Types of protein

Protein plays an essential role in building and repairing your body. But whether it helps a fingernail to grow or heals a sore muscle, for example, depends on the make-up of the protein.
Proteins consist of smaller units called amino acids, which can link together in many combinations to form chains. Some amino acid chains are created by your body, but those called essential amino acids must come from your diet. Although all animal and plant cells contain some protein, the amount and the quality of the protein varies a lot.
High biological value foods contain enough indispensable amino acids for an adult diet and are considered to be good quality protein. Meat, fish and eggs sit in this category.
Low biological value foods don't contain enough indispensable amino acids. Plant foods, such as pulses, nuts and seeds, are in this group.
Advice for vegans and vegetarians
Some plant foods are low in one kind of amino acid whereas other plant foods are higher in that amino acid. By eating a well balanced diet that contains a variety of foods you can get all the amino acids you require. Previously it was thought that for vegetarians to obtain enough protein different plant foods had to be combined in the same meal in order to balance the amounts of amino acids, known as protein combining. Now it's believed that this isn't necessary and that eating a range of plant foods over the course of a day will provide all the essential amino acids the body needs.
Foods such as eggs, nuts, seeds, beans, pulses, vegetable protein foods and soya products all contain protein. There are also small amounts in grains and dairy products.

Did you know...?
Eggs contain all eight essential amino acids, making them a perfect source of protein. However, you'd have to eat at least eight eggs a day to get all the protein you need. Be sensible; include them as part of a balanced and varied diet.

How much is enough?
Health professionals recommend that protein makes up ten to 15 per cent of your diet. They suggest men eat 55.5g protein a day and women eat 45g. In real terms, eating a moderate amount of protein - in one or two meals every day - should give you all the protein you need.
The need to eat protein every day is worth emphasising, because your body can't store it - you can't stock up on it by bingeing on protein once a week, for example.

Fat facts

• Fat transports fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K through your body.
• It cushions your internal organs.
• It makes food taste nicer.
• It can contain essential fatty acids (EFAs), which are thought to have a positive effect on the health of your heart and immune system.
• It's a concentrated source of energy.


It's this last point that has given fat such a bad reputation. Just 1g of fat provides 9 calories - more than double the calories in 1g of protein or carbohydrate. This means if you eat a lot of fatty foods, you're likely to put on weight. However, understanding the difference between unsaturated and saturated fats can help.
Saturated and unsaturated
Fat can be divided into two groups - saturated and unsaturated.
Saturated fat is generally solid at room temperature and is usually from animal sources. It's found in lard, butter, hard margarine, cheese, whole milk and anything that contains these ingredients, such as cakes, chocolate, biscuits, pies and pastries. It's also the white fat you can see on red meat and underneath poultry skin. The less saturated fat you eat, the better - a high intake has been linked with an increased risk of coronary heart disease.
Unsaturated fat is usually liquid at room temperature and generally comes from vegetable sources. Monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats are both included in this group. Unsaturated fat is a healthier alternative to saturated fat and can be found in vegetable oils such as sesame, sunflower, soya and olive; oily fish, such as mackerel, sardines, pilchards and salmon; and soft margarine.

Did you know...?
In reality, many foods contain both saturated and unsaturated fats, but they're described as one or the other depending on which makes up the majority. So, a healthier unsaturated fat such as olive oil contains saturated fats, too.

Sugary foods
Like fat, sugar is a concentrated source of energy and also has a bad reputation. The psychological benefits of eating foods such as jam, sweets, cakes, chocolate, soft drinks, biscuits and ice cream are fairly obvious. They taste lovely and feel like a special treat. However, it's important to keep them as just that - an occasional, special treat. Why? Because...
• Sugary foods often go hand in hand with fatty foods. Think cakes, biscuits, chocolate and pies.
• Sugar interacts with the plaque on your teeth and has been proven to cause tooth decay.


How much is enough?
Government guidelines recommend that fats make up no more than 35 per cent of your diet. For the average woman, this means about 76g of fat per day; for men, roughly 100g. In reality, though, most of us have much higher fat intakes.
Ideally, we should eat sugary foods sparingly. If you'd like to cut down on fatty and sugary foods, follow these suggestions:
• Snack on fresh or dried fruit rather than biscuits and chocolate.
• Trim any visible fat off meat and poultry.
• Buy lean cuts of meat and reduced-fat minces.
• Ditch the frying pan - try poaching, steaming, grilling and baking instead.
• Swap whole milk for semi-skimmed or skimmed alternatives.
• If you use lard, butter or hard margarine, switch to vegetable oil and low-fat spreads.

Antioxidant Vitamins


What are antioxidant vitamins?
Much research has recently focused on how antioxidant vitamins may reduce cardiovascular disease risk. Antioxidant vitamins — E, C and beta carotene (a form of vitamin A) — have potential health-promoting properties. Though the data are incomplete, up to 30 percent of Americans are taking some form of antioxidant supplement.
AHA Scientific Position
The American Heart Association doesn't recommend using antioxidant vitamin supplements until more complete data are available. We continue to recommend that people eat a variety of nutrient-rich foods daily from all the basic food groups.
Eating a variety of foods low in saturated fat, trans fat and cholesterol will provide a natural source of these vitamins, minerals and fiber.
Background
Oxidation of low-density lipoprotein (LDL or "bad") cholesterol is important in the development of fatty buildups in the arteries. This process, called atherosclerosis, can lead to heart attacks and strokes. Until recently, it was thought that LDL cholesterol lipoprotein oxidation and its biological effects could be prevented by using antioxidant supplements. However, more recent clinical trials have failed to demonstrate

NEW YORK
(Reuters) -- Adults who suffer from knee osteoarthritis -- the wear-and-tear form of arthritis -- may want to go without shoes when they can, based on new research that suggests that walking in shoes increases loads on knee and hip joints in patients with osteoarthritis of the knee.
Osteoarthritis of the lower extremity is largely mediated by "aberrant biomechanical forces," note Dr. Najia Shakoor and Dr. Joel A. Block, from Rush Medical College, Chicago, Illinois, in the journal Arthritis and Rheumatism.
"In knee OA, the most well-studied form, there is evidence that patients with abnormally high dynamic loading of the knees are at greater risk of incident and progressive diseases," they note. "Consequently, strategies that effectively reduce loads on the knee during gait would be of great interest."
The researchers assessed the effects of modern shoes on gait and lower extremity joint loads in 75 patients with knee OA. Their mean age was 59, their mean body mass index was 28.4, and 59 of the 75 were women.
Gait analysis was performed while the subjects were wearing their everyday walking shoes and while they were walking barefoot.
Walking barefoot resulted in significant decreases in dynamic loads at the knees and hips, the team reports.
The findings "suggest that modern shoes may exacerbate the abnormal biomechanics of lower extremity OA," the team concludes.
Although the effect of wearing shoes on onset of OA hasn't been studied, they add, "modern shoes, and perhaps our daily walking practices, may need to be reevaluated with regard to their effects on the prevalence and progression of OA."