FOOD BIOCHEMISTRY

Like all fields of human endeavor, science has a “lingo” peculiar to itself, and so scientists can communicate with one another easily. Much of the language of science has roots in Greek and Latin, so for the layperson, terms can sound quite strange and hard to understand, but actually, they follow certain rules and forms.

Prefixes are word fragments that are at the beginning of a word, include mono-, which means one component, di-, which means two components, poly-, which means several components, and oligo-, which means few. In other words, these prefixes let us know how many of something is in something. Some rather common examples are monosodium glutamate, one sodium glutamate, frequently used in Chinese food, polyunsaturated fat, having multiple double chemical bonds, liquid at room temperature, like corn oil.

Suffixes, another type of word fragments, occur at the end of a word, and identify the nutrient. Some of these are –ose, sugar, -ase, enzyme, -ol, alcohol, -ic, acidic, -ine, amino acid, -ate, nutrients changed from their original state. A common examples is sucralose, found in Splenda and related products.

Enzymes are protein molecules that help other organic molecules enter into chemical reactions with one another but are themselves unaffected by these reactions. In other words, enzymes are the Life Force present in living systems; they originate from living cells and are capable of producing certain chemical changes in organic substances by catalytic action, as in digestion.

Vitamins are various fat-soluble or water-soluble organic substances essential in minute amounts for normal growth and activity of the body and obtained naturally from plant and animal foods.

Proteins are a group of complex organic macromolecules that contain carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, and usually sulfur and are composed of chains of amino acids. They are fundamental components of all living cells and include many substances, such as enzymes, hormones, and antibodies, that are necessary to the functioning of an organism. They are essential in the diet of animals, including humans, for the growth and repair of tissue and can be obtained from foods such as meat, fish, eggs, milk, and legumes.

Carbohydrates are various neutral compounds of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen (as sugars, starches, and celluloses) most of which are formed by green plants and which constitute a major class of animal foods. Lately “carbs” have gotten a bad reputation, but not all carbs are created equal: like other animals, we need certain carbohydrates, but others are best left alone.

Fats are organic compounds that serve as a reserve of energy for the body. Fat is stored in the body's fat tissues,which provide support,protection, & insulation for the body and its organs. Like carbohydrates,fats have gotten a bad reputation in
recent years. However, a balanced diet must include some fats because, in addition
to providing energy for the body, they are necessary for the absorption of certain
vitamins.

Vitamin A, C, & E Complex Vitamins: Vitamins A, C and E have antioxidant properties. Antioxidants are vital for reversing free radicals - impure oxygen compounds which are produced by the body's normal metabolism, tampering with DNA, challenging the immune system and accelerating the visible signs of aging; also referred to as oxidative stress. Free radicals can result from inner city living, exposure to radiation and pollution, including smoking, and consumption of alcohol, non-prescription & prescription drugs, and/or unsaturated fats. Cellular protection is determined by the balance between oxidative stress and antioxidant intake, along with the reserves maintained in your body.

Calcium & Other Minerals: Calcium is best known for its contribution to strong teeth and bones. It also has many other functions necessary to continuing life. And, it may be protective against high blood pressure and colon cancer.

A number of minerals are required to build and maintain our skeleton; however, calcium is far and away the most abundant. There is nearly twice as much calcium in the body as phosphorus (the next most prevalent mineral) and about 40 times more than the amount of magnesium.

Along with other minerals, calcium is involved in vitamin function and is essential to the synthesis of hormones and enzymes. For that reason, calcium is not only in our bones and teeth but is transported to our soft tissues in soluble form by the blood. It takes only one percent of our total body calcium to perform these functions. (The other 99 percent is in the bones.) This tiny amount is crucial, and body mechanisms are organized to keep it constant. This is possible because bone itself is living tissue in a state of continual flux.

Simple & Complex Sugars: Carbohydrates are one of three necessary macronutrients that provide calories in our diets. They provide most of the energy needed in our daily lives, both for normal body functions (such as heartbeat, breathing, digestion, and brain activity) and for exercise (like biking, walking, running up the stairs and all types of resistance training). An ample supply of carbohydrates is absolutely necessary to sustain a healthy existence and a must if your goal is to reduce your body fat and enhance your fitness level.

