FOOD SCIENCE AND HUMAN NUTRITION

Functions of Chloride in human body

2012-01-18T20:07:00.000-08:00

When chlorine reacts with sodium or hydrogen, however, it forms the negative chloride ion. Chloride an essential nutrient is required in the diet.

It is widely distributed in all plant foods. But most important source of chloride in the diet is common table salt i.e. sodium chloride.

Chloride moves passively across membranes through channels and so also associates with potassium inside cells. Like sodium and potassium, chloride maintains fluid and electrolyte balance.

Chloride is a key element in the hydrochloric acid secreted in gastric juice. The action of gastric enzymes requires the proper acidity level of stomach fluids.

Large amounts of chloride are found in the extracellular fluid but some amount is also found in the red blood cells and to a lesser degree in other cells.

Chloride ions help red blood cells transport large amounts of carbon dioxide to the lungs for release in breathing. The chloride ions move easily in and out of red blood cells in balance with the carbon dioxide to counteract any potential changes in the acid-base balance. This movement of chloride on and out of red blood cells is called the ‘chloride’ shift.

Severe deficiency of chloride occurs in cases of excessive vomiting and diarrhea when large amounts of chloride is lost resulting in alkalosis due to replacement of chloride with bicarbonate.
Functions of Chloride in human body

Electrolytes in the Human Body

2012-01-15T06:30:00.000-08:00

Electrolytes are solutes that contain a charge in aqueous solutions. Most acids, bases and salts are soluble in water are electrolytes.

Electrolytes are negatively or positively charged ion. Although many substances in the body are electrolytes, in nutrition and in sports drinks, the term electrolytes refers to the three principal electrolytes in body fluids: sodium, potassium and chloride.

These are electrolytes are among the most commonly monitored electrolytes in clinical practice.

These electrolytes are important in maintaining fluid balance and allowing nerve impulses to travel throughout out bodies, signaling the activities that are essential for life.

Sodium and potassium carry a positive charge, and chloride carries a negative charge.

The concentration of sodium, potassium and chloride inside a cell differ dramatically from those outside the cell.

An electrolyte is stored either intracellular or extracellular.

Potassium is the principal positively charged intracellular ion, sodium is the most abundant positively charged extracellular and chloride is the principal negatively charged extracellular ion.

Fluid move though the body continuously. The heart pumps the blood, pressure is extend on the vessels from outside the body, and muscles relax and contract to help move the fluid through the vascular system. Fluid moves into and out of the cells and the extracellular spaces by osmotic pressure.

Osmotic pressure is determined by the concentration of the electrolytes and other solutes in water.

The greater the difference in charge between two regions, the greater is potential for ions to move to their oppositely charged regions.
Electrolytes in the Human Body

Gout and Uric Acid

2012-01-10T21:28:00.000-08:00

There is small but significant association between incidence of gout and increased consumption of seafood.

What is gout? Gout is considered a form of arthritis that may benefit from anti-inflammatory diet that restricts saturated fat and sugar and includes omega-3 fatty acids.

People with gout suffer from joint pain caused by a buildup of uric acid.

Uric acid is the end product of the degradation of chemical called purines. The diet most often recommended for gout restricts purines.

Purine is one of uric acid component. Seafood rich purines especially sardines and anchovies.

Most of our own purines are recycled for re-use by our cells. The problem is that our food contributes to purines, which are broken down immediately in the gut membranes to create uric acid before transported in the blood to the kidney.

If the level of uric acid raised in the blood due to purine rich food and drink is taken rapidly where no more can be dissolved, crystal will form.

Crystal will be deposited in joints and soft tissue, where they cause local mechanical pressure and acute or chronic inflammation.

In the early stages, gout is characterized by episodic attacks of joint inflammation, which are usually monoarticular (affecting one joint) and begin abruptly with intense pain, swelling, warmth and redness of the affected joint.

What are the symptoms of gout?
*Pain and swelling within joint
*Often, an initial episode that occurs at night.
*Red skin around the affected joint.
*Extreme tenderness around the joint
Gout and Uric Acid

Functions of Potassium

2012-01-01T19:26:00.000-08:00

Potassium is an dietary mineral that is also known as an electrolyte, essential to both cellular and electrical function.

Intracellular fluid contains about 95 percent of the body’s potassium, with the highest amount in skeletal muscle cells.

The flow of sodium and potassium in and out of cells is an important component of muscle contractions and the transmission of nerve impulses.

The central nervous system (CNS) zealously protects it potassium – CNS potassium levels remain constant even in the face of falling levels in the muscle and blood.

Potassium also helps regulate blood pressure.

