"Food" for thought
Hello, World! As you might have noticed with my previous posts, my intention with these blogs has been to give you guys a TLDR; version of something potentially useful in a jargon-less (TLDR -> Too long didn't read) and lighthearted manner, and learn while doing the same. Today, I'm going to be writing about one of the things we all care about, which some of us live to eat, while others eat to live, FOOD. Again, like always, I'm not a nutritionist or a biologist (but I am a foodie), so this blog isn't an advisory on what's good for you, but I intend to leave you with something, which shall hopefully empower you to decide what's good for you.
What is food fundamentally? (WARNING: A Pizza may seem less appealing after reading this)
Food is basically a bunch of carbon(C), hydrogen(H) and oxygen(O) atoms linked together in a certain orientation with cameos of atoms like sulphur, iron, zinc, phosphorous, copper etc. While all of these aren't present in all the food we eat, it is the complex compounds these atoms form that we consume and break down in our body. From a "100-foot view", food is a mixture of carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins and minerals. (No, we won't get to whipped cream, cheese, jalapeno's etc. here). It might come as a surprise, but a significant amount of food is just water (Yeah, microwaves don't do magic, but mainly heat the water content in the food), for example, 95% of a tomato is water.
Let's breakdown Carbohydrates, Lipids, Proteins, Vitamins and Minerals:
- Carbs are just a mixture of C, H, O, in a well defined ratio, and they are first made when plants inhale carbon-dioxide during photosynthesis. They are one of the primary sources of energy for our cells, as they eventually contribute to generation of ATP molecules (if cells were cars, think of them as fuel for cells) which drive any functions in the cells. Carbs are mainly categorized into the ones which have a low glycemic index (which basically means they slowly release glucose into the blood stream as they're harder to break - fibres, for example - fruits, veggies and whole grains are fibre rich), and the ones which have a high glycemic index (easier to break, and hence relatively quickly increases blood sugar levels - starch, for example). While fad diets often ignore carbs, scientifically, they are nothing to be afraid of, if consumed in the right amount.
- Lipids are basically a broad category of biomolecules, and the most common type we usually hear of are fats, which are formed from molecules called "triglycerides" (again, a different combination of C, H, O). While there's a lot of paranoia around eating fatty foods, it's not the quantity of fat which affects you, but it's type (Disclaimer: this doesn't mean you can go to the refrigerator to grab some cheese right now). Specifically, unsaturated fats (except trans fat) >> saturated fats >> trans fats (the difference here is mainly in the the 3D orientation of how theses atoms are linked) i.e. Olive oil (100% unsaturated fat) is much better than the pancake mix (11% saturated + trans fat). Fats get stored in the fat cells in our body, and we can think of them as on-demand energy providers for the body. One could think of carbs like the Checking account while fats like the Savings account. In fact, this is one of the fundamental concepts behind Keto diet.
- Proteins are "simply" a complex chain of amino acids, and are a fundamental building block for tissues in our body. Proteins can be consumed externally (which are broken down into amino acids) as we all know, and the body has the ability to synthesize proteins (not all essential amino acids can be synthesized though) too. Genetic factors also come into play during protein synthesis (due to DNA in the cells), and this is one of the fundamental reasons why we all don't end up looking the same. One also has to keep eating proteins regularly to repair the damaged cells, because human body doesn't have the capacity to store amino acids. While I've not listed the sources of proteins here for brevity, it should be easy to look them up based on your dietary restrictions.
- Vitamins and Minerals are things we need in small amounts for our key metabolic functions (like generating enzymes necessary for breaking down food, for development of bones and teeth or to strengthen our immune system etc.) They are mainly categorized into water soluble (which need to be taken in regularly, as they are easily removed from the body) and fat soluble (which can be stored in fat cells). While you can see here how different vitamins help us in different ways, it's important to note that consuming excess quantity of vitamins and minerals can lead to toxicity.
