Season 1 - Episode 2

Helpful Links

Check out the organization that has inspired this podcast: Farms for Thought is a multiphase program that leverages schools, agricultural technology, and education to create access to healthy food. The goal of this organization is to empower food insecure communities with resilient and reliable resources. This organization supports food drives, looks into food justice policy, and promotes cooking in food desserts. 

⁠https://www.thefoodforthoughtfoundation.org/farmsforthought

Transcript

Welcome to Mirroring Medicine with Kodi and Isabel. Thank you for tuning in to this episode where we will discuss nutrition and some metabolism on the main macromolecules. We will be diving into some of our favorite information about this topic. 

We want to remind our audience that this podcast does not constitute medical advice, all information in this podcast has been cited and provided in the caption. If you or someone you know has any questions regarding your diet and/nutrition please contact your primary care doctor. We hope you enjoy the podcast!

Fat, also known as lipids, are the foods at high oxidation states. Meaning that there is a lot of energy in these molecular bonds between the atoms in fat. Fat is made of mostly carbon and hydrogen are its core, fatty molecules have high oxidation states because there is more energy stored in chains of carbon and hydrogen as compared to H2O for example. From an audio perspective, imagine the texture of fatty substances like olive oil or beeswax. These substances are made of many fatty acid chains that can pack extremely tight along one another. This type of substance is described as nonpolar and hydrophobic.

What type of fats exist?

Trans fat, which is known as the worst fat, is how healthy oils are turned into solids. THis is done by hydrogenation. This is done by adding hydrogen to fat. A fat is more oxidized if it has a higher carbon:hydrogen ratio. This type of fat is more oxidized because of the adding of hydrogen. Making it have the most energy stored in bonds and therefore the highest calories. 

Consider a calorie, a unit of energy where the more calories a food item has the more energy it has stored in the molecular bonds. 

I am sure that you have all heard of saturated fat, it is often advertised in foods. Saturated fat is less oxidized than trans fat. But still very jam packed. This type of fat is not as bad as trans fat but still not the best. A saturated fat is a fat that is solid at room temperature, this includes butter, coconut oil, etc. This fat is bad for you because it is linked to heart disease and increased risk of a heart attack. (Harvard Health Publishing, 2022)

Polyunsaturated fatty acids 

Have you ever heard of omega 3 or 6 fatty acids?

This type of fat is classified through the presence of two or more double bonds between carbon atoms. This reduces the amount of hydrogen atoms by 2 per double bond. 

Omega 3- Fatty acids are probably the most common fat by name. These fats can be implemented via fish oil capsules. These fats are found in fatty salmon, avocado, olive oil.

These fats have 3 carbon-carbon double bonds. (NIH, Omega-3 Fatty Acids 2024).

Omega 6- fatty acids

These fatty acids have a double bond at the omega carbon (6th carbon). Foods high in omega6 include safflower oil, walnuts, sunflower seeds, canola oil, tofu etc. (WebMD, 2022).

Omega 6 fatty acids are the precursor to arachidonic acid. The interaction between both omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids is not fully understood. There is some research that suggests that it is possible that omega6 fatty acids could elevate inflammation due to its relation to arachidonic acid. There is some research that points out that the increase of polyunsaturated fatty acids such as omega 3, omega 6, decreases inflammation by decreasing the amount of arachidonic acid. However much more research needs to be done. 

In short this acid is a central regulator of the inflammatory response. It is the precursor to prostaglandins (hormone like substance) and leukotrienes (inflammatory chemical) which are inflammatory. Increased inflammation overall is a negative occurrence and linked to many chronic diseases.  

Protein is made up of polypeptide chains. These are chains of amino acids linked together with peptide bonds. The human body has 20 amino acids. These are broken down into essential, non-essential and semi essential. The nine essential amino acids include histidine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, threonine tryptophan and valine. What is important to note is that these amino acids need to be consumed through your diet, because your body is unable to make them organically. Unlike the non-essential amino acids that are mostly synthesized in your body.  (Lopez, 2024)

This is often what people are referring to when they ask about protein deficiency for vegetarians or vegans. The nine amino acids need to be consumed in a plant based diet, this is not an issue when diet is intentional. For individuals on a plant based diet, there needs to be emphasis on eating vegetables that are complete proteins, meaning they contain all 9 essential amino acids. This can include foods such as soy products like (tofu, tempeh, edamame), beans, lentils, nuts, seeds. (Massachusetts General Hospital, 2024)

To our audience, you may wonder “why is protein important?”