Potassium influences the contractility of smooth, skeletal, and cardiac muscle and profoundly affects the excitability of nerve tissue.

It is also plays a critical role in the transmission of electrical impulses in the heart.

It is also important in maintaining electrolyte and pH balance.

Potassium deficiency, also called hypokalemia, established the importance of potassium maintenance in cardiovascular disease.

There is also suggestion that increasing potassium intake may be key in lowering blood pressure and reducing the risk of stroke, congestive heart failure and cardiac arrhythmias.
Functions of Potassium

Vitamin in Food

2011-12-16T20:31:00.000-08:00

Vitamins are minor components of foods that play an essential role in human nutrition.

They are food substances contained in all living organisms and as such are absolutely necessary for proper growth and maintenance of health.

Many vitamins are unstable under certain condition of processing and storage and their levels in processed foods, therefore may be considerably reduced.

Synthetic vitamins are used extensively to compensate for these losses and to restore levels in foods. The vitamins are usually divided into two main groups, the water soluble and the fat soluble vitamins.

The occurrence of the vitamins in the various food groups is related to their water or fat solubility.

All vitamins found in liver and eggs are fat soluble, and those that are in fruits and vegetables are water soluble.

Some vitamins function as part of a coenzyme, without which the enzyme would be ineffective as a biocatalyst.

As catalysts vitamins speed up the processes in all living cells, plant and animal.

Some vitamins occur in foods as provitamins - compound but can be changed by the body into vitamins.

Lack of vitamins has long been recognized to result in serious deficiency disease. It can occur not only as a consequence of insufficient supply of vitamins by food intake, but an be caused by disturbances in resorption, by stress and by disease.

Almost all foods contain some vitamins and all the food groups contain foods that are good sources of a variety of vitamins. The sources of vitamins in significant amounts by food groups have been listed below:

*Meats, poultry, fish and beans provide thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pyridoxine, pantothenic acid, biotin and vitamin B12.

*Milk contains both fat and water soluble vitamins. Milk and milk products provide vitamins A and D, riboflavin, pyridoxine and vitamin B12.

*Bread and cereals provide thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pyridoxine, folate, pantothenic acid and biotin.

*Fruits and vegetables provide vitamins A and K. ascorbic acid, riboflavin and folate.

*Fat and oil provide vitamins A and E.

There are 13 vitamins in all, you need every single one of them, no exceptions.

No one food is a good source of all vitamins and as such a variety of foods should be consumed.

Some foods are very high in selected vitamins whereas some contain precursors or substances at serve as building blocks for many the vitamin in the body.
Vitamin in Food

The meaning of carbohydrate

2011-12-13T19:23:00.000-08:00

Carbohydrates is the most widely distributed, naturally occurring organic compounds on Earth.

Carbohydrates are major nutrients which supply the body with energy and of which billions of tons are produced every year though photosynthesis by plants and cyanobacteria.

The term carbohydrate literally means ‘carbon + water’ and partially describe its chemical makeup.

It was found in the nineteenth century that carbohydrates in general have formula Cn(H2O)n. They were therefore thought to be hydrates of carbon and hence were called carbohydrates.

Later it was found that carbohydrates in fact contain hydroxyl groups and carbonyl groups and are polyhydroxy aldehydes or ketones.

Carbohydrate also called saccharides an are usually divided onto three groups: monosaccharides, disaccharides and polysaccharides. Saccharides was from Greek word ‘sakcharon’ meaning sugar.

The term ‘monosaccharide’ refers to a carbohydrate derivative possessing a single carbon chain: ‘disaccharide’ and ‘trisaccharide’ refer to molecules containing two or three such monosaccharides units joined together by acetal or ketal linkages.

Carbohydrates posses a large number of functionalities, at least one carbonyl and several hydroxyl per monosaccharide and often carry kinds of functional groups.
The meaning of carbohydrate

Nutritional value of instant hot cereal

2011-12-09T01:38:00.000-08:00

On cold mornings, a hot cereal breakfast is a such a better option than a cold cereal version. It helps get the rest of the body going after the brain cells have started working.

It definitely people gets started in a better frame of mind. It is an excellent way to start the day.

Hot cereals are usually made from unrefined grains – most notably oats and wheat. Many hot cereals aren’t fortified with vitamins and minerals and so contain only the nutrients found in the grain itself.

These include fiber, B vitamins, vitamin E, iron, zinc, calcium, selenium and magnesium.

Hot cereals made from whole grains are excellent.

Hot cereal can make a healthy breakfast, but the one claiming to contain fruit may offer little actual fruit, with more fruit flavoring and artificial colors.

