A History of Nutrition

Prehistory

From the very earliest days of civilization, nutrition has formed the backbone of healthcare. Obtaining and eating food consumed most of early human’s time, and food and herbs were our first medicine, used to treat a large number of conditions ranging from wounds and insect bites to infection. It became clear that food had powerful healing effects, and that a varied diet, rich in natural ingredients, was a prerequisite for good health. From that time, diet became a fundamental part of most therapies, and an integral element in almost all of the others.

18th Century

In the 18th century, English sailors were given lime or lemon juice in order to prevent scurvy, a disease caused by lack of vitamin C, which occurred as a result of long periods of time away at sea without fresh fruit or vegetables.

19th Century

In the late 19th century, naturopaths drew attention to the use of food and its nutritional elements as medicine, a concept that was not new, but which had not been acknowledged as a therapy in its own right until that time. Naturopaths used nutrition and fasting to cleanse the body, and to encourage its ability to heal itself. As knowledge about food, its makeup, and the effects it ahs on our body became greater with the development of biochemistry, the first nutritional specialists undertook to treat specific ailments and symptoms with the components of food.

20th century

By the middle of the 20th century, scientists had put together a profile of proteins, carbohydrates, and fats, as well as vitamins and minerals, which were essential to life and to health. More than 40 nutrients were uncovered, including 13 vitamins. It was discovered that minerals were needed for body functions, and a new understanding of the body and its biochemistry fed the growing interest in the subject. In the 1960s, physicians began to treat patients with special diets and supplements, prescribed according to individual symptoms, problems, and needs, but while conventional medical physicians still discussed nutrition in terms of basic food groups, nutritionists were prescribing vitamins in megadoses. Other elements and compounds were soon identified as necessary to human life, and we are now able to purchase and take substances like amino acids; bee pollen; lipids, such as evening primrose oil and cod liver oil; and seaweeds, acidophilus (healthy bacteria), and dietary enzymes.

Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates are one of the three major kinds of foods, along with proteins and fats. Your saliva, stomach, and liver break down carbohydrates into glucose, which is the simplest type of sugar and the form in which sugar circulates in the bloodstream. This sugar gives your body’s cells the energy they need to function properly.

Carbohydrates are either simple or complex, depending on how quickly your body digests them. Fruits, milk products, and refined sugar provide simple carbohydrates that are digested quickly. Whole grain breads and cereals, starchy vegetables, and legumes are made up of complex carbohydrates, which are digested slowly.

Foods like soda, candy, and cake, which contain refined carbohydrates such as white flour and added sugar, have high calorie counts and cause rapid changes in blood sugar. These are simple carbohydrates and are sometimes referred to as bad carbs. It’s a good idea to limit these food choices.

Generally, complex carbohydrates are healthier food options than simple carbohydrates. Complex carbohydrates, such as whole grains, and some simple carbohydrates, including fruit and milk products, are sometimes referred to as good carbs, because they contain vitamins, minerals, and fiber. You should emphasize these nutrient-rich carbohydrates in your diet for optimal health.

Additional Facts

1. Your body either uses glucose immediately or stores it in your liver and muscles for later use.

2. The term whole grains refers to grains that contain all the parts of the grain seed or kernel, including the dietary fiber and other important nutrients. Refined grains are produced when manufacturers process whole grains in ways that remove some of the dietary fiber, folic acid, and iron. Enriched grains are refined grains, such as white rice and white bread, that have had the folic acid and iron added back. Fortified grains are enriched grains that have extra nutrients added.

3. Date sugar and dark brown sugars are good alternatives to white sugar, as they contain much higher levels of antioxidants.

Each serving of USANA Nutrimeal contains 8 grams of dietary fiber, which can help maintain a healthy heart and circulatory system. Soy protein is a complete protein, containing all of the essential amino acids in optimal ratios and in a highly digestible form. Try the rich flavor of USANA Dutch Chocolate for breakfast, or any time you want a healthy meal you shake!

Understand How Metabolism Processes Food

The way metabolism works is by causing a series of chemical reactions that break down food. How it does this depends on whether the food is a carbohydrate, protein, or fat. Without getting too clinical, it’s helpful to know the basics:

1.Carbohydrates are absorbed as simple sugars, mostly glucose. When your body needs energy, it breaks down this glucose into a metabolite known as pyruvate. Depending on the amount of available oxygen, pyruvate is then converted either anaerobically (without oxygen) into lactic acid for short bursts of energy, or aerobically (with oxygen) into acetyl CoA a molecule that creates a slower, more long-term source of energy. Lactic acid may also be recycled back into glucose, but acetyl CoA cannot.

2.During the digestive process, proteins are broken down into amino acids, which are then converted into building blocks for hormones, nucleic acids (part of DNA), digestive enzymes, and antibodies. Though an amino acid’s primary role is to develop and repair other protein, it may also be used for energy and broken down into different metabolites. To be processed, amino acids are broken down further into pyruvate or into acetyl CoA, or they are moved into the citric acid cycle inside the mitochondria.

3.In the metabolic process, fats and oils are broken down into glycerol and fatty acids. Glycerol can either be built up to make glucose or broken down to form pyruvate. Like glucose, this pyruvate can then be used to form lactic acid or acetyl CoA. Fatty acids are broken down in a process known as beta, or fatty acid, oxidation, which produces acetyl CoA. During beta-oxidation, oxygen combines with fragments of the fatty acid to release electrons into the electron transport chain. Unlike glycerol, fatty acids cannot be used to create glucose.

Since all three of the main energy-producing nutrients can be broken down into acetyl CoA, they can all be used to generate fat, which the body can use as energy, or they can be stored in fat cells for future use. Taking USANA Vitamins are the good way to supplement your daily nutrition needs.