Here are some more facts about the essential elements of nutrition.
Fats
These are essential to the die to build healthy cells. Fats are also important for absorbing and utilising the fat soluble vitamins A, D, E and K.
In recent years we’ve been advised to reduce the amount of fat in our diets so there is less risk of heart and blood vessel disease and other health disorders linked with dietary fat and obesity. You’ll have heard a lot about cholesterol and heart disease. Some of this information (and especially some food advertising based on it) has been misleading. Blood cholesterol isn’t the whole story: it’s much more complicated. Cholesterol in food has very little relationship to the amounts and proportions of fats in our blood. If a food wrapper says ‘contains no cholesterol’, look further to see how much total fat it contains; this is what counts. The total amount and type of fat (saturated, mono-unsaturated or polyunsaturated) eaten is more important in influencing health.
Research into the role of dietary fat in disease is constantly bringing new knowledge to light. Until recently it was believed that we would do best by sticking to polyunsaturated fats. Now we are told that monounsaturated fats are better. The Mediterranean diet, which contains mostly monounsaturated fats (olive and fish oil) as well as lots of cereals (pasta and bread) and vegetables, is believed to be one of the best for health.
All studies completed so far on the relationship between blood fats and heart disease have been on older men (45-65 years). There have been very few studies conducted on women. Though lowering blood fats is associated with a reduced risk of heart disease in men, there is as yet no evidence that it prolongs life for men or women. In developed countries most people eat more fat than they need. It makes good sense to cut down on the consumption of fats to reduce the risk of obesity and its related health disorders. Fat is also the most expensive food to produce, so eating too much of it is wasteful.
Sugars
The main sugars we eat are sucrose (cane sugar), fructose in fruit, maltose in malt and lactose in milk. Cane sugar has been labelled a ‘baddie’, though it isn’t as black as it’s painted. The main complaint against cane sugar is that it comes in pure form and, in contrast to fruit and milk sugars, is not mixed with vitamins, minerals, fibre or other dietary needs. If you satisfy a large part of your hunger with sugar, you may be missing out on other food elements.
The only health disorder linked to sugar is dental caries. There has been no link found between sugar consumption and heart disease, stroke, diabetes, cancer, or high blood pressure. Sugar alone doesn’t cause overweight and obesity. This doesn’t mean that if you’re trying to avoid or reduce overweight you don’t need to cut down on sugar: any food that adds energy and no additional nourishment should be avoided. Reducing your intake of fat and alcohol, keeping added sugar to a minimum and increasing cereals and vegetables will give the best diet for helping reduce overweight.
Proteins
These are needed for growth, blood formation, repair of all tissues and the production of hormones and enzymes that control all chemical processes taking place in the body.
Proteins are made up of amino acids. In human proteins there are more than 20 amino acids occurring in a variety of combinations. Our bodies can make some amino acids but nine, called the essential amino acids, must come from our diet. Complete proteins contain all nine essential amino acids in the right proportions; incomplete proteins contain only some of them. Most animal proteins, including those in milk, eggs, red and white meat, fish and cheese, are complete. Most vegetable proteins are incomplete.
We don’t store protein or amino acids in our bodies. Any excess in the diet is broken down and used as energy or stored as fat. We need a regular intake of protein; otherwise the body breaks down muscle to provide essential amino acids.
Our diet should contain around 15 per cent protein; more during the growth spurts of infancy and adolescence, during pregnancy and breast-feeding, and in illness and convalescence. Most people in Western countries eat more protein than they need, which is wasteful when more than half the world’s population don’t have enough.
Vitamins and minerals
A balanced diet generally contains all the vitamins and minerals a healthy person needs. Don’t waste your money on expensive supplements. Isn’t it better to get your nutritional requirements from food rather than from pills? Good food tastes better, and is generally cheaper.
If illness or any other circumstances prevent you from absorbing enough vitamins or minerals, your doctor will prescribe supplements.
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