Many people do not eat hot cereal because they think it’s too time consuming to make. If have microwave it should take no longer thon three to four minutes start to finish.

Hot cereals are often among the breakfast menu items at sit-down restaurants, cafeterias, and hotels. Oat meal, the most common of the hot cereal, is a healthy choice.
Nutritional value of instant hot cereal

Functions of electrolytes in human body

2011-12-02T07:45:00.000-08:00

Each electrolyte has special functions in the body. Although some electrolytes play larger roles than others, all are necessary for the functions and maintenance of homeostasis and health.

Sodium, potassium and chloride are major electrolytes of the body. As electrolytes these minerals serve specific functions. The acid-base balance of body fluids depends on regulated distribution of these minerals, protein and electrolytes.

Electrolytes help regulate fluid balance; the distribution of water throughout the body depend on the concentration of electrolytes and other solutes.

Water moves by osmosis in response to differences in concentration.

So, for example, of the concentration of sodium in the blood increases, water will move into the blood from intracellular and other extracellular species to equalize the concentration of sodium and other dissolved substances.

Calcium and bicarbonate are two major electrolytes found in extracellular fluid. Calcium is the major cation involved in the structure and function of bones and teeth.

Its needed to:
*Stabilize the cell membrane and reduce its permeability to sodium
*Transmit nerve impulses
*Contract muscles
*Coagulate blood
*Form bone and teeth

Bicarbonate plays a vital role in acid-base balance. It’s base produced by the kidneys that acts as a central buffering agent in the blood.
Functions of electrolytes in human body

Hypernatremia

2011-12-01T04:15:00.000-08:00

Rapid intake of large amounts of sodium (e.g., drinking seawater) can cause the retention of sodium and water in the blood.

Hypernatremia usually results from dehydration. If the thirst mechanism is defective, whether through natural causes or because the patient cannot get on water even though he or she is thirsty, homeostasis is altered.

This cause hypernatremia, abnormally high concentration of sodium in the blood and hypervolemia, an abnormal increase in blood volume.

This leads to edema (swelling) and a rise in blood pressure.

A healthy person with normal kidneys and ample water intake rapidly excretes sodium, so hypernatremia usually is seen only in patients with congestive heart failure or kidney disease.

Patient with hypernatremia may be asymptomatic, or they may present with seizures, altered mental status or coma.

Eating too much sodium over a long period of time can contribute to high pressure (hypertension) in some people.

For those with high blood reassure, lowering sodium intake is a useful dietary change that may lower blood pressure.

Excess dietary sodium can also contribute to osteoporosis by increasing calcium loss in the urine.

Other situations associated with or causing hypernatremia include nephrogenic diabetes insipidus when the kidney fails to respond to vasopressin, in diuretic therapy, or by salt poisoning.

Central diabetes insipidus due to failure of the hypothalamus to make vasopressin may occur as a consequence or cerebrovascular disease ischemia and head trauma, resulting in hypernatremia.

Hypernatremia is a serum sodium level greater than 145 mEq/L. It is classified into hypovolemic hypernatremia, isovolemic hypernatremia, and hypervolemic hypernatremia.

Hypernatremia occurs in about one to three percent of elderly persons and in 0.3 to 1 percent of hospitalized patients.
Hypernatremia

Phospholipids in food

2011-11-30T18:05:00.000-08:00

Phospholipids occur naturally throughout the plant and animal world, but in much smaller amount than triglycerides.

They are most abundant in egg yolks, liver, soybeans, wheat germs and peanuts.

Phospholipids may be removed by separation of two phases; from example, if butter is melted and filters, the pure oil thus obtained is free from phospholipids.

After refining of oils, neutralization, bleaching, and deodorization, the phospholipids content is reduced to vitally zero.

The amount of phospholipids associated with the glycerides of seeds is usually small, and expression, purification and refining of the oil remove most of this amount.

The phospholipids removed from soybean oil are used as emulsifiers in certain foods, such as chocolate.

Other favorable functions of phospholipids including ingredients for food, cosmetics, agriculture and pharmaceuticals.

Soybean phospholipids contain about 35 percent lecithin and 65 percent cephalin.

The fatty acids composition of phospholipids is usually different from what that of the oil in which they are present. The fatty acids make the phospholipids soluble in fat; the phosphate group enables them to dissolve in water.

The acyl groups are usually more saturated than those of the triglycerides.

Phospholipids of many vegetables oils contain two oleic acid residues.

The phospholipids of milk do not contain the short chain fatty acids found in milk fat triglycerides and they contain more long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids than the triglycerides.

