Question

1) How can increasing your intake of complex carbohydrates and fiber and reducing your intake of concentrated sweets improve your health status?

2) How cna decreasing your intake of total fat, saturated fat, trans-fat, and cholesterol improve your health status?

3) how does the use of plan protein instead of animal protein quality of the diet?

4) What are health concerns surrounding vitamin/mineral supplements?

Answer 1

1) Complex carbohydrates have more fiber and digest more slower which gives a feeling of fullness , so that we donot feel hungry soon. Complex carbohydrates take more time to break as molecular structure is large. Because of rich in fiber some of complex carbohydrates take time to move through the digestive tract. Feeling of fullness and maintaining blood sugar levels are the best advantages of complex carbohydrates.They also contain vitamins, nutrients, antioxidants .For example sweet potato is rich in vitamin -A, antioxidants. It is good for heart and also helps in lowering the bad cholesterol, especially foods like apples , oatmeal gives a feeling of fullness . These carbs also helps in losing weight by decreasing our hunger. Consuming whole grains like barley , brown rice will also deliver more nutrients and vitamins . Quinoa is rich in potassium, selenium , magnesium.

Concentrated sweets are just refined sugars which provide 'empty calories ' as they are broken down faster gives hungry feeling making us to consume extra food. So it leads to consume extra carbohydrates. Prolonged consumption results in obesity and weight gain.Sugars are found to depress our immune systems. Examples are soda, baked sweets and cakes, juice concentrate . Concentrated sweets make fluctuations in blood sugars. Simple sugars are concentrated sweets. Simple sugars are broken soon into glucose . So decreasing the intake of simple sugars is good for health.

Thus complex carbohydrates are well and good for health . Reducing concentrated sugar consumption is also necessary to improve health status.

2) Trans fats raise the low density cholesterol which is bad for health and precursor for heart disease, diabetes .Trans fats are found in fried foods, cookies,pie crusts,and small amounts in beef , lamb meats and dairy products. Hydrogenated vegetable oils have saturated fats .Fatty beef, lamb meats, pork, chicken with skin are rich in saturated fats. It is advisable to take only about 5 % to 6 % of saturated fats. Meat can be replaced by legumes and Vegetable oils can be replaced by intake of fish and nuts. Butter , cheese , red meats should be taken in reduced amount to decrease LDL in body . Fats are insoluble in water. Cholesterol is wax like substance. LDL is sticky and waxy which cling to arteries and form plaques leading to hardening of arteries called atherosclerosis. The plaque formed can break up forming clot and travel in circulation which can block arteries ending in heart attack , If blood flow is limited to brain it leads to stroke. So decreased intake of fats improve health status.

3)Proteins are essential for body. Protein break down to aminoacids which are essential for metabolism . Meat, fish, poultry, eggs and dairy products are protein sources from animals. The animal sources of protein has more essential amino acids . Beans, lentils, nuts are plant proteins but lack some of essential amino acids. Soy beans is the only plant protein with complete essential aminoacids.Animal protein has abundant nutrient sources. Omega -3 fat which has DHA is very important for brain health present in fish . So animal proteins are very important for quality of diet.