Butyrate, produced from fermentation of dietary fiber by bacteria such as Faecalibacterium prausnitzii, fuels colonocytes and upregulates tight junction proteins.

  3. A CNS practitioner suspects pyrrole disorder (pyroluria) in a patient with anxiety, poor stress tolerance, and white spots on nails. Which two nutrients are primarily depleted?

    Answer: Zinc and vitamin B6 (P5P)

    Pyrroles bind zinc and vitamin B6 (as pyridoxal-5-phosphate) and are excreted in urine, depleting these cofactors needed for neurotransmitter synthesis.

  4. Which class of dietary compounds is most associated with activating the Nrf2 pathway to upregulate the body's endogenous antioxidant defense system?

    Answer: Phytochemicals (polyphenols and isothiocyanates)

    Phytochemicals including curcumin, sulforaphane, and resveratrol activate Nrf2, which translocates to the nucleus and induces antioxidant response element (ARE) genes.

  5. In functional nutrition, a positive secretory IgA (sIgA) result on a comprehensive stool analysis most directly indicates what?

    Answer: Mucosal immune defense status

    Secretory IgA is the primary immunoglobulin in gut mucus; levels reflect mucosal immune competence, with low levels indicating immune insufficiency and high levels indicating antigen exposure.

  6. Which dietary intervention in functional nutrition is used as first-line therapy for small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) by reducing fermentable substrates?

    Answer: Low-FODMAP diet

    The low-FODMAP diet restricts fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides, and polyols that feed small intestinal bacteria, reducing bloating and symptoms.

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