The fat globules of milk are each surrounded by a thin protective layer, usually called a milk fat globule membrane.

This membrane is comprised of three major phospholipids species – sphingomyelin. phosphatidyl choline and phosphatidyl ethanolamine.
Phospholipids in food

The requirements of nutrient for different people

2011-11-25T18:52:00.000-08:00

Different people need different amounts of nutrients for optimal health. Indeed each of person has own nutrient need, determined by a host of factors such as sex, age, physical activity and genetics.

RDAs currently address as many as 22 specific categories of human beings: boys, girls, men, and women from infancy though middle age.

Eventually , recommendation will be made for people older than 85. Knowledge about the nutrient needs and nutrition status of older adults has grown considerably in recent years.

As people age, they may suffer different chronic diseases and take different medications – both have impacts on nutrient needs.

If age is important, so gender, For people, because women of childbearing age lose iron when they menstruate their RDA for iron is higher than RDA for men.

Pregnancy is a period characterized by increased production of hormone because of the development of fetus. There is a need for additional protein because of the fetus and the needed protection of the mother against diseases s and infection.

On the other hand, because men who are sexually active lose zinc though their ejaculations, the zinc RDA for men is higher than the zinc RDA for women.

The gender affects body composition, which includes other RDAs, such as proteins.

College aged male who is a member of the soccer team is likely to have higher nutritional requirements than a comparable class mate who is relatively inactive.
The requirements of nutrient for different people

Mineral in General

2011-11-15T18:56:00.000-08:00

A number of minerals or elements are required for normal body functions. Certain mineral matters are indispensable to the growth of the body; the chief of these are water, common salt and certain commons of calcium, magnesium, iron, sodium and potassium; also chlorine which is present in common salt and sulphur, phosphorus and silicon.

Minerals are unlike other nutrients in that they consist of single atoms and carry a charge in solution.

The properties of being charge carried by minerals allows them to combine with other minerals to form stable complexes in bone teeth, cartilage and other tissues.

Iron is required, since it is an essential part of both the blood pigment, hemoglobin, and muscle pigment, myoglobin. Some body enzymes also have composites that include iron.

Iron absorption occurs following entry of iron into the intestinal mucosa cell through the brush border membrane.

Deficiencies of iron cause anemia. Liver, animal muscle tissues, eggs, oats meal, wheat flour, cocoa, and chocolate are good source of iron. Approximately 10.0 mg of iron are required daily.

In human iodine is a component of the hormone, thyroxine, produced by the thyroid gland. This hormone regulates metabolic levels.

Deficiency of iodine leads to low level metabolism, lethargy, and goiter. Requirements of iodine are believed to be about 0.1 mg daily. Sea food and salt water fish are the beat sources of iodine.

Iodine deficiency can be especially harmful in unborn babies and young children because the brain is developing at these stages of life.

Iodine deficiency can cause mental retardation or death in newborns and infants.

In areas where the water is known to be deficient in iodine, iodized table salt may be used in place of regular table salt.

The World Health Organization recommends that iodized salt contains one molecule of iodine for every 100,000 salt molecules.

In United States, iodized salt contains one iodine molecule in every 10,000 molecules of salt.
Mineral in General

Disaccharides sugar

2011-11-09T06:18:00.000-08:00

Simple carbohydrates are naturally present as simple sugars in fruits, milk and other foods. Plant carbohydrates also can be refined to produce sugar products such as table sugar or corn syrup.

Two main types of sugars are monosaccharides and disaccharides.

Disaccharides are formed by the elimination of a water and it contain two monosaccharides joined together with a special linkage, called a glycosidic bond.

Several disaccharides are important in foods sucrose or table sugar is the most common and contains glucose and fructose.

Three disaccharides are important in nutrition: maltose, sucrose and lactose.

Sucrose is the most familiar of the three disaccharides and is what people mean when they speak of sugar. When the person eats a food containing sucrose, enzymes in the digestive tract splits the sucrose into its glucoses and fructose components. Because the body can convert fructose to glucose, one molecule of sucrose can ultimately yield two molecules of glucose.

Lactose also in known as milk sugar because it is a found in milk. Lactose is composed of one molecule glucose an one molecules of galactose.

It is the least sweet and least soluble of the sugars.
Disaccharides sugar

Manganese in Our Body

2011-11-01T17:52:00.000-07:00

Minute quantities of manganese are needed for protein and fat metabolism, healthy nerves, a healthy immune system, and blood sugar regulation.

Body contains between 10 to 20 milligram of manganese, which is concentrated primarily in the bone, liver, pancreas and brain.

Manganese is used in energy production and is required for normal bone growth and for reproduction.