Protein is at the blueprint of our musculoskeletal system. Meaning from the time you are born you need protein to act as building blocks for your growing skeletal system. Beyond that once you have reached adulthood it is extremely important to continue to eat a protein rich diet due to the maintenance of muscle, especially if one is active. The time where protein becomes critical is during “later” adulthood.For adults at the age of 30 the body begins the process of sarcopenia. 

This is the process of losing 3-5% of muscle mass per decade. Therefore is it critical to take preventative measures to decrease the amount of muscle loss occurring from this point in life on. Some measures could include strength and resistance training and increasing protein intake. 

How are proteins utilized by the body? Proteins that are consumed are broken down into absorbable monomers. This polypeptide breakdown occurs in the intestine by digestive enzymes. In the pancreas the proteins are broken down further by proteases (enzyme for protein). The proteins ingested are broken down to small units and then used up by our cells to synthesize new proteins and it is a vital part of cellular turnover. 

This process has some key features:

How do these proteins get into the cell? At this stage they are in the intestinal lumen (which is the aqueous space of the intestine). The amino acids will enter the cell along the intestines through transmembrane transport. Cells have lipid membranes that are not permeable to amino acids naturally, therefore these needs to be an active transport system. These cells are called intestinal brush border cells. Sodium-dependent transport is how the amino acids are able to make their way in, they enter along with sodium. These amino acids are then transported out into the bloodstream. 

Lysosomal Degradation is the process of protein recycling. When proteins are no longer needed they are broken down by the lysosome and proteasome complex. 

Kodi 

More about protein - did you know that Monosodium Glutamate (MSG) is a version of glutamate with a sodium ion that serves as an amino acid. This amino acid, glutamic acid, is one of the 20 building blocks that constitute peptides/proteins needed for protein catabolism/anabolism. 

Did you know that MSG is part of a xenophobic history constituting racism in food? This is because MSG is rumored to have caused an exhaustive list of nauseating symptoms which have been started through an aversion to asian food, specifically Chinese food. According to the journal academy of nutrition and dietetics, there is actually a condition that describes food heavily seasoned with MSG. That would be named the Chinese Restaurant syndrome. In this racist name, symptoms including numbness of the neck, arms, and back with headache, dizziness, and palpitations were reported. However, this has no significant correlation or significant adverse effects. MSG in particular has not been significantly linked to these conditions in particular. [5] 

Check out the organization that has inspired this podcast: Farms for Thought is a multiphase program that leverages schools, agricultural technology, and education to create access to healthy food. The goal of this organization is to empower food insecure communities with resilient and reliable resources. This organization supports food drives, looks into food justice policy, and promotes cooking in food desserts. 

https://www.thefoodforthoughtfoundation.org/farmsforthought

As a toxicologist would say…the dose makes the poison, however there are many nuances to that, that we will get onto in a future episode. 

Have you ever heard one say “carbohydrates are not needed for survival?’

Carbohydrates are one of the main biomolecules for life that includes protein, lipids/fats, and nucleic acids. Furthermore, I would like to go a bit deeper into carbohydrates. In its simplest form, it is a monomer called monosaccharides. A monomer to go into depth is a simple building block that can create extensive and big buildings like carbohydrates. Carbohydrates at its base are created from three atoms in different connectivity, including carbon, oxygen, and hydrogen. 

