Food is a well established source of physical nourishment and enjoyment in almost all cultures. It is an essential segment of all our celebrations. Our eating habits, as also many other habits, are established early on in our lives; changing them is very difficult. Therefore, to achieve life long lasting benefits, parents must strive to establish healthy eating habits in their children’s lives at a young age .
Health experts maintain: “Every food we eat either fights or contributes to disease.”It is said that Hippocrates, the father of medicine noted about 2000 years ago: “Let thy food be thy medicine and thy medicine be thy food.Health begins in your gut.”
Taste, the sense that allows humans to appreciate the beauty of food is a scientifically known fact. The chemicals in our food interact with receptors in our mouth. Scientists have recently discovered that fat is another basic taste which we relish. (Five other basic tastes are sour, sweet, salty, bitter and umami.)
Some Health Alerts on Food:
1. Carbohydrates: The level of sugar consumption today is at an alarming rate. The average American consumes about 150 pounds of sugar annually as opposed to about 26 pounds some twenty years ago. This high sugar consumption can wreak havoc with the body’s metabolism. This can lead to a higher risk for high blood pressure, insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome, which is a precursor to diabetes.
High carbohydrate and sugar consumption can hurt the heart, kidneys, eyes and nerves when they produce high levels of blood sugar and contribute to cholesterol abnormalities—high LDL & triglycerides. Triglycerides are frequently associated with obesity, prediabetes or diabetes. It can also depress levels of what is commonly called the good cholesterol ( High Density Protein, HDL). The excess sugar can also poison the blood vessels themselves. All experts agree: consume less sugar, especially added sugar in the form of fructose.
Clinical nutrition studies reveal that eating inflammation-producing refined carbohydrates and sugary foods can cause depression. Those who eat high hypoglycemic index (GI) diets (examples: white bread, instant oatmeal, short grain white rice), may increase their risk of depression by 22%. On the contrary, diets consisting of fiber, non-juice fruits and vegetables pose a much lower risk of depression.
2. Fat: Our body requires a certain kind of fat for growth and development. While unsaturated fats can protect the heart, saturated fat can lead to heart problems.
World Health Organization very recently announced that processed meat cause colorectal cancer and cardiovascular diseases; red meat probably does too. The amount consumed raises the level of risk.
3.Red meat: Man has always depended on animal meat for food. Meat is dense with proteins and other nutrients. The notion that animal fat content in all meats, red and white, fresh and processed, as a potential risk factor clogging arteries, thus leading to heart diseases, has been propagated for decades. This distrust of saturated fat in particular, began in the 1950s. It can be traced back to a widely publicized, though an unscientific study, by Ancel Benjamin Keys. Studies in the 70s were equally unreliable.
Evidence showing a link between all meat and cancer has been growing for a while. The American Cancer Society, citing many studies, notes that “a link” between eating red meat and a heightened risk of colorectal cancer & heart disease has been found. Methods of high temperature cooking of meat like pan-frying, roasting, grilling are susceptible to the production of two compounds-heterocyclic amines (HCAs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH). These are known carcinogens. There is yet another culprit called heme iron. Heme iron is abundantly found in red meat. (less in white meat). In the body, this important molecule transports iron. It is theorized that heme by catalyzing the formation of N-nitroso compounds causes cancer. (Calcium intake may act as a buffer for the harmful effects of heme.)
One isolated study gives some consolation to those who love bacon.Enjoy your bacon if your DNA is OK. However the vast majority of people have no idea which genetic group they belong to. The reality: risk varies from one population to another.
Here is a suggestion for red meat lovers. Marinate your meat. Add rosemary and thyme to your favorite meat at least one hour before tossing the meat on the grille. The antioxidant-rich herbs can cut the cancer risk up to 87%.
4. Processed meat, Canned, Frozen & Packaged Food:The dawn of commercial farms and the ways of meat-processing did change the make up of animal meat. Examples of popular processed meat: bacon, hot dogs, sausages, franks, corned beef, pepperoni, beef jerky, chicken nuggets, luncheon meats, bologna & charcuterie. Such processed food poses a greater risk because of the carcinogens or unhealthy additives they contain.
In processing, meat is transformed through salting, curing, fermentation, smoking or other processes. To help with shelf-life and to enhance the flavor, thus increasing their appeal to our taste buds, undesirable amounts of animal fat and taste enhancing compounds are added. Nitrates and nitrites are two such common preservatives used. Often, in our body nitrates convert to nitrites. They can then react with amines in the meat to form carcinogenic compounds that can damage DNA. Nitrates whether added or treated with natural nitrates (e.g. celery juice) are one and the same in harmful effects. (Most vegetables are our big source of dietary nitrate; fortunately they also contain vitamin C which effectively inhibits production of nitrosamine.)
The lining that coats a majority of cans contains a chemical called bisphenol A (BPA). Studies report that ingestion of this increases the risk of cancer.
We will continue this topic with five more in the next blog.
India International Health Foundation 