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NUTRITION 101: LESSON ONE,TWO AND THREE
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NEWSLETTER: MARCH 2007

NUTRITION 101: PART  ONE

 

       The absence of disease does not necessarily mean the presence of wellness. One may not be experiencing symptoms of disease and yet the body may be beginning to gradually break down due to lack of nutrition, exercise and a healthy life style.  Eventually such gradual breakdown begins to manifest itself in a variety of disorders which we attach various names to such as arthritis, diabetes, cancer, etc.

 

       In years past, food was thought to be nothing more than a source of calories for production of energy for the body.  We now understand that food contains thousands of elements that must be present if the body is to function at optimal level. The quality of food is a measurement of nutritional density.  Foods that are high in vitamins, minerals, amino acids, enzymes and a variety of other micronutrients are said to be nutritionally dense.  It is those kinds of foods that we need to maximize in our diet.

 

       The nutritional calorie is the amount of heat required to raise approximately one quart of water two degrees Fahrenheit.  Nutritional density is defined as the relative amount of vitamins, minerals, etc, per 1,000 calories of food.  The higher the micro nutritional density of a food, the greater it will support the health of the body.  Food low in nutritional density is defined as empty calorie food.  In order for food calories to be optimally utilized by the body, they must be metabolized in the presence of a wide variety of micro nutrients. 

 

THE MACRO NUTRIENTS:

 

       The three macronutrients of protein, carbohydrate and fat are the source of calories for the body’s production of energy.  Protein and carbohydrate have four calories per gram of potential energy.  Fat has nine calories per gram of potential energy.  As you can see, fat is more than twice as energy dense as protein or carbohydrate.  Unfortunately, most fat is micronutrient poor.  Therefore, diets high in fat tend to be calorie dense and micronutrient poor.


       We will begin our discussion of macro nutrients by looking at the role of protein in human health.

 

       PROTEIN: Our bodies are made up of hundreds of proteins which are individually made up of  a little over 20 different amino acids of which eight (called essential amino acids) must be derived from the diet while the rest, (called non-essential amino acids) are made by the body.  Protein contains high levels of the element nitrogen.  Eighty percent of the air we breathe is nitrogen gas.  Nitrogen is extremely stable which prevents it from easily being taken into the food chain.  For it to be utilized in the making of proteins, nitrogen must be either reduced to substances like ammonia or to nitrates. One way this is accomplished is through a process called nitrogen fixation which can only occur in plants through the activity of certain bacteria.

 

       In an effort to increase available protein in the food supply, modern agriculture has for a number of years been adding chemical nitrogen fertilizers such as ammonium salts to the soil.  While this practice has increased the protein content of plants, it has also led to higher acidity of the soil which has reduced the release of minerals into the soil from ground water and other sources.  Therefore, there has been a marked reduction in the trace mineral content of many foods in recent years. 

 

       We obtain protein in our bodies by eating plants or the flesh and other derivatives of animals that eat plants.  Such ingested protein is broken down by the digestive process into their constituent amino acids which pass into the blood stream and travel to the liver.  The liver rearranges the amino acids in various ways to form protein building blocks for repair and maintenance of tissues through the body.  The proteins make by the liver are matched to the proteins out of which your body is made and this process is regulated by your bodies DNA.  This is why no two people are exactly the same as to the makeup of the particular proteins that make up their body. 

 

       Our body’s proteins are structural, catalytic and regulatory. All three of these classes of protein are synthesized within cells called ribosome’s as directed by DNA within the nucleus of such cells. 

 

Structural proteins:

 

       Structural proteins, such as collagen and elastin, make up the materials of tendons, bone, ligaments and other connective tissue. Elastin is a protein that makes up the walls of the arteries and gives them their ability to stretch and therefore respond to differences in blood pressure.  This protein requires large amounts of the essential amino acid lysine.  The structural protein keratin is found in abundance in nails and hair and requires a lot of the sulfur amino acid cysteine. 

 

       Collagen protein virtually holds our bodies together. It requires the combining of the amino acid proline and vitamin C to produce hydroxyproline.  When a person is deficient in vitamin C, he cannot produce adequate levels of hydroxyproline and collagen is manufactured imperfectly.  This can lead to bleeding gums, increased capillary fragility, easy bruising and other connective tissue problems. 