So we all have heard the idea of the keto diet. Did you know what that actually means? Well, the keto diet is when you have ketone bodies being generated as the primary energy source of one’s diet. This usually occurs in low carbohydrate consumption. According to the article on low-carbohydrate diet and human health, they state that “Low-carbohydrate diets are related to the genesis of ketone bodies due to fatty acid oxidation and the upregulation of ketogenic enzymes [3], appetite suppression [4], improved postprandial glucose metabolism [5], and a reduction in insulin-like growth factor 1, which is implicated in cancer” [6]. As mentioned in the previous podcast, we produce most of our cellular energy through glycolysis, TCA cycle, and the electron transport chain by producing numerous ATP (adenosine triphosphate molecules) from glucose. However, we can go through different metabolic pathways in a later episode. However, just to recap, ATP is formed through glycolysis in which enzymes produce pyruvate from glucose. Glucose is one of the primary energy sources from humans which we utilize in our day to day activities. Glucose is a monomer in which it is stored in chains called glycogen from the enzyme insulin to be reuptaken by fat. Glucagon is an enzyme which allows for the secretion of glycogen and produce the energy that we use which is glucose to form ATP. 

So, what types of helpful carbohydrates are out there? Let’s dive a little deeper into carbohydrates. So carbohydrates are hydrophilic which means that they dissolve in water very well in which can be a wonderful mixture. It cannot however mix very well in oils. With this being said, athletes use this energy source quite resourcefully. This is because carbohydrates are a quick energy source which provide people with the ability to have energy in a fast manner. On the other hand, if you were to use energy off of your fat storage, it would take longer to collect that energy. Additionally, complex carbohydrates like brown rice, whole wheat, oats have are healthier than simple carbohydrates than rice, white bread, and sugar because they are said to “hey are digested more slowly, leading to a gradual release of energy and preventing blood sugar spikes, while also providing more fiber and essential nutrients like vitamins and minerals” [7]

There are current biotherapeutics on the rise in which proteins that are conjugated with 

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30027843/

Citations

1. Lopez, M.J., and S.S. Mohiuddin. "Biochemistry, Essential Amino Acids." StatPearls, StatPearls Publishing, 2024,⁠ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK557845/⁠. Accessed 30 Apr. 2024.

2. "Spotlight on Plant-Based Proteins." Massachusetts General Hospital,⁠ https://www.massgeneral.org/news/article/spotlight-on-plant-based-proteins⁠. Accessed 2024.

3. Gurina, T.S., and S.S. Mohiuddin. "Biochemistry, Protein Catabolism." StatPearls, StatPearls Publishing, 2024,⁠ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK556047/⁠. Accessed 11 Dec. 2022.

4. "The Truth About Fats: Bad and Good." Harvard Health Publishing,⁠ https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/the-truth-about-fats-bad-and-good⁠. Accessed 2024.

5. "Plant-Based Protein Diets." Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, vol. 121, no. 3, 2021,⁠ https://www.jandonline.org/article/S2212-2672(21)00068-X/abstract⁠.

6. "Plant-Based Diets and Nutrients." Nutrients, vol. 15, no. 8, 2024,⁠ https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/15/8/2004⁠.

7. "Simple vs. Complex Carbohydrates: What’s the Difference?" Healthline,⁠ https://www.healthline.com/health/food-nutrition/simple-carbohydrates-complex-carbohydrates⁠. Accessed 2024.

8. "Omega-3 Fatty Acids: Health Professional Fact Sheet." National Institutes of Health (NIH),⁠ https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Omega3FattyAcids-HealthProfessional/⁠. Accessed 2024.

9. "Sarcopenia and Muscle Loss." U.S. Department of Health and Human Services,⁠ https://www.womenshealth.gov/sarcopenia#:~:text=Beginning%20at%20age%2030%2C%20the,and%20does%20less%20physical%20activity⁠. Accessed 2024.

10. Calder, P.C. "Omega-3 Fatty Acids and Inflammatory Processes." Nutrients, vol. 2, no. 3, 2010, pp. 355-374, https://doi.org/10.3390/nu2030355.

11. "Foods High in Omega-6." WebMD,⁠ https://www.webmd.com/diet/foods-high-in-omega-6⁠. Accessed 2024.

12. Innes, Jacqueline K., and Philip C. Calder. "Omega-6 Fatty Acids and Inflammation." Prostaglandins, Leukotrienes and Essential Fatty Acids, vol. 132, 2018, pp. 41-48,⁠ https://doi.org/10.1016/j.plefa.2018.03.004⁠.

13. "Omega-6 and Inflammation." PubMed,⁠ https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30027843/⁠. Accessed 2024.