Nutrition and dietetics: the modern dictionary of healthy eating

In this article we will try to explain some basics of modern nutrition.

The increasingly widespread concern for following a healthier diet makes it colloquially be used many terms that are actually sometimes not very well understood.

for reasons of space it is not possible to present a “complete dictionary” because the nutrients are dozens and the concepts too, but we hope that the reading is enjoyable and serves to expand knowledge.

Fatty acids

The fatty acids are components of lipids (oils and fats). Consumed in isolation they are toxic, while united to glycerin they form one of the immediate essential principles in the diet.

Depending on the number of double bonds present in the carbon chain that compose them, They can be saturated (no double bonds), monounsaturated (one double bond), and polyunsaturated (more than one double bond).

In dietetics, balance is a concept fundamentalas can be seen in the recommended intake of unsaturated fatty acids, which should be distributed between the omega-3, omega-6 and omega-9 families.

Omega-3 fatty acids

Is about essential polyunsaturated fatty acidssince they cannot be synthesized by the body and They must be provided by the diet.

They are found especially in oily fish, although vegetables such as flax oil, walnuts or hemp oil contain significant amounts.

Foods that originate from animals that have consumed a lot of omega-3s, such as certain eggs and cheeses, also contain this essential fatty acid.

The most important are the linolenic acid, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). The effect of the whole is superior to that of each isolated one.

Omega-6 fatty acids

Present above all in vegetable oils, margarines, wheat germ and nuts.

The linoleic and arachidonic acids They are the most important.

They are also found in large numbers in the evening primrose and borage seedsrich in dihomogamalinolenic acid (DHGLA).

His consumption must be moderate and you must keep a ratio with omega-3.

Omega-9 fatty acids

Although the best known are omega-3 and omega-6, omega-9 without being essential are gaining in importance because explain some of the benefits of olive oil (oleic acid is one of them).

additives

They are often used to improve taste, keeping or appearance and are identified on the labels with an E-, indicating that it has been approved in Europe, followed by three or four figures, although the name is now sometimes used to avoid consumer rejection of “the Es”.

Some foods like vinegar, salt or sugar can be considered ancient additivesbut the vast majority are of modern creation.

currently exist more than 1,500 cataloged and approved additives for human use. Some are of natural origin, others are laboratory copies of natural products, and others are artificial creations.

They are classified by their functions.including acidifiers, anti-caking agents, defoamers, antioxidants, thickeners, dyes, color preservatives, emulsifiers, aromas, flavor enhancers, humectants, preservatives, propellants, stabilizers, sweeteners…

The additives most questioned due to their possible negative effects -especially in children- are preservatives and colourings.

organic food

Is about non-GMO foods, produced without resorting to antibiotics, medicines, additives, pesticides or artificial fertilizersand following the methods of organic farming, more respectful thus with the environment than the conventional ones.

Only products that show an officially recognized endorsement can be considered as biological, ecological or organic, which guarantees that they have passed the controls specified in the law that regulate organic production. In Spain, guarantees are granted by the regional regulatory committees.

Functional Foods

Is about foods to which some substance has been added (vitamins, phytosterols, isoflavones, fiber, omega-3 fatty acids, minerals…) that can improve its effect on health.

Although reference is made to scientific studies that demonstrate its effectiveness, a functional food is not necessarily healthierbut a product that sells better.

antinutrients

Is about substances naturally present in food that interfere with the assimilation of some nutrients.

Examples are fiber or oxalic acid of pistachios and spinach, which can interfere with the absorption of iron and other minerals. Other antinutrients are caloric oils such as olestrawhich reduce the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins.

But some antinutrients have shown to have a remarkable antioxidant capacity and therefore can produce more benefits than drawbacks, such as tannins or lignanswhich appear to prevent cancer.

Antioxidants

Antioxidants are substances that reduce oxidationespecially from organic fats.

The fresh plant foods provide the vast majority of antioxidants in the diet and their consumption is of vital importance.

Help reduce free radicalswhich are produced in the body during the metabolic process or which come from outside, through exposure to toxic agents such as tobacco smoke, and that can cause degenerative diseases, cancer and premature aging.