 

Catalytic proteins:

 

       Catalytic proteins are enzymes that control the rate of all biochemical reactions in the body.  Digestive enzymes break down the food we eat into usable elements.  Antioxidant enzymes protect our cells from oxidation and free radical damage. Other enzymes are involved in various metabolic processes. The activity of enzymes is facilitated by various vitamins and minerals which act as co-factors and are classified as coenzymes.  For example, the mineral magnesium participates in nearly 80% of enzyme mediated reactions in the body.  Therefore magnesium deficiency can produce widespread symptoms of malfunction. The B complex of vitamins are converted to numerous coenzymes that facilitate specific enzyme activities.  Deficiency of one or more of the B Vitamins will adversely affect the function of enzymes and therefore the facilitation of various biochemical reactions.  

 

Regulatory proteins:

 

       Regulatory proteins are hormones which regulate various body functions.  Insulin and glucagon, which are both produced by the pancreas gland, are good examples of hormone proteins.  Both these hormones play a vital role in regulating blood sugar levels.  Insulin responds to carbohydrate.  When you eat carbohydrate, which digests into glucose, your pancreas releases insulin which, with the help of the mineral chromium, removes glucose from the blood into the cells and thus lowers blood sugar.  The cells then use the glucose calories to produce energy.  Insulin will convert excess glucose into stored carbohydrate called glycogen, and fat.   Glucagon responds to protein, not carbohydrate, and works in opposition to insulin.  When you eat protein, it stimulates the pancreas to produce the hormone glucagon which releases glycogen and fat stored in adipose tissue as a result of the activity of insulin.  As you can see, both these hormones work to regulate blood sugar levels so that such levels are neither to high or to low.   

Protein requirements:

       The recommended daily protein requirements for humans are derived from "ideal body weight". The ideal body weight is calculated based on height and varies slightly for men and women. Our protein requirements can also be expressed in terms of total caloric intake. The world health organization and many national health agencies have independently conducted studies, which (even though they differ slightly) all conclude our daily protein requirement should be between 10% to 15% of our daily caloric intake. The daily protein requirement is usually expressed in grams.  You can have your daily protein requirements automatically figured out for you by going to http://www.indoorclimbing.com/Protein_Requirement.html.

       Most Americans get enough protein on a daily basis to facilitate maintenance, repair and replacement of protein requiring tissues.  For individuals who work out on a regular basis, there may be a need for additional protein to prevent muscle wasting.  Muscle tissue is made up primarily of protein. When you work out, especially if you lift weights, you can be at risk for breaking down protein faster than you are replacing it.  This leads to a reduction in muscle tissue which is the opposite of what you are trying to accomplish through exercise.  It is therefore important that you eat not only sufficient amounts of protein but also complex carbohydrates to insure that the body doesn’t go to using protein for energy production while working out.  One must also be careful, however, not to overdo it with protein.  Studies have shown that excessive amounts of protein intake can increase bone loss and facilitate osteoporosis.  This is due to the high levels of phosphorous and sulfur in protein which increases the acidity of the blood leading to greater loss of calcium in the urine. 

 

The urea cycle:

  

     As explained earlier, protein is very high in nitrogen.  The urea cycle is the mechanism by which the body gets rid of excessive nitrogen.  This cycle operates predominately in the liver where ammonia is converted to urea through the action of certain amino acids and this urea is then eliminated in the urine. Ammonia is manufactured as a by-product of used up amino acids and proteins being reduced to nitrogen which then combines with hydrogen to form ammonia.  Failure of this process to adequately reduce ammonia levels can lead to its release from the liver into the blood with subsequent damage to tissues throughout the body but especially in the brain. Excessive protein in the diet leading to excessive urea production is also toxic to the kidneys.  It has been found that a protein restricted diet can reduce the progression of kidney disease and effectively bring down levels of ammonia.


NEWSLETTER: APRIL 2007

NUTRITION 101: LESSON TWO
       

        In lesson one, we discussed the macronutrient protein.  In this lesson we will complete our discussion of protein and begin to look at the role of carbohydrate.

