Why Protein is so IMPORTANT???

In the third instalment on macro-nutrients, let's discuss the most important macro in our diets and myths around PROTEINS.

By the time you finish reading this article, I am sure everybody shall start looking at protein in his/her diet.

In this small article, we shall learn about - 

• What are proteins?
• Why they are so Important(Functions and uses of proteins)?
• Protein digestion and quality.
• Sources of protein.
• Myths surrounding protein.

What are Proteins???

Proteins are the building blocks of out body as rightly told in our school books. Just like carbohydrates are made up of glucose, Fats are made up of fatty acids, similarly proteins are made up of amino acids.

Amino acids are simple organic compounds containing a carboxyl group(-COOH) and an amino group (NH2).

Calorific value - One gram of protein releases 4 kcals of energy.

Why it is so important???

Proteins are one of the most important requirements of our body. Some of the functions and uses are - 

1. Anabolism - Proteins play a very crucial role in growth, repair and recovery of our body. It plays a crucial role in metabolism of our body especially Anabolism(building/growth).
2.       Enzymatic Functions - All enzymes are primarily proteins. As discussed in my previous articles also, enzymes are catalysts which enables/speeds up a particular reaction/process like pancreatic lipase is an enzyme which helps in digestion of lipids/fats. Without this enzyme digestion of fats is impossible and this enzyme is a PROTEIN.
3. Hormonal Functions - Hormones play a very crucial role in various bodily processes e.g. Insulin help in regulating blood sugar. Some proteins are hormones. Hence, proteins are as crucial as food for our body. Imagine what happens in the absence of insulin, growth hormone or ghrelin(hunger hormone).
4. Structural Importance - Some proteins act as basic structural component of a tissue. They provide stability and rigidity to a particular tissue e.g. Elastin(protein) in cartilage(your nose and ears are made of cartilage only), Collagen(protein) in your bones and Keratin in your hair and nails. How beautiful a person would look without nose or ears in the absence of protein?
5. pH Balance - Protein helps in maintaining the pH balance of your body which in simple terms means it helps in preventing your body from turning too acidic or too alkaline.
6. Fluid Balance - Proteins help in maintaining the fluid inside and outside cells e.g. albumin and globulin helps in maintaining the intra and extracellular fluid.
7.       Immunity - n times of Covid-19, everybody is consuming Kaada, geloy and what not to increase the fighting capacity of our body which is called immunity(body’s defence system). Proteins help in the formation of antibodies which then fights infection in our body.
8. Transporter Proteins - In my last article ‘Fat is not bad’ I had mentioned that cholesterol is transported to various body parts through special proteins known as lipoproteins. Similarly a lot of other proteins help in transportation of nutrients in our body.
9. Storage Proteins - Proteins also helps in storage of micro-nutrients e.g. Ferritin(protein) stores iron.

I believe the above mentioned functions/uses of protein are enough for everybody to start introspecting and change their diets immediately.

Protein Digestion and Quality

Whole protein cannot get absorbed by intestine cells and they are broken down in to small chains of amino acids called peptides.

The Process of breakdown of proteins is called proteolysis.

The digestion of protein begins in stomach in the presence of hydrochloric acid(HCL) and pepsin(enzyme) by breaking down peptide bonds in to simpler amino acids. Further breakdown happens in the small intestine in the presence of pancreatic enzymes. The amino acids then passes from intestine in to blood stream with the help of sodium and potassium.

The amino acids are now used for various purposes and rest is converted either in to energy or gets out of the system through Urea cycle.

Quality - How good a protein is can be measured by a simple measure called 'Protein Efficiency Ratio (PER)'. It is defined by the weight gained in grams by consuming similar quantity of protein. PER for eggs is 4.5, milk protein is 3 and rice protein is 2.2.

Sources

The excellent sources of protein are Fish, Eggs, Legumes like kidney beans, chickpeas, Chicken, Soya chunks, and dairy products like milk, cheese, yogurt, paneer etc. Before consuming one can easily check the quantity of protein in a particular food item.