Carbohydrates are considered simple or complex based upon their chemical structure. Both types contain four calories per gram, and both are digested into the bloodstream as glucose, which is then used to fuel our bodies for normal daily activity and exercise. The main difference between simple and complex carbs is:

Simple carbohydrates or simple sugars – These carbs are broken down and digested very quickly, but most simple carbs contain refined sugars and very few essential vitamins and minerals. Examples include table sugar, fruit juice, milk, yogurt, honey, molasses, maple syrup and brown sugar.

Complex carbohydrates – The complex carbs take longer to digest and are packed with fiber, vitamins and minerals. Examples include vegetables, whole grain breads, oatmeal, legumes, brown rice and wheat pasta.

Saturated & Unsaturated Fats: Fats are molecules made of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen, and a second of the three necessary macronutrients. The type of fat depends upon the arrangement of these atoms within the molecule. If the carbon atoms have a single bond between them and as many hydrogen atoms as possible are bonded to the carbon atoms, then the fat is said to be saturated.

Sometimes though, the bond between the carbon atoms is a double bond and the molecule can absorb more hydrogen atoms. If this is the case, the fat molecule is of the unsaturated type of fat.

Some fat is needed in a regular healthy diet, but healthy people want to avoid or limit saturated fats, known to raise blood cholesterol levels, and found in foods such as fatty meats, poultry skin, coconut and palm oils, pastries, cookies and high fat dairy products like whole milk.

Fats are a potent source of energy for the body. Also, fat is needed to dissolve certain vitamins that our cells require. If there isn't any fat in the diet then the person will not be able to see the benefits of vitamin A, D, E and K, which are “fat-soluble”, meaning that they will only dissolve in fat. The fat in a person's diet allows these vitamins to dissolve and then the vitamins can be carried to the cells within the person's body.

Unsaturated fats are divided into two groups:

Polyunsaturated fat: is found in fatty fish like salmon, tuna and sardines, and in oils like corn oil, safflower oil and soybean oil.

Monounsaturated fat: is found in some nuts (peanuts, almonds, hazelnuts, and pecans) as well as in certain oils like canola oil, and olive oil.

Oils vs. Fats:

The difference between fats and oils is in their melting point. Fats tend to be solids at room temperature; oils tend to be liquid at room temperature. To turn a fat into an oil, merely raise its temperature above its melting point. If the temperature continues to increase beyond the melting point to the point where some smoke becomes evident, the molecular structure of the oils will change and a number of toxic molecular isomers will be produced in the oil. If the oil is allowed to cool or to re-solidify, the toxic products will remain. The temperatures where this damage is done to our fats and oils is about half the temperatures reached in the refining and hydrogenation processes. Thus, these processes routinely destroy all of the nutritional value of our fats and oils. These refined, AKA “hydrogenated” fats and oils are characterized by an extraordinarily long shelf life; some are virtually unspoilable.

Proteins: Protein is found throughout the body—in muscle, bone, skin, hair, and virtually every other body part or tissue. It makes up the enzymes that power many chemical reactions and the hemoglobin that carries oxygen in your blood. At least 10,000 different proteins make you what you are and keep you that way.

Twenty or so basic building blocks, called amino acids, provide the raw material for all proteins. Following genetic instructions, the body strings together amino acids. Some genes call for short chains of amino acids, others are blueprints for long chains that fold, origami-like, into intricate, three-dimensional structures; DNA is a good example of a complex protein.

Because the body doesn't store amino acids, as it does fats or carbohydrates, it needs a daily supply. For most people, fish, poultry, and beans are the best choices to eat.

Generally speaking, it is best for our health to eat a good variety of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. It would be optimal if most of these were organically grown in order to avoid pesticides, fungicides, & hormones and foods that have been genetically modified, and locally harvested, within a hundred miles of home for most of us.

