The following information is a summary of some basic biochemistry it’s not essential to understand but can help when reading research and information about food.

Carbohydrates CHO

• Carbohydrates are made by plants using solar power
•  Carbon dioxide from the air is bonded with water using electromagnic - light energy.
• Glucose (a simple carbohydrate) is made with 6 carbon dioxide molecules (C02) bonded to 6 water molecules(H2O) using light EM energy from the sun this produces 1 molecule of glucose & 6 molecules of oxygen

• Sugars and starches are carbohydrates
• In the mitochondria of our cells we reverse the process of photosynthesis. Carbohytrate is bonded to oxygen again to make carbon dioxide (CO2) and the energy is released. This process is called respiration and the energy can then be used in other chemical reactions in the cell.
• CHO in whole plant food is broken down slowly & glucose release is slow
• Refined carbs from sugar & flour release glucose rapidly this increases the risk of diabetes & metabolic syndrome a condition where there is increased insulin, BP, cholesterol & obesity

 

Protein

• Proteins are made of carbon, hydrogen, oxygen and nitrogen
  • & a little Sulphur
• 16% of body mass
• Nitrogen is absorbed from the soil by microbes & plants
• Plants make amino acids – the building blocks of protein
• there a 100,000 different proteins in our body made of long strings of amino acids -coiled into 3D molecules  
• DNA provides the instructions to make proteins
• The major structures within cells are formed from protein
• Enzymes – are proteins that facilitate chemical reactions in the body
  • Bring together the ‘magnetic jigsaw’ pieces

Protein
requirements

• 0.75g/kg for adult women – 45g for a 60kg women
• 0.84g/kg for men – 63g for a 75kg man
• and more for elderly people
• 20g serve
  • 1 cup lentils or beans
  • 1/3 cup of nuts or seeds
  • ½ cup of cooked soybean – tofu or Tempeh
  • 1 cup whole grains - brown rice, quinoa, spelt wheat
  •  4 cups of Greens - broccoli, kale, Brussel sprouts,
• Eat a variety of protein sources to get a balance of amino acids
• Higher amounts of animal protein in the diet is associated with reduced kidney function & kidney stones NHS

Fat
fat makes up 16% of lean body mass

• Made of carbon, oxygen and hydrogen atoms arranged so the molecule is insoluble in water
• Fat is an essential component of cell membranes
• Most fatty acids can be made in the body from carbohydrates
• Saturated fats – are full (saturated) with hydrogen they are -
  • Less reactive
  • Solid at room temp.
  • Animal fats, coconut and palm oil
  • Higher consumption is associated with inflammation & chronic disease
• Unsaturated fats have less Hydrogen
  • Liquid at room temp

electron microscope photo of a cell and its double layer wall of fat molecules.

 

2 Essential fatty acids – can’t be made in our body

• Linoleic acid LA
  • an omega 6 fatty acid
  • found in nuts and seeds
• Alpha linolenic acid ALA
  • an omega 3 
  • found in flaxseeds, walnuts, leafy veggies, algae & fish
  • Omega 3 fatty acids like EPA and DHA are made from ALA  Limited amounts

Too much Omega 6 in the diet reduces production of EPA & DHA

Have a Tbl spn of ground flax seeds daily –

consider algal oil supplements esp if pregnant or eating a vegan diet

 

Minerals

The elements – made in the stars – now in the soil - we are truely made of star dust!

• Minerals are absorbed into plants from the soil - we need 
  • Small amounts of Calcium, phosphorus,  potassium, sulphur, sodium, Chlorine & magnesium
  • Trace amounts of B, Cr, Co, Cu, F, I, Fe, Mn, Mo, Se, Si, Sn, V, Zn

 

Calcium

• Adults need 1000mg daily
  • Leafy greens  – 1 cup  cooked  ~150mg
  • Soy beans – 1 cup cooked – 261mg
  • Tofu – 1/2 cup Calcium set – 861mg
  • White beans – 1 cup  -161mg
  • Orange – 60mg
  • Women who drunk more milk had more fracture than those who drunk little NHS

Iodine

• Essential for thyroid hormone production - metabolism & growth
• Low in Australian soil, esp. Vic & Tas
• Low levels produce fatigue, intellectual disability & learning defects in children. Very common
• Seaweed, food grown in iodine rich soil, small fish (mercury), fortified food

Vitamins

Essential to life

•                They are chemicals unable to be made in the human body

Vitamin A

• Beta-carotene a chemical found in plants esp red and orange ones is converted in the body to Vitamin A
• Needed for
  • Retinal chemicals and sight
  • Skin and membrane formation
  • The immune system
• Broken down by heat and light

B vitamins

• they are Co – enzymes
  • B vitamines work with enzymes to facilitate chemical reactions, including the production of hormones and neurotransmitters, making DNA & new cells, metabolism of CHO & proteins, and ENERGY Production
• Water soluble
• Destroyed by cooking and alcohol