Myths Surrounding Proteins

1. Only muscle building - Most people think that protein is necessary only for muscle building. This myth has been busted in the above section of ‘function of protein’.
2. Weight loss - Most people think that cutting protein from diet will help them in losing weight. On the contrary, Increasing protein helps in weight loss although proper proportion as well calorie intake has to be maintained.
3. Kidney Diseases - This is one is the most popular and is given as an advice to people who consume protein powder in the form of shakes. However, hundreds of researches have been done on this and not even a single research has proved that protein consumption leads to kidney diseases.
4. Vegetarian diet - Most people think it is impossible to consume enough protein on a veg diet. For this let me share an example – a 70 kg male adult needs approx 90gms of protein daily and 100 gms soya chunks have 52 gm protein, 100gm paneer has 18 gm protein. 50 gms of peanuts have 12 gm protein.

Conclusion

Indian diet is predominantly carbohydrates driver consuming wheat, rice, breads, potatoes and that is the reason we have one of the highest number of diabetes and hyper-tension patients. Consumption of enough protein and leading a healthy lifestyle is the only path to fitness. My simple suggestion to everyone is to stand on the weighing scale and start consuming protein at least equal to your weight in grams like a 80 kg male consuming 80gm protein.

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Stay healthy stay fit!!!!

FAT IS NOT BAD!!!!

In continuation of my articles on Macro-nutrients, let's discuss fats as another macro-nutrient which is as important for the body as oxygen to breath.

Actually, the macro-nutrient is LIPIDS which is a combination of Triglycerides and many other components commonly known as fats. The structure is made up of Carbon, Hydrogen and Oxygen.

Energy output

Calorific value of 1 gram fat is 9 calories.

Composition

As I mentioned in my previous article about the composition of carbohydrates which are made of Glucose, similarly lipids are made of fatty acids. Based on the bonding between carbon atoms, the fatty acids are of two types namely - 

1. Saturated fatty acids - single bond among all carbon atoms
2. Unsaturated fatty acids - a) Monounsaturated - one double bond among carbon atoms.                                                            b) Polyunsaturated fatty acids - Multiple double bonds.

Functions

Fats are useful for many functions in the body which we will continue to notice in this article to justify the title. Some of them are - 

• Fats are required for normal functioning of brain.
• For proper physical growth of an individual.
• For proper development and functioning of immune system.
• For most of the metabolic activities.
• Fats are major source of fuel during exercise.
• Fats are essential for absorption of Vitamin A,D,E,K which are fat soluble vitamins.
• Body fat provides cushioning to vital organs.
• All cell membranes and cell structures have fat as component.

Types of Lipids (Not-Important, meant only for curious readers)

• Fatty acids - basic unit of lipids.
• Triglycerides - 98% of all fats in the body. Triglycerides from food are stored in the adipose tissues which releases fatty acids for fuelling muscles at rest.
• Essential fatty acids - a) Linolenic acid, b) Alpha-linolenic acid(ALA), c) Gamma-linolenic acid(GLA). Essential fatty acids are required for general health of the body.
•  Omega-3 fatty acids - a) EPA - Eicosapentaenoic acid, b) DHA - Docosahexaenoic acid and MCTs -medium chain triglycerides.
• Phospholipids - Transportation of lipids.
• Lecithin - Acts as emulsifier.
• Sterols including CHOLESTEROL.

CHOLESTEROL

Cholesterol is one of the most dreaded compound discussed in relation with heart diseases only but in this article we shall get to know how important and critical cholesterol is for our body and its functioning. 

Cholesterol is a type of lipid but different in structure as compared to other lipids. It has a ring structure and doesn't have fatty acids and glycerol in it which are predominantly found in all lipids.

Most Important fact - Human body can produce all the cholesterol it needs.

Cholesterol is found only in animal products like eggs, meat, whole milk etc. Let's discuss the functioning of cholesterol in human body - 

1. Cholesterol is required to produce and sustain certain vital hormones.
2. Used for making bile acids required for digestion of fats.
3. It is a component of all cell structures.
4. Precursor to vitamin D. (read my article on vitamin D)
5. Production of various sex hormones and adrenal hormones.
6. Essential for brain health and nervous system.