In addition, it is used in the formation of cartilage and synovial (lubricating) fluid of the joints. It is also necessary for the synthesis of bone.

Too little dietary manganese causes impaired skeletal development and reproduction, abnormal carbohydrate and lipid metabolism, and movement disorders.

Manganese is essential for people with iron deficiency anemia and is needed for the utilization of vitamin B1 (thiamine) and vitamin E.

Manganese works well with the B complex vitamins to give as overall feeling of well being.

Manganese is found in many essential enzymes, which are biologically important compounds. Enzymes in the body speed up crucial chemical reactions.

It aids in the formation of mother’s milk and is a key element in the production of enzymes needed to oxidize fats and to metabolize purines, including the antioxidant enzymes superoxide dismutase.

Enzymes containing manganese protect the body from harmful oxygen radicals, highly reactive oxygen containing molecules that can damage living tissues.

Absorption of manganese is poor, only 1 to 15 percent. The high levels of iron, calcium an phosphorus may inhibit absorption.

Following absorption, transferring binds manganese and transport it in the bloodstream.
Manganese in Our Body

Water the most neglected nutrient

2011-10-20T06:14:00.000-07:00

Water is our most neglected nutrient, yet is the major component of our diet and our bodies.

Water in any one of dozens of chemical formulations, makes up by far the largest part of human body weight: about 55 percent for a woman and about 65 percent for a man.

The higher water content of men generally results from their greater muscle mass, because muscle contains a relatively large amount of water.

Human can survive more the a month without food, but without water, the human body can function for only about a week.

The average adult consumes about 10 cups of water each day in the form of water containing foods and beverages.

While most water in the body comes from the diet, some water is generated from chemical reactions that occur during normal metabolism.

Water is distributed throughout the body, both inside (intracellular fluid) and outside cells (extracellular fluid).

Blood flows around every part of the body, while saliva in the mouth helps with swallowing.

Blood, also composed primary of water works with the lymphatic system as the body’s internal; highway for transporting nutrients, hormones and waste form one site to another.

Water provides several major functions in the body, such as lubricating joints, transporting nutrients in the blood, transporting waste products in the urine, regulating body temperature and providing the medium for virtually every chemical reaction in the body.

Older women need the same amount of water every day as younger women. But their thirst centers are less acute than when were younger, they must learn to drink more than their body tells them they need.

Because water is solvent, it helps rid your bloodstream of excess fat, which can help reduce your blood serum cholesterol level.
Water the most neglected nutrient

Excess of serum potassium

2011-10-19T00:53:00.000-07:00

The kidneys effectively remove excess potassium, so the risk of toxicity from dietary intake is usually low.

However, malfunctioning kidneys or an excess of intravenous potassium can cause hyperkalemia, or high concentration of potassium in the blood or excess of serum potassium.

It is commonly observed in patients with impaired renal function.

One of the most common causes of reported hyperkalemia is pseudo-hyperkalemia-related hemolysis or clot formation.

Because severe hyperkalemia can slow and eventually stop the heart, people suffer from kidney failure must monitor their potassium intake carefully.

Hyperkalemia produces symptoms that, paradoxically, are very similar to those of hypokalemia; interference with muscular function, manifested by paralysis and loss of deep tendon reflexes. The main problem, however, is the interference with cardiac action.

Hyperkalemia is common in the inpatient setting and can be life threatening due to fatal arrhythmias; therefore, diagnosis and subsequent treatment must be expedient.

Hyperkalemia has many causes including, kidney problems, too much acid in the blood, trauma -especially crush injuries or burns, Addison’s disease, and certain medications.

Hyperkalemia can result from: decreased or impaired potassium excretion, addition of potassium into extracellular space – potassium supplement or hemolysis, trans-membrane shifts and pseudo-hyperkalemia.

The ‘cocktail’ of drugs administered during execution by lethal sometimes includes potassium.
Excess of serum potassium

Nutritional Supplements

2011-10-15T18:50:00.000-07:00

Nutritional supplements are a major type of additive. Breakfast cereals, which is often make extensive nutritional claims, rely heavily on such additives.

Many of the additive used are vitamins (such as vitamin C) and are intended to make the product a better source of nutrition.

Vitamins and minerals are added to many common foods such as milk, flour, cereal, and margarine to make up for elements likely to be lacking in a person’s diet, replace those lost in processing or improve shelf life.

Other uses include moisture control, thickening, and processing aids.

To regulate all these additives, and to help consumers sort through the complex and confusing terminology, each additive is assigned a unique number.

This codification (also called E numbers in Europe) is recognized internationally and is managed by the Codex Alimentarius Commission.