Authorities in government, medicine, and public health recommend 9-13 servings of fruits and vegetables per day, all kinds, all colors, especially green. Whole grains, which are complex carbohydrates, and include wheat pasta, brown rice, and the like, are preferred over simple carbohydrates, such as white flour and white sugar. Unsaturated fats such as found in safflower, corn, soybean, canola, and olive oils are recommended for cooking, while nuts and certain fish, like mackerel, sardines, & tuna yield protein as well.

Meat and poultry, in addition to fish can be good sources of protein, but care must be taken that they be lean and without fat, cooked well by boiling, broiling, grilling, baking, & roasting, and not deep-fried. Also, Americans tend to eat enormous portions of meat at one meal; this is not necessary, and too much of a good thing can end of a bad thing in terms of health, vitality, & quality of life.
While ideal to obtain all nutrients from diet alone, this is difficult to achieve, even in this country, which appears to have such great abundance. Food supply can be compromised in quality, due to pesticide & fungicide use and the condition of the soil, water, & air, when crops were picked and how long and far produce may have travelled to market. Our meat and poultry is primarily raised in the horrific conditions of “factory farms” and injected with antibiotics and hormones, which have gotten into our bodies and the bodies of our children.

It may be necessary for people to take nutritional supplements in order to overcome some of these issues. The market for these is huge, all kinds of products are out there today. And so a word of caution seems to be in order: nutritional supplements based on whole foods are greatly preferred over those that are artificially created in laboratories and factories. We should all educate ourselves about supplements, and proceed carefully. Read the research and evaluate whether it is double-blind placebo-controlled independent studies on actual products or derived research. An example of derived research is “broccoli is good for us and such and such has some broccoli in it so such and such is good for us”. We need to know exactly what we’re taking. Consultation with a health professional trained in nutrition may be very worthwhile, to maintain health and also to assist treatments for specific diseases and conditions. And supplementation may be beneficial for most people.

In the past few years, I have experienced many changes, some interpersonal, some hormonal, all to some degree affecting my health. In midlife, I have gone through menopause, so no longer have the protection estrogen afforded my heart. I became interested in my family medical history, and found cardiac disease and cancer there, which puts me at risk. Arthritis, which I had in my knees for some time, worsened, and began to be felt in other joints as well. My cholesterol went very high, my thyroid went very low, and I gained quite a bit of weight. The stress of caring for an elderly mother with failing health, frequent falls, ESRD and early dementia was difficult for me to handle. I was divorced, and my children grown, living their own lives, though nearby and somewhat helpful.

So--- I signed up with eHarmony and met my present husband; we married in March 2008. He was wonderful with both me and my mom, and helped greatly with her transitions, first to assisted living, then Home, in September 2008. Between us we have four adult children, two children-in-law, and one grandchild. We have old issues and new problems, but genuinely sense that we are soul mates and true partners in life together.

I also signed up for weekly Gentle Yoga through my town’s Recreation Department. I love that class! Still go as faithfully as I can. I started walking more, again--- I used to be a great walker, now going 1-2 miles a day and hoping to increase when it’s not so hot (rainy, icy, snowy, whatever). My husband is a long-time member of the YMCA; we took on a Couple Membership. He’s a lap swimmer, up to two miles a couple of times a week; I am up to almost half a mile, once a week.

I’ve looked at my diet, studied nutrition, looked at recommended diets for heart health, high cholesterol and weight loss. I’m following the recommendations, emphasizing fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, with chicken & fish. Progress is very slow; my cholesterol has gone way down through diet alone, I’m now on thyroid medication, and lost a few pounds with quite a few more pounds to go. This is discouraging, as it makes exercise, like walking, more difficult than it would be otherwise. And I need to exercise.

I’m getting involved with Food Activism, patronizing Farm Stands and Farmer’s Markets in my area, emphasizing Local Harvests and Organic Food (though not entirely organic at this point). I’m protesting “Factory Farms” and studying the complexities of Agricultural Policy and Fair Trade. Also, I enrolled in NIWH this year, to learn the science of health and how to share this knowledge with others, to challenge, encourage, & empower people to take control of their health & well-being. So in general, this is a lifestyle change.