Here’s some more strange but good nutrition facts from favorite expert-in-training, Brandi.
In case you missed it, here was the first installment of Strange but Good Nutrition:
Strange but Good Nutrition Facts (1)
- Starch found in potatoes, maize, and sticky rice is composed of amylopectin, a branched polysaccharide that is digested fast in comparison to amylose. Amylose, which is a linear polysaccharide, is found in whole grains, legumes, and bananas. Which explains why I have problems digesting all three of these things sometimes …
- Your body can make non-essential amino acids, but to make the proteins your body requires, you must obtain all the essential amino acids: lysine, methionine, tryptophan, phenylalanine, isoleucine, leucine, arginine, threonine, and valine. While your body can make the non-essential amino acids from the essential amino acids, you cannot create the essential amino acids. Period.
And, since I’m taking a nutrition class — albeit an intro-level class — I’m going to supplement these “strange but good” nutrition facts with something I’ve learned in my class. Keep in mind that I’ve never taken biology and I’m intrigued by some of the simplest concepts.
- Your entire GI tract is lined with mucosa cells (gross, I know) that protect the lining from hydrochloric acid (stomach acid), and move things along. These cells only live for 2-3 days and need a lot of nutrients to be regenerated. This is why one of the first signs of malnutrition is constipation.
- Your body can’t digest fiber, which is found in all vegetables and fruit, so if you don’t chew your food, you won’t absorb the nutrients in fiber-rich foods. Your body needs fiber to move things along the GI tract, but since it can’t break down fiber, it can’t unlock nutrients within fiber-rich foods. So the best way to ensure you absorb what you’re eating is to chew it thoroughly.
These concepts may explain why juicing has helped my GI system feel better. Juicing has exponentially increased my intake of nutrients and since the nutrients are unlocked, my body is more likely to absorb them and use them to regenerate the mucosa cells (and other cells in my body).
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Have any strange but good facts to share? (nutrition or otherwise)
7 Responses to Strange But Good Nutrition [2]
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Hi there. I'm Calee (pronounced CAL-e). If that's too hard, just call me Cal. Also known as chimes or the chimes. I'm 28ish, a designer, a runner, a self-proclaimed fitness queen, a craftster, a foodie, a music snob — some might call me a hipster. Here's the unabridged version.
I so look forward to these posts. Kat was just telling me how I need to chew my fiberous foods more! I’m going to have to put this on a post it above my plate.
Laura @ Sprint 2 the Table recently posted..Strange But Good Blends
It’s kinda gross, ya know.
But yeah, chew ‘em good. I need to chew better too.
Also, I might do them more often now since I’ve got my own discoveries to supplement these with.
I’m such a dork, but I love reading this sort of stuff. It’s so fascinating to me! Thanks for the post!
Michelle @ Eat Move Balance recently posted..Friday’s Five
There’s actually TWO types of fiber..insoluble and soluble.
Soluble fibers (meaning water soluble) found in fruits and oatmeal (just to name a couple) and actually bind onto cholesterol and flush it out of the body. Insoluble fiber is what most people think of when they think fiber..the hard stuff that passes through your digestive tract and sometimes does grab things as it goes along..like the vitamins you’re talking about with juicing. Both are good in the right amounts.
Excited you’re taking a nutrition class! Fascinating stuff, right?
Amanda @ Diary of a Semi-Health Nut recently posted..{Fitness Friday #4} Fitness Rambles
I found this post fascinating. It’s amazing how the smallest and sometimes very common illnesses can be traced back to food choices.
I’m glad you found this interesting!