Relation with heart diseases - Cholesterol is considered as the main culprit when cardiovascular diseases are discussed but the truth is the total cholesterol count is taken in to consideration whereas ratio of HDL to LDL should be taken to judge the cholesterol levels. HDL and LDL to be discussed later in the article.

HOW FOOD GETS CONVERTED TO FAT???

Digestion of fats consumed in food starts in the stomach through an enzyme called lipase but only short chain fatty acids gets broken here. Majority of digestion takes place in small intestine in the presence of pancreatic lipase where triglycerides are broken in to glycerol and fatty acids. In the presence of bile secreted by liver in small intestine the digestion takes place at a rapid pace. Cells in small intestine absorbs these fatty acids and are ready to be transported to other parts of the body including the adipose tissue for storage.

Since fats are not water soluble transportation through blood or lymph is difficult and here comes the LIPOPROTEINS in the picture. Lipoproteins are specialised structures with a core of lipids and layered with protein, phospholipids and cholesterol.

These lipoproteins transport fats from liver and intestines to our body. There are 4 types of lipoproteins -

1. Chylomicrons - Carries dietary fats to muscle tissues.
2. VLDL - Very Low Density Lipoprotein - It converts in to LDL after releasing glycerol and fatty acids in the blood stream.
3. LDL - Low Density Lipoprotein (also known as bad cholesterol) - It transports cholesterol to the body.
4. HDL - High Density Lipoprotein (also known as good cholesterol) - It transports all the cholesterol from dying cells to the liver.

I believe the concept of HDL and LDL is clear and its relation to cardiovascular diseases as well.

ADIPOSE TISSUE

Adipose tissues are basically fat storing cells and have the capacity to increase in size up to 50 times of their initial size. They can also multiply in numbers in order to absorb additional fat. Adipose tissues stores fats as triglycerides and release fatty acids to supply energy to the body at rest.

SUPPLEMENTATION -  

The most important and well researched supplement of fatty acids is FISH OIL. Fish oil is rich in omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids. Fish oil supplementation helps in improving metabolic efficiency.

Fish oil also helps in reducing triglyceride levels and reducing body fat, heart diseases and lowering of blood pressure. Fish oil also helps in muscle building.

CONCLUSION - As per popular belief, fats are not at all bad for our body, in fact they are the most crucial macro-nutrient required for normal functioning of our body. Fat is not bad at all!!!

Ref:- INFS course book.

 

All you need to know about carbohydrates!!!

What are Carbohydrates?

Our nutrition is primarily made up of 2 different type of nutrients namely MACRO-NUTRIENTS and MICRO-NUTRIENTS. As the name suggests, Macro-nutrients are those which are required in large quantities and Micro-nutrients are required in minute quantities but are very important for normal functioning of our body processes. 

The macro-nutrients are - CARBOHYDRATES, FATS & PROTEIN. 

I shall cover all these nutrients in subsequent articles. Let's get to know about one of the most important macro-nutrient - 

CARBOHYDRATES

Carbohydrates are the primary source of energy for our body and can be broken down to its simplest form of Glucose to provide energy for various biological activities as well as physical activities.

Carbohydrates are present in wheat, rice, pulses, potatoes, banana, cookies, biscuits, breads, bakery products etc.

Once consumed our body utilize the carbohydrates in three different ways which are :-

1. BURN - First of all, the body converts the carbohydrates in to glucose which is then used to generate energy for numerous body processes and physical activity.
2. STORE - The body can store the excess glucose in the form of glycogen in various glycogen stores like Liver, muscle tissues etc. The process of converting glucose in to glycogen is called glycogenesis.
3. FURTHER STORAGE - Once the energy needs are met and glycogen stores are full, the body can convert the excess carbohydrates in to glucose and store in the adipose tissues as FATS. Adipose tissues are the tissues made of cells filled with stored fat.

Energy output - Each gram of carbohydrate produces 4 calories.

Types of carbohydrates -

Carbohydrates which are also called as saccharides in technical terms are divided in to two main types. 

• Simple carbohydrates - Simple carbohydrates are made up up of one or two sugar molecules and gets converted to glucose very fast. E.g - Glucose, fructose etc.
• Complex carbohydrates - Complex carbohydrates are made up large chains of sugar molecules and takes a little longer to get converted to glucose as compared to simple carbohydrates. E.g - Starch and fibers.

