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2003/01/07, 12:36 PM
"Nutrition information that surprises almost everyone..."
The majority of nutrition information you'll read or hear about
is based on the amount of food you eat. That is, when you eat
more calories than you burn, you'll gain weight. Eat fewer
calories than you burn, and you'll lose weight.
While this nutrition information is true to a certain extent, it
tends to promote the idea that food is only a source of fuel — a
way of providing your body with energy. In truth, what you eat
is far more important than that.
In fact, the food you eat today is literally what you become
tomorrow. Think about it — old skin, muscle, and brain cells are
constantly replaced with new ones. And the material your body
uses to accomplish this incredible feat of construction is the
food you eat.
Some evidence for this comes from a trial published in the
American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. A group of healthy
adults (25 men and 7 women) were split into two groups, and
assigned to one of two diets for a period of three months.
* The first group was fed a diet high in saturated fat.
* Group two consumed a diet high in monounsaturated fat.
Some of the subjects in each group also received fish oil
capsules (containing just under four grams of omega-3 fatty
acids).
At the end of the study, all of the study participants
volunteered to have a small part of the muscle tissue in their
thigh taken out and examined by the researchers. The results
showed that the type of fat found in muscle cells was directly
related to the type of fat in the diet.
For instance, the proportion of omega-3 fatty acids in muscle
phospholipids was almost three times higher in subjects given
fish oil compared to those given a placebo (a placebo is a
"fake" supplement used to minimize the effect that belief and
faith have on the results of a study).
What this all means is that when planning your diet, it's
important to consider not only the quantity of the food you eat,
but the quality of the ingredients as well. For example, even
though they might be low in calories, many ready-made meals are
loaded with preservatives, hydrogenated oils, and low-quality
protein.
The food you eat is more than just fuel. It literally provides
the building blocks for the body you live in every day. It
affects the way you think and feel — not just today — but in the
coming weeks, months and years. You really are what you eat!
Reference
Andersson, A., Nalsen, C., Tengblad, S., & Vessby, B. (2002).
Fatty acid composition of skeletal muscle reflects dietary fat
composition in humans. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition,
76, 1222-1229
To view this update on-line, visit:
http://thefactsaboutfitness.com/research/eating.htm
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"Don't follow leaders and watch your parking meters!"
-- Bob Dylan
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