B’s Whole grains, nuts seeds, beans, greens

• thiamine
  • Whole grains, seeds, nuts, legumes
• B2 –riboflavin
  • Whole grains, leafy greens, yeast, yogurt, eggs
• B3 – niacin
  • Whole grains, nuts, mushrooms, fish, eggs
• B5 – pantothenic acid
  • Peanuts, Legumes, yeast, eggs
• B6 – pyridoxine
  • Whole grains, legumes, green leafy veggies, nuts
• B7 – biotin - Peanuts, mushrooms, yeast, most veggies
• B9 – folic acid
  • Needed for DNA synthesis,
  • Essential in pregnancy
  • Green leafy veggies, legumes, seeds, whole grains, citrus fruit
• B12 – cyaocobalamin
  • Maintains myelin sheath of nerve cells & mental functioning
    • Low levels associated with dementia, depression
  • Made by microbes
    • Soil, gut microbes
  • Small amounts found in eggs, cheese, fish & meat
  • the elderly, people eating a vegetarian or vegan diet, eating disorders or poor absorption – need to supplement B12

Ascorbic acid

• Essential for the formation of collagen a protein in connective tissue
• Antioxidant
• Present in fresh, raw fruits & vegetables
  • Destroyed by heat and light
• Optimum amount 200mg daily
  • 4-5 serves of fruit and veggies

‘Vitamin’ D

• Produced in our body  - hormone
  • using the energy in UV light absorbed by the skin

 

 

Fibre

• comes from Plant cell walls – its a type of CHO
• animals are unable to digest fibre
• it is digested by microbes in the gut
  • Soluble fibre
    • Pecitins, gums, mucilage
    • Fruit, veggies, oat bran, flaxseed, psyllium, legumes,
    • Reduces constipation, lowers LDL cholesterol
  • Insoluble fibre
    • Cellulose, lignin
    • Whole grains, legumes, nuts, seeds, fruit and veggie skins
  • Resistant starch – CHO digested in the large bowel
    • Grains, cold cooked potato's, bananas, lentils
    • Digested by gut bacteria to short chain fatty acids SCFA eg acetic acid
    • Regulates immunity – reduces allergies, cancers, autoimmune diseases
• 30g is the recommended daily intake but more is probably better,
• Hunter gathers eat 100-150g daily

Antioxidants

• Oxidation is the process of mixing Oxygen & CHO – this releases ENERGY 
  • • In the mitochondria this produces a molecule – ATP which stores energy
    • Oxidation also damages molecules esp DNA & cell membranes
    • Fire is rapid oxidation & damages materials
• Antioxidants are molecules that suppress damaging oxidation
  • • Fire retardants in the cell

 

Antioxidants –
 are in whole plant food

• Reduce
  • Inflammation – like arthritis
  • Inflammatory brain disease - Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, depression & multiple sclerosis
  • Heart attacks & strokes
  • Many cancers
• Slow aging
• Whole  plant foods contain the most powerful antioxidants
  • Allium sulphur – leeks, onions, garlic
  • Anthocyanins – purple, red & dark green - berries, red cabbage,
  • Beta-carotene – carrots, pumpkin, mango, kale, parsley
  • Catechins – red wine and tea
  • Copper – chocolate, nuts and seeds
  • Crytoxanthins – red capsicum, pumpkin
  • Flavonoids – green tea, apples, onion, citrus
  • Indoles – cruciferous veggies – broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower
  • Isoflavonoids – soybeans, tofu, lentils, peas
  • Lignans – sesame seeds, whole grains, veggies
  • Lycopene – tomatoes, watermelon
• Lutein – green leafy veggies
• Manganese – nuts, seeds
• Polyphenols – herbs, thyme, oregano
• Selenium – brazil nuts
• Vit C – oranges, currents, kiwi fruit, broccoli, capsicum, strawberries
• Vit E – avocados, nuts, seeds, whole grains
• Zinc – nuts, seeds, shellfish

Nutrition science experts agree

Lots of vegetables, fruit, beans, whole grains, nuts & seeds

Avoid processed & junk ‘foods’

+/- small amounts of animal products,

low in saturated fat, from small fish, free range or wild animals

(small amounts in meals, or larger serves on special occasions)

+/- small amounts of natural sweetener like honey < 6 Tspns daily

Some genetic variability

when planning our meals consider what is - 

• • Healthy
  • Enjoyable
  • Practical

take small steps in the direction we want, observe how we feel and be curious, kind and encouraging to ourselves and others.

e.g. when working towards 2 fruit & 5 Veg start with adding in a piece of fruit or veg we like and is in season each week. 

“Science is a way of thinking much more than a body of knowledge”

Carl Sagan