Codex Alimentarius Commission was created by Food and Agriculture Organization and World Health Organization in 1963.

The Codex Alimentarius is a collection of internationally adopted food standards presented in a uniform manner.

These food standards aim at protecting consumer’s health and ensuring fair practices in the food trade.

Its mission is to develop food standards and guidelines for identification worldwide. For example. Aspartame a popular artificial sweetener, is coded E951, while monosodium glutamate (MSG) is coded E621.

Estimates are that 2,000 to 20,000 agents are added to the food that we consume. These include preservatives, stabilizers, conditioners, thickeners, colorings, flavorings, sweeteners and antioxidants.
Nutritional Supplements

Bulimia

2011-10-10T08:12:00.001-07:00

Bulimia is characterized by alternating episodes of binge eating and purging. The person gorges, usually on high caloric foods, and intentionally vomits or uses laxatives or diuretics.

A binge cycle is usually triggered by unpleasant feelings or situation, such as a depressed mood, a stressful interpersonal interaction, or discomfort regarding one’s body weight.

It is a syndrome of negative eating and focused on the subjective experience of abnormality of the eating pattern.

The consequences are serious: dehydration, organ damage, internal bleeding from the stress or vomiting, tooth decay from acids in vomit, and in some cases, death. Many people with these eating disorder alternate between anorexia and bulimia.

Bulimics experience a loss of control during a binging episode. This is usually followed by intense negative feelings about the binge behavior including guilt, shame and disgust.

Reports indicate that 60 percent of people who have dieted extensively or starved themselves resort to bingeing, then purging to keep weight.

Purging most often takes the form of vomiting; the bulimic makes herself throw up in a desperate attempt to get rid of the food consumed during the binge.
Bulimia

Proteins in Human Body

2011-10-01T21:18:00.000-07:00

Protein are the main building blocks of the tissues of the body. The proteins are made up of smaller molecules called amino acids.

Once consumed (eaten) a protein is digested into the smaller amino acids and transported to the all the cells of the body where the amino acids can be put back together to make the proteins the body needs.

The human body contains thousands of different proteins, each with a specific function determined by this unique shape.

Most proteins the body makes function as structural proteins. Muscle tissues and connective tissues are mainly composed of proteins.

Collagen, which appears microscopically as a densely packed long rod, is the most abundant protein in mammals and gives skin and bone their elastic strength.

Hair and nails are made of keratin, which is another dense protein made of coiled helices.

Some proteins have an extremely important function by serving as enzymes.

Enzymes make biological chemistry efficient and less wasteful of energy.

The digestive system produces digestive enzymes whose function is to break down food into its chemical constituents.

Amylase is an enzymes that is involved in the breakdown of the polysaccharide starch into the monosaccharide glucose.

Protein can be involved in the Immune Response Mechanism and serve as carrier or transport molecules and also participate in the translation of DNA.

About half the dietary protein that consume each day goes into making enzymes, the specialized worker proteins that do specific jobs such as digesting food and assembling or dividing molecules to make new cells and chemicals substances.

To perform these functions, enzymes often need specific vitamins and minerals.

Obviously, the new born animal needs lots of proteins for growth and maturation.

The genes of DNA decide which amino acids (obtained from digestion) will go on to make a protein the cell needs for whatever structure or function requirement.

Dietary protein is one of three sources that contributes amino acids to the amino acid pool. The other two are protein turnover and biosynthesis of amino acids in the liver.
Proteins in Human Body

Food Minerals

2011-09-15T08:43:00.000-07:00

Minerals are naturally occurring and it enter human body naturally as components of food and to a lesser extent, water.

Minerals that are needed in relatively large amounts are referred to as major or macrominerals. Others that are need in very small amounts are referred to as trace minerals or microminerals.

Macrominerals are:
Calcium
Phosphorus
Magnesium
Sodium
Chloride
Potassium
Sulfur
Iron

Other traces element or microminerals needed by human body:
Cobalt
Copper
Iodine
Manganese
Molybdenum
Fluoride
Selenium
Zinc
Chromium
Nickel, Silicon, Tin and Vanadium
Boron
Lead
Arsenic
Bromine
Germanium
Lithium
Rubidium

Mineral in the diet come from both plant and animal sources. Some minerals are present as functioning components of the plant or animals and are therefore present in consistent amounts.

Minerals are key players in many body processes and raw diets provide rich sources of these nutrients.

The bulk of the total mineral content of the human body is represented by the skeletal minerals.

Lesser amounts of minerals are constituents of essential molecules such as thyroxine and hemoglobin, or exist as free ions, or more frequently are loosely bound to proteins and other substance in the body tissues.