How does body deal with all of this (Mini-Biology 101?): Now that we think we know what food constitutes of, let's look at the life of a pizza. As you bring a slice near your mouth, the glands in your mouth secrete saliva, which basically lubricates the food so that it's easier for the food to travel to the digestive track via the esophagus. The digestive system breaks down proteins into amino acids, carbs into glucose and fats into fatty acids and glycerol. The glucose is then transferred to the blood stream and the blood takes it to the final legs of its journey. This is possible because pancreas in the body detect that the blood glucose level is high, and release insulin (and this doesn't work perfectly for people with diabetes), which tells the cells to open their gates and take in glucose (which is gradually converted to ATP using anaerobic (without O) and aerobic (with O - this is one of the reasons why we need to breathe) reactions. This fuel generated by the cells, then helps in building proteins inside them based on the genetic information present in the DNA and some dance with the RNA. These proteins which are built, are then able to leave the cells to repair and build other group of cells in other parts of the body (ribosomes, endoplasmic reticulum and golgi bodies in the cells are the buzz words you want to remember, which facilitate the movement of proteins outside the cells). Eventually, left over "pizza" is then released by the large intestine after several hours, at which point it doesn't seem that tempting anymore. This "not so tempting pizza", is apparently tempting to bacteria and other decomposers, which decompose this waste over time to make soil more nutrient rich (which eventually helps plants grow only so that they can be converted to a once again tempting pizza - really, are we just eating our own waste? ). Not only this, but the inherent energy generation mechanism inside us also releases carbon dioxide, which again brings more food for us when used by the plants.
Calories (don't worry, you won't gain any by reading this, but you will end up burning some): Calorie, as you all may know is a basic way of measuring energy gained by consuming some food. One thing that deserves clarification here is that calorie count on any food label only tells you how much energy the food contains but not how much net energy you can get out of it. There's a subtle but important difference here because our body needs to do work in breaking down the food (which burns calories). Fibreous food for example takes more energy to digest, and hence the net gain after consuming 100 calories of fried potato chips will be more than consuming 100 calories of celery.
Where to go from here: While kitchen might seem like a great option (I'm headed there in a bit), I do recommend checking out some of the Ted-Ed videos, which do an excellent job at breaking myths related to food consumption and fad diets. Also, most, if not all of us, take these wonderful biological cycles for granted (probably because of the jargon filled world of biology), so I recommend taking a moment to read about and appreciate how different systems (like the respiratory system and the digestive system for instance) work in unison seamlessly to keep you going. Finally, thanks for taking the time to read this blog, and I hope you feel empowered to make healthy (and of course tasty) dietary choices and strike that right balance. 😇
What is food fundamentally? (WARNING: A Pizza may seem less appealing after reading this)
Food is basically a bunch of carbon(C), hydrogen(H) and oxygen(O) atoms linked together in a certain orientation with cameos of atoms like sulphur, iron, zinc, phosphorous, copper etc. While all of these aren't present in all the food we eat, it is the complex compounds these atoms form that we consume and break down in our body. From a "100-foot view", food is a mixture of carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins and minerals. (No, we won't get to whipped cream, cheese, jalapeno's etc. here). It might come as a surprise, but a significant amount of food is just water (Yeah, microwaves don't do magic, but mainly heat the water content in the food), for example, 95% of a tomato is water.
Let's breakdown Carbohydrates, Lipids, Proteins, Vitamins and Minerals:
- Carbs are just a mixture of C, H, O, in a well defined ratio, and they are first made when plants inhale carbon-dioxide during photosynthesis. They are one of the primary sources of energy for our cells, as they eventually contribute to generation of ATP molecules (if cells were cars, think of them as fuel for cells) which drive any functions in the cells. Carbs are mainly categorized into the ones which have a low glycemic index (which basically means they slowly release glucose into the blood stream as they're harder to break - fibres, for example - fruits, veggies and whole grains are fibre rich), and the ones which have a high glycemic index (easier to break, and hence relatively quickly increases blood sugar levels - starch, for example). While fad diets often ignore carbs, scientifically, they are nothing to be afraid of, if consumed in the right amount.