 Protein digestion:

       When you eat a meal, the protein from that meal begins to digest in the stomach where hydrochloric acid and the enzyme pepsin begin to break it down into individual amino acids.  This partially digested protein then travels to the duodenum, which is the upper part of the small intestine, where its digestion continues by the action of bicarbonate and a group of enzymes secreted by the pancreas called proteases. What began as complex dietary proteins are broken down into individual amino acids which travel via the blood stream to the liver where they are rearranged and sent throughout the body to build and maintain body tissues.

       Some proteins are difficult to digest and don’t always break down into their individual amino acids.  When such partially digested proteins enter the blood stream, they can create allergic reactions.  An allergic reaction is the body’s immune system treating something in the body as a foreign substance which results in unwanted symptoms. 

       One allergy producing protein can be gluten. Gluten is an elastic, rubbery protein present in wheat, rye, barley and to a lesser degree in oats. It binds the dough in foods such as bread and other baked goods. Rice and corn do not contain gluten. A gluten allergy called celiac disease is an autoimmune condition that causes damage to the tiny finger like projections lining the small intestine called villi.  Villi are where nutrients are absorbed into the blood stream.  Symptoms can include chronic abdominal bloating and pain, diarrhea, constipation, weight loss and sometimes a blistery rash. Because this disease creates poor absorption of nutrients, symptoms of fatigue and depression are often present.  Allergy to gluten can be determined by a blood test that measures for antibodies to gluten.

       A protein found in dairy products called casein is a problem for some as it can produce allergic reactions such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and abdominal cramps, hives etc.  As with gluten, a test for antibodies to casein can determine if there is an allergy to this protein.      

       Signs of poor protein digestion include bloating, flatulence and heartburn.  If you experience these symptoms on a regular basis, taking a digestive supplement such as hydrochloric acid (HCL) with pepsin and/or an enzyme product high in proteases may be helpful.  Sometimes taking a little apple cider vinegar with or before eating protein will be just enough to increase the acidity of the stomach resulting in better protein breakdown.
 
CARBOHYDRATE:

        Carbohydrates are organic compounds of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen in which, with few exceptions, the ratio of Hydrogen to Oxygen is 2:1.  The body uses Carbohydrates as a source of Energy and heat.   Plants take in carbon dioxide from the air, capture energy from the sun in molecules of chlorophyll and through a complicated process called photosynthesis make large chain-like units of saccharides (sugar molecules) called starch and cellulose.  Starches are long chains of glucose saccharides  

Types of carbohydrate:

       The number of links of sugar molecules in a chain determines the type of carbohydrate.  Polysaccharides are made up of many saccharides strung together. Oligosaccharides consist of 3-15 sugar molecules.  Disaccharides consist of two sugar molecules and monosaccharides consist of single sugar molecules.  These various forms of saccharides are present in both plants and animals.  Polysaccharides make up starch and fiber.  A type of oligosaccharide is maltodextrin which is often used in the processing of powdered food supplements.  An example of a disaccharide is the milk sugar lactose and the common table sugar sucrose. Common monosaccharides are fructose found in fruit and vegetables and the blood sugar glucose.

       Cellulose is a polysaccharide carbohydrate composed of units of glucose linked together by lignans.  Lignans are chemical compounds composed of two or more phenylpropanoid units which are plant derived organic compounds that are biosynthesized from the amino acid phenylalanine and provide many protective functions for the body. The body does not digest cellulose but uses it as fiber to facilitate elimination of waste through the bowel.  Since cellulose is the main constituent of the cell walls of plants, it is found in most plants but is often removed in food processing.  Cellulose is found in abundance in grains and flex seed has the highest levels of lignans.    

Digestion of carbohydrate:

       When you eat a meal, the carbohydrate from that meal begins to digest in the mouth due to the action of an enzyme called salivary amylase.  Such partially digested carbohydrate then passes through the stomach to the small intestine where various enzymes from the pancreas complete the breakdown of complex carbohydrate (Starch) into simple carbohydrate such as the blood sugar glucose.  Glucose enters the blood stream and passes into cells through the action of insulin from the beta cells of the pancreas and help from the trace mineral chromium   Insulin will convert excess glucose into stored carbohydrate called glycogen. Glycogen is stored in the liver and muscle tissue and is released and reconverted to glucose as the body needs it.  The monosaccharide fructose, goes directly to the liver where it is converted to glycogen and triglyceride fat.