Activation of cellular enzyme systems, the critical pH of the body fluids necessary for the control of metabolic reactions, and the osmotic balance between the cells and its environment all largely depend on the mineral elements present in the cellular medium.

For some minerals, such as sodium, body absorb almost all that is present in the food, but for others absorption happened only for a small percentage.

Eating organic foods can supply increased amounts of certain minerals. Organic crops provide significantly more iron, magnesium, phosphorus, and vitamin C.

Scientists reported vegetables and fruits deliver extremely good value in terms of the nutrients (such as calcium, iron and magnesium) delivered.
Food Minerals

Vitamin E Sources and Functions

2011-09-01T18:11:00.000-07:00

It was discovered in 1922 in vegetable oil given the name ‘tocopherol’. Vitamin E, of which there are four different forms, is fat soluble.

The four have the same name except with the prefixes alpha-, beta-, gamma-, and delta-, (the first four letters of the Greek alphabet).

Only alpha-tocopherol contributes toward meeting the human vitamin E requirement and it is the most common form of vitamin E in food.

It is our body’s major fat soluble antioxidant. It protects vulnerable polyunsaturated lipids in cell membranes, in blood and elsewhere throughout the body.

The richest dietary sources of vitamin E are the vegetable oils. Safflower and olive oil contain the highest proportion of alpha-tocopherol, followed by soybean oil.

Curiously enough, these oils are also the richest sources of polyunsaturated fatty acids, which vitamin E protects from oxidation.

Nuts and seeds such as sunflower seeds, are among the best food sources.

In western diet, vitamins E intake derives mainly from fats and oils contained in margarine, mayonnaise, salad dressing and desserts, and increasingly also from fortified food (e.g., breakfast cereals, milk, fruit juices).

Vitamin E helps reduce oxidation of lipid membranes and the unsaturated fatty acids and prevents the breakdown of other nutrients by oxygen.

Some scientists compare the function of vitamin E on the cell membrane to a lightening and nullifying the damage that occurs of lightening strikes. This function of vitamin E is also performed and enhanced by other antioxidants, such as vitamin C, beta-carotene, glutathione (L-cysteine), coenzyme Q and the mineral selenium.

In fact, there is a direct recycling process for vitamin E that requires the immediate presence of beta-carotene, vitamin C, flavonoids, and coenzyme Q to work.

Observational studies have suggested that high intake of antioxidant including vitamins E, may lower the risk of some chronic disease, especially heart disease.

Different forms of vitamin E, other than alpha-tocopherol, have immuno-regulatory functions,

Alpha-tocopherol is the most common form of vitamin E in plasma and tissues and the most extensively studied for its beneficial effect on immune function, probably because it is the exclusively component in most vitamin E supplements.
Vitamin E Sources and Functions

Vitamin in Apricots

2011-08-26T00:37:00.000-07:00

Vitamin in Apricots
Apricots are known for their high vitamin A content; they are also rich and source of vitamin C. If you wish to have a nice smooth, clean skin then eat lots of fresh apricots.

Dried apricots have a higher concentration of nutrients than fresh, making them extra rich in vitamin A and riboflavin.

In an eight-year study of 90,000 nurses, those worth the doest richest in carotenoids had 25% lower risk of heart diseases.

A study of more than 50,000 nurses found that women who got the most vitamin A in their diet reduced their risk of getting cataracts by more one-third. Three apricots provide 2,769 IU of vitamin A, 55 percent of RDA.

Dried apricots are best medicine for colds.

Apricots are an excellent source of vitamins B1, B2, B3, B5, and B6.
Vitamin in Apricots

Deficiency of Biotin

2011-08-20T20:49:00.000-07:00

Biotin is a water soluble vitamin that is generally classified in the B complex group. This B complex vitamin used in the formation of enzymes that fuel the human body.

Biotin is a key factor in metabolizing and utilizing fats an glucose for energy.

Deficiency of this compound is unusual, but can be demonstrated by the feeding of raw egg white, which contains the substance, avidin, which ties up biotin.

Because some anticonvulsant drugs breakdown biotin, people who take then for long periods also risk a deficiency.

Biotin deficiency also has been clearly demonstrated in biotinidase deficiency. This due to several process which involved gastrointestinal absorption, salvage of biotin at cellular level and renal loss of biocytin.

Infants born with biotinidase deficiency suffer from a rare genetic defect that leads to biotin depletion.

Decreased levels of biotin cause the metabolism to become severely impaired. When enzymes aren’t available to breakdown and build up protein, every biochemical process of the body suffers since protein are the essential building blocks of cellular composition.

