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Proteins: The human metabolism of protein is relatively simple. When big protein molecules are eaten as food, our digestive tracts break them down into their simplest building blocks. These molecules are known as amino acids, and as long as a person gets enough of the required amino acids there is seldom any problem. Because of the complete digestion of proteins into simple amino acids, in a strict sense, the source of the protein is not of critical importance. A body does not know the difference between protein from plant sources or meat. After digestion, the amino acids from peanuts look identical to those from buffalo meat. As long as certain amino acids are not deficient from the diet the body can synthesize what it needs from these basic components. While it is true that where the protein comes from is nearly irrelevant, it must be noted that protein is seldom found in a pure form. In the natural world, protein is often found in foods mixed with fats. In the above examples, the structure of the amino acids in peanuts is identical to those in buffalo meat, but the fat content is very different. Often, fats and proteins are mixed together in the same food. This is a critical point. Fats: Unlike proteins, the various types of fat that we eat are not broken down into their smallest subunits before the are absorbed. This means that the type of fat is important and affects the way our bodies utilize it. You may be familiar with the terms saturated and unsaturated fats. These are categories that describe the chemical structure of the carbon-hydrogen-oxygen chains that make up the fats. Within the group of unsaturated fats, there are several sub-groups. Biochemists identify some as ω-6 (omega six) and others as ω-3 (omega 3). Fats in the ω-6 group are often found in animal meats and ω-3s are more prevalent in fish oils and nuts. While this may seems like abstract chemistry, but our bodies know the difference. Carbohydrates: Carbohydrates are the group of foods that include sugars and starches. Everything from pasta to corn starch to table sugar is in the carbohydrate family. The sweeteners in soda pop and almost all the calories in beer fit in this group too! Carbohydrates have been a favorite food source of athletes for generations because they are easy to digest and a quick source of concentrated energy. In fact the USDA recommendations for a balanced diet call for a large intake of carbohydrates. Of course, the biochemists have worked on carbohydrates too, and some of the divisions are valuable. Some are called simple carbohydrates (simple sugars) and these are things like table sugar, syrups and the sugars found in sweets and candies. The other main group is complex carbohydrates (starches) and foods like pasta and potatoes are included in this group. In terms of digestion, carbohydrates are like proteins in the fact that they are broken down into the simplest forms before they are absorbed into the body. Complex sugars are much large molecules, so it takes longer for the digestive system to break them down before the can be used. Simple sugars are absorbed very quickly and can make blood sugar rise rapidly. The slow rise in blood sugar that complex carbohydrates provide is generally preferred over the quick increase of simple sugars.
Theory of the Paleolithic Diet
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Og the Neanderthal by Richard Wilson
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