       There are two basic types of starch in foods. One is called amylose and the other amylopectin.  The ratio of one to the other in a food has a direct affect on the speed at which such food will break down into glucose. Amylose is a straight chain of glucose molecules tightly bound together and therefore hard to gelatinize which results in slower digestion of the starch. Amylopectin is a string of glucose molecules with lots of branching chains which results in a starch that is easier to gelatinize and therefore, more easy to digest.

       Gelatinization is where water and heat expand the starch granules to where there is created much larger surface areas to which digestive enzymes can attach and, therefore, speed up the process of breaking down the polysaccharides into disaccharides and finally into the monosaccharides of glucose, fructose and galactose. 

       Foods which have little amylose but have lots of amylopectin digest faster and, therefore, raise blood sugar faster. Refined wheat flour is an example of a high amylopectin carbohydrate. Because of the very small particle size of this flour, it is easy for water to be absorbed.  This adsorption of water greatly expands the surface area of each particle. This expansion makes it easy for enzymes to break down this flour in the digestive tract. The removal of the fiber during the refining process contributes further to gelatinization.  Basmati rice and most beans have a lot of amylose and therefore are examples of foods which digest slower and therefore raise blood sugar at a slower rate.  Pasta that is made from durum wheat (semolina flour) will generally digest slower because durum wheat is very hard when milled. This results in larger particles with less gelatinization (swelling) and therefore slower digestion.

A note about fructose:

       Fructose is naturally found in fruit, therefore its name. The fructose being used by the food industry is not derived from fruit as that would be much too expensive. Commercially used fructose is instead derived from corn syrup and in reality is a blend of 55 percent fructose and 45 percent glucose. While the fructose does not immediately convert to glucose, the glucose in this blend will raise blood sugar quickly and therefore must be processed out of the blood by insulin. Substituting fructose for sucrose is not improving things very much.

       In addition to being converted to glycogen, fructose also stimulates the liver to produce triglycerides.  In research done with feeding men a high glucose or a high fructose diet, it was the high fructose diet that led to significantly higher triglyceride levels in the blood. Fructose converts to fat more readily than any other sugar. Other research has shown that fructose caused an increase in serum cholesterol and low density lipoproteins (LDL).  Fructose ingestion increases uric acid levels which can lead to inflammatory problems.

       It should be apparent that fructose from corn syrup is not the answer to improving blood sugar control. When fructose is analyzed relative to its fat generating effect, we have even more reason to avoid it.  Fructose found in fruit and vegetables is present in small amounts and is combined with fiber and a variety of nutrients. This is the way you should eat your fructose.

       The ability of the body to properly manage blood sugar levels is directly related to the type of carbohydrate being consumed.  For a comprehensive overview of this issue, go to Archives2


NEWSLETTER: MAY 2007

NUTRITION 101: LESSON THREE


       Last month we discussed the macronutrient carbohydrate.  In lesson one we discussed the role of protein in the body.  This month we will begin to look at the role that fat plays in the creation and maintenance of health.   

 FAT:

        As covered in lesson one, the three macronutrients of protein, carbohydrate and fat are the source of calories for the body’s production of energy.  Protein and carbohydrate have four calories per gram of potential energy.  Fat (also referred to as lipids) has nine calories per gram of potential energy.  The reason fat has more potential energy per gram is because it is more slowly oxidized than protein and carbohydrate.  Oxidation is a process where oxygen combines with the molecules of nutrients to produce bi-products that lead to the production of energy.  Protein and carbohydrate oxidize almost twice as fast as fat   Fat, on the other hand, produces oxidative bi-products at a slower pace and thus provides more total energy per gram.

        Since fats oxidize slower, they require more total oxygen per gram than protein and carbohydrate in order to break down into energy producing bi- products.  Lack of adequate oxygen being present during the oxidation (breakdown) of fats, results in inferior bi-products such as ketones which make the body more acid.  An acidic body is more susceptible to disease.  When the body becomes acidic, enzymes that control the body’s rate of metabolism become denatured which results in poor energy production.