The clinical findings and biochemical abnormalities caused by biotinidase deficiency are quiet similar to those of biotin deficiency: common finding include periorificial dermatitis, conjunctivitis, alopecia, ataxia, and development delay.
Deficiency of Biotin

Nutritional Value of Cereal

2011-08-05T08:54:00.000-07:00

Cereal is any member of the grass family (Gramineae) which produced edible grains usable as food by humans and livestock. Common cereals are rice, wheat, barley, oats, maize (corn), sorghum, rye, and certain millets, with corn, rice, and wheat being the most important.

All cereal grains have a fairly similar structure and nutritive value, although the shape and size of the seed may be different.

They are also a significant source of protein, though the amino acid balance is not optimal. Whole grains (see below) are good sources of dietary fiber, essential fatty acids, and other important nutrients.

Most other cereals are ground into flour or meal, which is milled. The outer layers of bran and germ are removed (see seed). This lessens the nutritional value but makes the grain more resistant to degradation and makes the grain more appealing to many palates.

The chemicals components of cereal are not evenly distributed in the grain. Bran which represents 7% of the grain contains the majority of the grain fiber, essentially cellulose and pentosans.

It is a source of B vitamins and phytochemical, and 40-70% of the minerals are concentrated in this outer layer.

Health-conscious people tend to prefer whole grains, which are not milled. Overconsumption of milled cereals is sometimes blamed for obesity. Milled grains do keep better because the outer layers of the grains are rich in rancidity-prone fats. The waste from milling is sometimes mixed into a prepared animal feed.

Cereals are the main source of energy providing about 350 kcal per 100 grams.

More than 70% of proteins consumed in the world are plant proteins and 71% of them are cereal proteins.

Although cereals make an important contribution to the diet they cannot alone support life because they are lacking in vitamins A (except for yellow maize), B12 and C. Whole cereals also contain phytic acid which may interfere with the absorption of iron, calcium and some trace elements.

Rice proteins are richer in lysine than other common cereal proteins and for this reason, rice protein is considered to be of better quality. Rice is a good source of B group vitamins, especially thiamine. It is devoid of vitamins A, D, C and is a poor source of calcium and iron.

Generally cereal grains are subjected to different processes to prepare them for human consumption. These processes significantly affect their chemical composition and consequently their nutritional value.

The improvement of the nutritional value of cereal storage proteins can be achieved either by regulating the expression of existing genes, or by modifying these to improve the value of their corresponding gene products.
Nutritional Value of Cereal

Vitamin B in Human Nutrition

2011-07-31T01:51:00.000-07:00

The Vitamin B are water soluble. The vitamin B are utilized as coenzymes in almost all parts of the body.

The vitamins that belong to vitamin B complex group are vitamin B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B12, folic acid, biotin, choline, inositol and para-aminobenzoic acid.

It is necessary for nerve function, appetite, and normal digestion. It is also required for growth, fertility, and lactation.

B vitamins have many roles to play in ensuring optimal brain function. They are vital for delivering oxygen to the brain and protecting it from harmful oxidants.

They are also help turn glucose into energy within brain cells and help to keep the neurotransmitters in circulation.

Vitamin B also necessary for the metabolism of carbohydrate, fats and proteins. It also may play a role in supporting immune system.

Vitamin B6 and B12 and folic acid are most important in terms of enhancing mood.

This vitamin is often lacking in the diet because much of the naturally occurring amounts of it in food are destroyed during the processing of the food. The adult requirement of vitamin B is related to the food intake.

This vitamin makes up a part of enzyme systems involved in the oxidation and reduction of different materials in the body.

Deficiency of riboflavin generally results in growth retardation and may result in vision impairment, scaling of the skin and lesions on mucous tissue. Also enlargement of heart, hypertension and beri-beri. Neuritis is another deficiency effect.

The various effect of a disturbance of the nerve centers such as forgetfulness or difficulty in thinking are other manifestations of vitamin B-1 deficiency.

Specific vitamin B deficiencies have been found to be associated with psychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia, depression, delirium, and anxiety.

Low intakes of three B vitamins, folate, vitamin B12 and vitamin B6 are linked with increased of fatal heart disease in both men and women.

People with low blood levels of these B vitamins tend to have high blood levels of the protein related compound homocysteine. High levels of homocysteine seem to enhance blood clot formation and damage to arterial walls, as well as raising the risk of suffering a heart attack or stroke as much as fourfold.

Although the B vitamins are not antiaging nutrients per se, they are involved in preventing a variety of aging related problems.
Vitamin B in Human Nutrition