- Lipids are basically a broad category of biomolecules, and the most common type we usually hear of are fats, which are formed from molecules called "triglycerides" (again, a different combination of C, H, O). While there's a lot of paranoia around eating fatty foods, it's not the quantity of fat which affects you, but it's type (Disclaimer: this doesn't mean you can go to the refrigerator to grab some cheese right now). Specifically, unsaturated fats (except trans fat) >> saturated fats >> trans fats (the difference here is mainly in the the 3D orientation of how theses atoms are linked) i.e. Olive oil (100% unsaturated fat) is much better than the pancake mix (11% saturated + trans fat). Fats get stored in the fat cells in our body, and we can think of them as on-demand energy providers for the body. One could think of carbs like the Checking account while fats like the Savings account. In fact, this is one of the fundamental concepts behind Keto diet.
- Proteins are "simply" a complex chain of amino acids, and are a fundamental building block for tissues in our body. Proteins can be consumed externally (which are broken down into amino acids) as we all know, and the body has the ability to synthesize proteins (not all essential amino acids can be synthesized though) too. Genetic factors also come into play during protein synthesis (due to DNA in the cells), and this is one of the fundamental reasons why we all don't end up looking the same. One also has to keep eating proteins regularly to repair the damaged cells, because human body doesn't have the capacity to store amino acids. While I've not listed the sources of proteins here for brevity, it should be easy to look them up based on your dietary restrictions.
- Vitamins and Minerals are things we need in small amounts for our key metabolic functions (like generating enzymes necessary for breaking down food, for development of bones and teeth or to strengthen our immune system etc.) They are mainly categorized into water soluble (which need to be taken in regularly, as they are easily removed from the body) and fat soluble (which can be stored in fat cells). While you can see here how different vitamins help us in different ways, it's important to note that consuming excess quantity of vitamins and minerals can lead to toxicity.
How does body deal with all of this (Mini-Biology 101?): Now that we think we know what food constitutes of, let's look at the life of a pizza. As you bring a slice near your mouth, the glands in your mouth secrete saliva, which basically lubricates the food so that it's easier for the food to travel to the digestive track via the esophagus. The digestive system breaks down proteins into amino acids, carbs into glucose and fats into fatty acids and glycerol. The glucose is then transferred to the blood stream and the blood takes it to the final legs of its journey. This is possible because pancreas in the body detect that the blood glucose level is high, and release insulin (and this doesn't work perfectly for people with diabetes), which tells the cells to open their gates and take in glucose (which is gradually converted to ATP using anaerobic (without O) and aerobic (with O - this is one of the reasons why we need to breathe) reactions. This fuel generated by the cells, then helps in building proteins inside them based on the genetic information present in the DNA and some dance with the RNA. These proteins which are built, are then able to leave the cells to repair and build other group of cells in other parts of the body (ribosomes, endoplasmic reticulum and golgi bodies in the cells are the buzz words you want to remember, which facilitate the movement of proteins outside the cells). Eventually, left over "pizza" is then released by the large intestine after several hours, at which point it doesn't seem that tempting anymore. This "not so tempting pizza", is apparently tempting to bacteria and other decomposers, which decompose this waste over time to make soil more nutrient rich (which eventually helps plants grow only so that they can be converted to a once again tempting pizza - really, are we just eating our own waste? ). Not only this, but the inherent energy generation mechanism inside us also releases carbon dioxide, which again brings more food for us when used by the plants.
Calories (don't worry, you won't gain any by reading this, but you will end up burning some): Calorie, as you all may know is a basic way of measuring energy gained by consuming some food. One thing that deserves clarification here is that calorie count on any food label only tells you how much energy the food contains but not how much net energy you can get out of it. There's a subtle but important difference here because our body needs to do work in breaking down the food (which burns calories). Fibreous food for example takes more energy to digest, and hence the net gain after consuming 100 calories of fried potato chips will be more than consuming 100 calories of celery.
Where to go from here: While kitchen might seem like a great option (I'm headed there in a bit), I do recommend checking out some of the Ted-Ed videos, which do an excellent job at breaking myths related to food consumption and fad diets. Also, most, if not all of us, take these wonderful biological cycles for granted (probably because of the jargon filled world of biology), so I recommend taking a moment to read about and appreciate how different systems (like the respiratory system and the digestive system for instance) work in unison seamlessly to keep you going. Finally, thanks for taking the time to read this blog, and I hope you feel empowered to make healthy (and of course tasty) dietary choices and strike that right balance. 😇
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