Why does the bioavailability of the food you consume matter?
There has been a worldwide debate on evaluating food sources and how they contribute to our nutrient intake and overall well-being. When we review individuals across different age groups, we see that certain groups are more prone to musculoskeletal injuries and fractures than others. The muscle anabolic or building process is affected by the nutritional uptake in these age groups. We have been seeing an epidemic of sarcopenia, or muscle loss, in older age groups. This in turn contributes to a decreased quality of life and affects the activity levels of individuals in older and middle-aged groups. To enable muscle health, we need to maintain the equilibrium between muscle synthesis (or anabolism) and muscle breakdown (or catabolism).
Lipid peroxidation, oxidation, polymerization, and decomposition of foods:
Even before we progress to the next topics, let us examine these terms: when we undertake processes that deep fry foods or promote charring or cooking at very high temperatures, we are engaging in oxidation, peroxidation, etc. that directly penetrate into our foods, both animal and plant foods. This process not only decreases the quality of the food but also promotes the production of harmful agents that fuel chronic inflammation, free radical-mediated damage, etc. Even plant foods like falafels consumed worldwide due to their popularity and taste are deemed hepatotoxic in lab animals when fed in a consistent manner, yet this is a highly promoted protein source that is deemed healthy as it is vegetarian. So in essence, food preparation, whether vegetarian or nonvegetarian, matters to the nutrients and toxins absorbed. The media promotes processes like frying and charring as flavor enhancers—in reality, these are disease enhancers and must be avoided whenever possible.
Protein sources:
Choices between animal vs. plant protein have been a topic of debate in this age of enlightenment. It is a well-known fact that animal protein is better absorbed and has better bioavailability than plant sources. Higher amounts of plant protein are needed to match the same requirement as the latter. It’s important to point out that this is not a referendum against plant protein, as plants offer a host of natural polyphenols, fiber, vitamins, and phytonutrients that promote health; however, replacing such protein with highly processed, artificial sources like artificial meat substitutes that have synthetic substances is not the way to go. This industry is raking in billions of dollars and is not offering the consumer a good product for long-term health. The quality of food matters, and the intake of lean meats prepared in a way to eliminate frying and other processes that increase the production of harmful byproducts, along with the intake of organic vegetables and fruits, is an approach worth examining. The biggest enemy to our health in this time and age is industrial food processing by big brand names—and it does not matter what source is processed plant or meat; these foods should be eliminated from our diet in a systematic manner. So called plant milks and vegan dairy products like cheese and butter are loaded with emulsifiers to emulate a milky viscosity—these are detrimental on a longterm basis to gut health, which in turn fuels more diseases.
Carbohydrate sources:
Plants offer a good source of carbohydrates and phytonutrients, so they are important to our nutrition, but we have to take into account a person's health condition as well. We are dealing with a pandemic of diabetes, prediabetes, metabolic syndrome, and fatty liver. Directing such individuals towards a whole plant diet without educating them about the preponderance of carbohydrates in such foods is truly a disservice to them. These individuals end up struggling with fluctuating sugar levels, worsening diabetes, a lack of fullness or satiety, sarcopenia, and a decreased quality of life. All carbohydrates will be perceived as sugar by your body, and when consumed in excess, they will be channeled through a process called lipogenesis that directs the excess carbohydrates towards fat storage in the liver and around the vital organs, etc. These are all hallmarks of chronic diseases and inflammation that fuel every disease under the sun. This may explain why predominantly vegetarian countries have epidemics of diabetes and metabolic syndrome. Fats are formed in our bodies by more processes than just eating saturated fats alone. Our biochemistry is complex and we must eat the right foods to make it work in our favor.
The important takeaway message here is this: don’t throw the baby out with the bath water. Evaluate the foods you eat, whether from plant or animal sources; pick whole foods that are organic if possible; and the key word here is lean sources with less saturated fat; avoid frying and processes that promote lipid peroxidation; and enjoy a balance in your consumption of these different foods. Animal foods are high-density nutrients, so lower amounts are sufficient for health. Mix this with vegetables, grains, and lower-sugar fruits. Exercise and strength training, along with the above, are important for muscle preservation and quality of life. As always, I wish that you keep your health and nutrition in center focus and live long and strong.