        Just as proteins are made from smaller units called amino acids and carbohydrates are made from units called saccharides, fats are made from units of fatty acids which are chains of carbon atoms placed next to one another with hydrogen atoms connected to them.  At the beginning of the chain the first carbon atom has three connected hydrogen atoms.  At the end of the chain is what is called a carboxyl acid group. Thus fatty acids are a combination of fat and acid from where they get their name.  There are two kinds of fatty acids, saturated and unsaturated. 

 Types of fat:

        A saturated fatty acid is one that has all its carbon atoms arranged in a straight line one next to another with each carbon atom having one hydrogen atom above it and one hydrogen atom below it.  The carbon chain of saturated fatty acids can be anywhere from 4 to 24 carbon atoms long.  The longer the carbon chain the higher its melting point.  Triglycerides are an example of a fat largely made up of saturated fatty acids.  This fat is a chemical combination of three fatty acids held together by a liquid alcohol called glycerol.  Triglycerides are the major form of dietary and body fat.   

        An unsaturated fatty acid is a chain of carbon atoms where hydrogen atoms are not found above and below every carbon atom.  Where this is the case, the carbon atoms bound to each other without an accompanying complete set of hydrogen atoms is called a double bond. Such chains of carbon atoms are called unsaturated because they contain less than the two hydrogen atoms per carbon atom as found in saturated fat and therefore the carbons are said to not be fully saturated with hydrogen atoms.  

        Unsaturated fatty acids are further broken down into monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids.  A monounsaturated fatty acid is where there is but one double bond in the carbon chain.  Fats having monounsaturated fatty acids will tend to be liquid at room temperature but become solid as the temperature gets colder. Olive oil is an example of this type of fat.  Polyunsaturated fatty acids have two or more double bonds and fats with a lot of these fatty acids will remain liquid even at cold temperatures. Safflower oil is an example of this kind of fat.

 Essential fatty acids:

        There are two polyunsaturated fatty acids which are especially important to our health.  One is called linoleic (omega 6) and the other is linolenic (omega 3).  These fats are called essential fatty acids (EFA’s) and must be obtained from the diet, as your body does not make them.  When ingested, the EFA’s go through a number of conversions which lead to the production of what are called prostaglandins.  These prostaglandins are hormone like substances that play a role in much of what goes on in the body.

        At levels above 12 to 15% of total calories, EFA’s increase the rate of metabolic reactions and thus facilitate more rapid burning of fat.  EFA’s are very involved in the energy making process and must be present in order for oxygen to transfer from the lungs to the blood plasma.  EFA’s actually hold oxygen in cell membranes and thus create a barrier to viruses and bacteria which cannot live in the presence of oxygen.  These acids form a structural part of all cell membranes and play a role in the recovery from muscle fatigue.  Essential fatty acids lead to reduction in inflammation, play a role in the regulation of cholesterol and blood sugar, immune response, calcium metabolism, nerve function and the list goes on and on.

       A lack of these acids in the diet can lead to multiple health problems. These problems include dermatitis, eczema, reproductive inefficiency, menstrual irregularities, atrophy of the adrenal and thyroid glands, elevated cholesterol levels, arthritis, low energy, and neurological problems, to name just a few.

       The American diet is very high in omega 6 fatty acids because of our consumption of products containing oils high in these acids.  Sources of omega 6 are the common vegetable oils extracted from corn, sunflower and safflower. An additional source of omega 6 is found in the meat we eat from animals raised on grain rather than green vegetation.  While high in omega 6, the American diet is low in omega 3.  Typically, Americans have body tissue ratios of from 10:1 to 20:1 omega 6 over omega 3.  Such imbalances lead to a variety of health problems including excessive inflammation, hypertension and cancer. 

       The goal should be to get more of the omega 3 fatty acids into the diet and less of the omega 6.  A good source of omega 3 linolenic acid is flax seed oil.  Flax oil has a ratio of omega 3 to omega 6 of 4:1.  Therefore flax oil provides the much needed omega 3 without adding much additional omega 6.