Metabolism of carbohydrates - 

The digestion of carbohydrates starts from our mouth. The saliva contains an enzyme(enzymes are the catalysts which helps in a chemical reaction) called salivary amylase which starts breaking down of carbohydrates in the mouth.Further, majority of the digestion of carbohydrates takes place in small intestine in the presence of another enzyme called pancreatic amylase. 

carbohydrates are hydrolyzed(break-down) in to glucose which is used in various functions and providing energy to the body.

Some complex carbohydrates like starch are not digested in small intestine, they rather get digested in large intestine. 

SCIENCE - The process doesn't ends at breaking down to glucose. The glucose further breaks down in a process called GLYCOLYSIS to form ATP(Adinosine TriPhosphate) molecules. ATP is the fuel that is used by our cells to generate energy for all cellular processes. Glycolysis takes place in two ways - Aerobic(in presence of oxygen) and Anaerobic(in absence of oxygen). Anaerobic glycolysis is faster but less efficient(produces lesser ATP molecules).

Optimum timing for carbohydrate consumption -  

Before we discuss the optimum timing for consumption of carbohydrates, let's discuss what is Insulin.

Insulin is a hormone produced by beta cells of Pancreas(Pancreas is a very important gland in our body which produces a lot hormones and enzymes to facilitate various processes) in response to increased glucose levels in blood. Insulin helps the movement of glucose from blood to liver, muscle tissues and fat cells for storage etc.

The relation of carbohydrates and insulin spike is two ways - directly proportional and Inversely proportional.

1. Directly proportional - The spike is high in case of consumption of simple carbs, high quantity of carbs and without other macro-nutrients like fats and proteins.
2. Inversely proportional - The spike is relatively low in case of consumption of complex carbohydrates, small quantities and in combination of fats and proteins.

As per myths doing rounds for ages, there is no impact of skipping carbohydrates from dinner on your weight or body fat percentage. However, total calories consumed have an effect on your weight and body fat percentage.

Conclusion - It is advised to consume more complex carbohydrates and in combination of fats and proteins in order to avoid higher spike in insulin product which leads to storage of glucose in the form of glycogen and fats.

 

 

   

Importance of Vitamin D - An insight

Almost 80% of Individuals in India are Vitamin D deficient. The main reasons for the deficiency of Vitamin D are -

1. Inadequate exposure to Sunlight - Our body can produce sufficient amount of Vitamin D on skin exposure to UV rays in the sunlight. Vitamin D3(cholecalciferol) is produced by 7-dehydrocholestrol in skin on irradiation(Exposure to sunlight). Most Indians either rural or urban due to multiple reasons do not give sufficient skin exposure to sunlight and hence the deficiency.

2. Inability to consume Vitamin D rich sources of food products - A large population in India is socioeconomically backward and hence consume vegetarian foods which are Vitamin D deficient.

3. Rare fortification of Vitamin D in food products - Fortification of foods with Vitamin D is the only and most efficient way of tackling the problem of Vitamin D deficiency.

Primary functions of Vitamin D is Homeostasis of Calcium - Vitamin D regulates the concentration of calcium and Phosphate in the blood. There are 3 ways in which Vitamin D regulates calcium in the blood - a) By increasing the absorption of calcium in the intestines, b) By reducing the excretion of calcium, c) By mobilizing the bone minerals.


The ill effects of Vitamin D deficiency are -
1. Poor bone health - Insufficient levels of Vitamin D in the blood leads to poor absorption of bone minerals like calcium and phosphorus resulting in weak and brittle bones in both children and adults.
2. Poor Immunity - In multiple researches, inverse relationship has been established in cases of TB, Cardiovascular diseases, Diabetes, cancer etc.

Conclusion:- Vitamin D is extremely important for human body and India being under-exposed to Sunlight and vitamin D rich foods, SUPPLEMENTATION of Vitamin D is the only option left.

Advice : One should get Vitamin D serum levels checked at regular intervals and supplement with doctor's advice. RDA for Vitamin D is 600 IU per day.