SUGAR-SALT-PROTEIN

SUGAR

This is the one carbohydrate that everyone should eat less of .It is a very concentrated form of energy- 10 rnl (2 tsp) contains around 40 calories. It has few nutrients and little bulk, which means it is easy to eat large amounts.

It is essential to eat a wide variety of foods to maintain the well-balanced diet the body needs.

 

There is no signifıcant nutritional difference between refıned white sugar and brown sugar; both are detrimental to teeth. It’s particularly damaging in sticky forms like cakes, sweets and biscuits and the more often it’s eaten the more damage it does, so frequent sugary snacks are worse than the same amount of sugar in one meal.

Experts recommend that the average sugar in- take of 38 kg (861b) per person each year should be reduced. The best way to do this is by cutting down on the sugar added to food and drinks in the home, consuming fewer soft drinks, cakes, sweets, biscuits and sugar-laden snacks. Replace them with fresh fruit, salad or vegetables. Change to low calorie or sugar-free drinks (check labels for dextrose, maltose, glucose and fructose, which are all common examples of hidden sugar). Use artifıcial sweeteners like saccharine, aspartame or acesulfame K, which are low in calories and do not cause tooth decay

SALT

Salt is a compound of sodium and chloride, both of which are minerals essential for regulating the amount of water in body cells and transmitting nervous impulses. Chloride also produces hydro- chloric acid in the stomach, which aids digestion, and sodium is important for muscle contraction and the regulation of blood pressure.

Sodium occurs naturally in many foods and is also added in the form of salt or other sodium- containing compounds. It has important implica- tions for health. The theory is that a high sodium intake is an important factor in the development of high blood pressure (hypertension) in certain susceptible individuals. In communities where salt intake is very low , so too is the incidence of high blood pressure. In ]apan, where salt intake is very high, roughly 40 per cent of middle-aged adults have high blood pressure.

High blood pressure is a major risk factor in the development of heart and blood vessel disease and greatly increases the risk of heart attacks and strokes. Nutritionişts and many within the medical profession feel the evidence is strong enough to recommend that we cut down on the amount of salt we eat. However , other experts claim there is not enough evidence available to justify recom- mending major changes to our diet.

Approximately 70 per cent of the salt we eat is present in food, much of it added during manu- facture. The other 30 per cent is added at the table or in cooking. It would seem advisable to at least reduce the amount of salt we eat, by using smaller

amounts in cooking and eating Iess of the products with a high salt content, such as preserved meats and meat products, smoked food and savoury snacks Iike salted peanuts.

PROTEIN

Protein forms 75 per cent of the body’s solid mass and is needed in every body cell. All enzymes and many hormones are made from protein and it is essential for body growth and repair .

Protein is made up of small units called amino acids. When protein is eaten, it breaks down into over 20 different amino acids and reassembles in many different combinations to form the 10,000 or so proteins which the body needs. Unused protein becomes a source of calories, which are either used up as energy or stored as body fat.

The body can make some amino acids itself, but others-known as the essential amino acids- must come from food. The quality of a protein depends on its essential amino acid composition. If a protein contains all the essential amino acids, but the amount ofone ofthem is relatively low, this is said to be the’limiting amino acid’ because it limits the value of the protein.

By mixing proteins containing differing amino acids, you can produce a meal of high quality protein. For example, the protein in animal foods such as meat contains roughly the necessary amount of amino acids, so it is high quality protein. Protein from a vegetable source is of a Iower value because it Iacks or is Iow in one or more of the essential amino acids. However, one sourte of vegetable protein can make up for the deficiency in another , so a combination of vegetables, pulses and grains will together provide all the necessary amino acids.

Individual protein requirements vary consider- ably , depending on many factors such as age, sex, weight and Ievel of activity. Early childhood, adol- escence, pregnancy and Iactation are periods when protein requirements are relatively high because of the growth and development taking place. The chart opposite gives average daily allowances for certain groups of people with an example of the foods which provide this amount of protein.

SUGAR-SALT-PROTEIN