        In the body, omega 3 EFA linolenic acid converts to the fatty acids EPA (eicosapentaenoate acid) and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid).  These converted fatty acids are important to all aspects of our health.  As we get older or become diabetic, our bodies do not efficiently convert linolenic acid to EPA and DHA.  Fortunately, you can obtain EPA and DHA direct from the diet by eating fish such as salmon, sardines, cod and herring. 

 Fatty acid configuration:

        The double bonds in unaltered unsaturated fatty acids are in a natural cis configuration where the hydrogen atoms are on the same side of the double bond.  Another pattern called the trans configuration is where hydrogen atoms are on the opposite sides of the double bound.  Trans-fats are not handled by the body as well as cis fats and tend to interfere with the action of cis fats.  Trans-fats are created by heating unsaturated oils and/or allowing them to rancidify by exposure to oxygen.  The more unsaturated an oil is, the greater at risk it is for the creation of trans-fats when exposed to heat.

       Many cooking oils are made from highly unsaturated oils and are exposed to high heat in the refining processing. This causes them to have trans-fats.  Additional trans-fats are created when cooking with such oils.   Hydrogenation is a process where unsaturated fatty acids are made more saturated. This process also creates trans-fats.  Spreads, such as margarine, are an example of hydrogenated oils. It’s best to buy cold pressed, unrefined oils and use them raw, like in salads dressings, and sparingly in cooking.  Olive oil is excellent for cooking as it is more stable due to having monounsaturated fatty acids which don’t break down as easily when heated.   Butter and coconut oil, being more of a saturated fat, are even more stable and won’t create trans-fats even at high temperatures.

 Digestion of fats:

        Dietary fats pass into the upper part of the small intestine called the duodenum.  These fats are first emulsified by bile released from the gall bladder.  They are further broken down in the small intestine by the enzyme lipase secreted from the pancreas. They are then taken up into the lymphatic system, pick up protein molecules, and are transported to the liver as high density lipoprotein (HDL).  The liver converts HDL to low density lipoprotein (LDL) and LDL’s are transported via the blood to various areas of the body.   Bile, which is made in the liver and stored in the gall bladder, is composed of cholesterol and its bi-products lecithin and bile salts.  If the stool tends to be very light in color it could indicate an insufficient flow of bile.  Insufficient bile will result in pure digestion of fats and can lead to deficiency in the absorption of essential fatty acids.  The amino acid taurine has been found to be helpful in increasing bile flow.  Getting plenty of fiber in the diet is also very important to maintaining good flow of bile.     

Phosphatides:

       Phosphatides are the major structural lipids of all organisms.  Unlike other fats which are only soluble in fat, phosphatides are soluble in both fat and water.  They have the ability to spread out in thin layers and are a chief component of body membranes.  Lecithin is the most well known of the phosphatides and is an important emulsifying agent in the body.

 Cholesterol:

       The best known fat is cholesterol which has the very important function of keeping the membranes of our cells functioning properly.  This function is so important that every cell in your body has the ability to synthesize cholesterol.  The liver, intestines, adrenal glands and sex glands also make cholesterol as necessary. All steroid hormones are made from cholesterol.  Vitamin D is, in part, synthesized from cholesterol. 

        The dark side of cholesterol is that the so-called bad LDL and VLDL (low and very low density lipo protein) cholesterol can oxidize and create free radical activity causing damage to the walls of the arterial system.  One way to guard against such oxidation is to insure that you are consuming a large variety of anti-oxidant nutrients on a daily basis.  HDL (high density lipo protein), the so-called good cholesterol helps to remove LDL cholesterol by collecting it and returning it to the liver. Aerobic and resistive exercise is the best way to raise HDL levels.

        You can lower LDL cholesterol levels in the body by moving bile through the colon and out the stool.  Bile is basically a cholesterol waste product and failure to remove it can result in excess cholesterol circulating in the arterial system, which may end up as deposits in the arteries. Consuming thirty to forty grams of water soluble fiber per day will insure the elimination of cholesterol waste.  Oat bran, rice bran, apple pectin, flax fiber and psyllium are all examples of fibers that will facilitate this process.

       For a comprehensive overview of the role of cholesterol and its relation to heart disease go to www.milkandhoney.com/archieves8.html.