Antioxidants include various substances, such as vitamins A, C and E, flavonoids (which abound in berries and fruits such as pomegranate, blackberries or grapes), anthocyanidins (which protect from ultraviolet radiation and are found in plums or bilberries), the isoflavones (such as those present in soybeans), organic acids…

antioxidants They usually abound in plants with striking colors.

Sugar

A sugar is any sweet-tasting simple carbohydrate.

However, popularly sugar is sucrosea disaccharide made up of a glucose molecule and a fructose molecule.

White sugar is extracted from sugar beets.from which a white, crystalline powder is obtained through refining and bleaching processes.

The integral is extracted from sugar caneand since it is less refined, it contains some vitamins more than white sugar.

The sugar provides immediate energy, but also favors overweight with its “empty” calories, as well as decalcification of bones, so its consumption should always be moderate, or zero if you have diabetes, a disease that does not allow you to metabolize glucose.

Calcium

Calcium is a essential mineral for the correct development of teeth and bones and for the contractibility of muscles. Excess can cause kidney stones.

Although dairy products appear to be the best source of calcium, other foods such as legumes, seaweed, nuts, or vegetables like broccoli They can provide as much or more calcium than dairy products.

Dairy products, in excess, especially if they are whole, can interfere with the absorption of calcium itself, so it is advisable to diversify the sources that provide this mineral.

Consuming too many whole dairy products can cause a poor assimilation of the calcium that you are precisely trying to obtain.

“empty” calories

A calorie is the energy required to raise the temperature of one gram of water one degree. In dietetics this unit is used to measure the energy provided by food and although we usually talk about calories (cal) it is actually about kilocalories (Kcal).

Knowing them is useful for designing diets, especially for weight loss. All food has caloriessome many (oils, chocolate) and others few (vegetables in general).

The term “empty calories” refers to foods that are high in calories and low in other nutrients, generally because they have undergone intense refining processes. Sugar is one of them.

Carotenoids

They are orange or red pigments. present in many foods of plant origin. More than five hundred and They are divided into xanthophylls and carotenes.

Lutein, zeaxanthin, lycopene, or beta-carotene are some of the most important for health due to their antioxidant and anticancer action. The body turns them into Vitamin A.

Fiber

Fiber is the part of plant foods that it is not absorbed but passes through the digestive system and is eliminated, taking with it substances that are not beneficial to healthsuch as excess cholesterol.

Distinguishing between soluble and insoluble fiber according to its behavior with water. The soluble, Like apple pectin, it gels and it is useful in cholesterol control; the insoluble, such as wheat bran, it accelerates intestinal transit, for which reason it is used against constipation.

A diet rich in fiber -more than 35 grams a day- positively influences diabetes, cholesterol, constipation, vascular problems, heart disease, intestinal diverticulitis and colon cancer, among other changes. Fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes are high-fiber foods.

flavonoids

The term flavonoid or bioflavonoid refers to phenolic compounds discovered in 1930 by the Nobel Prize winner Albert Szent-Gyórgy, who had found vitamin C two years earlier.

flavonoids They were originally called vitamin P (because they regulate the permeability of blood capillaries) and also vitamin C2for its properties similar to vitamin C. However, these were not confirmed to be vitamins and both names were dropped around 1950.

Since then, more than five thousand different flavonoids have been identified. Noted for their antioxidant effectalthough they also intervene in the regulation of cell growth, hormone transport, nutrient assimilation and in self-detoxification processes.

trans fat

Most natural fatty acids have links in a cis arrangement (turned to the left).while those with a trans arrangement (to the right) are very rare (less than 0.05%).

However, the latter predominate in hydrogenated fats used so much by the food industry, hidden under the term vegetable oil.

Hydrogenation and oil refining processesfor example to make margarines, are the major producers of trans bonds in fatty acids.

Many experts recommend zero consumption of Trans fatsince they have been associated with immune deficiencies, cancer, cholesterolemia, atherosclerosis, coronary heart disease, and degenerative diseases.

Some industrial chips have up to 35% trans fat, while if they are made at home with olive oil their content is zero. Pastries, margarines, snacks, refined oils and prepared dishes provide the majority of trans fats and should be avoided.

Iron

Iron is one of the minerals necessary for the maintenance of health. Its deficiency causes many problems.

The most frequent is the anemia, since iron is part of hemoglobin of the red blood cells. In fact, it is the substance that gives it its…