Portfolio on Carbohydrates, Fats and Proteins - Annotated Bibliography Example

Annotated Bibliography: Portfolio on Carbohydrates, Fats and Proteins Annotated Bibliography: Portfolio on Carbohydrates, Fats and Proteins 1.0 Role and Benefits of Carbohydrates in the Diet Hirsch, J. (1995). Role and benefits of carbohydrate in the diet: key issues for future dietary guidelines. The American journal of clinical nutrition, 61(4), 996S-1000S. Retrieved from http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/61/4/996S.full.pdf In his journal article, Hirsch outlines the important role that is seen to be played by carbohydrates in our diets. He points out that as a result of the widespread advocacy calling for the reduction of the fat intake in our diets as well as there being relatively very little evidence in support of increased protein consumption, it is imperative that we now focus on the high carbohydrate diets. In the article, Hirsch takes a historical approach in an attempt to try and explain just why the consumption of carbohydrates is important in the human physiology. In his analysis, Hirsch points out that about 60 million years ago during the Cretaceous Period, which was the last period of the Mesozoic Era, a thick forest cover had managed to spread across most parts of the planet. During the start of the Paleocene Epoch, the ancestors of the current simians took to the trees and these trees served to not only provide them with adequate amounts of shelter, but also, nutritious diets that were rich in carbohydrates. Hirsch further argued that the consumption of diets that were rich in simple sugars eventually served to permit the rapid development of large central nervous systems. A large central nervous system is seen to in this case be an needed for sight, memory and all the various sensory modalities that are noted to be required for the extensive wide-ranging foraging that is characteristic of inhabitants of the forest canopy. The research presented by Hirsch helps to explain the important role in our health that is seen to be played by carbohydrates. Humans have large central nervous systems that continuously thirst for simple sugars and the search for these sugars, is an adaptive feature that is an wired in aspect of our food selection. The article by Hirsch can also be of great aid in helping to explain just why although there happens to be many underlying factors that aid in the generation of specific appetites and hungers in humans, the single underlying factor has been noted to be the concentration of glucose in the plasma. Low glucose concentration levels in the plasma can swiftly result in unconsciousness and ultimately death. 2.0 Effects of High-fat Diets on Obesity Coelho, D. F., Pereira-Lancha, L. O., Chaves, D. S., Diwan, D., Ferraz, R., Campos-Ferraz, P. L., & Lancha Junior, A. H. (2011). Effect of high-fat diets on body composition, lipid metabolism and insulin sensitivity, and the role of exercise on these parameters. Brazilian Journal of Medical and Biological Research, 44(10), 966-972. Retrieved from http://www.scielo.br/pdf/bjmbr/v44n10/1107.pdf The journal article by Coelho et al (2011) attempts to analyze just how the dietary fat composition can serve to promote the development of obesity in the human body. The research also points out just how high fat diets can serve to alter not only the rate of fat oxidation, but also the rate of its deposition. The research study also outlines the positive effects that exercise has on the treatment of obesity in humans. According to the authors of this journal article, ever since the health complications associated with obesity were demonstrated, numerous studies have been conducted with the objective of attempting to try and identify the different factors that that actively contribute towards the development of obesity. According to research, high-fat diets have been noted to result in what is essentially a positive fat balance which in turn results in adipose mass accumulation. In the article, the authors further emphasize on the fact that high fat diets tend to often not stimulate the fat oxidation rate in obese individuals to occur in the same manner that it is stimulated in lean individuals. This article is important in that it helps in effectively demonstrating just why excessive body fat tissue may be related to not only energy expenditure and fat intake in humans, but also to the type of diet. In the event that this diet happens to be a high fat diet, this type of diet can ultimately lead to a number of metabolic alterations that variously include reduced lipolytic activity in fat tissue, impaired mitochondrial metabolism, obesity, as well as hyperphagia in humans. This article is also useful in that it outlines the benefits of exercise in the treatment of obesity. By engaging in exercise activities such as aerobics, it becomes possible for individuals to successfully loose excessive weight and treat obesity as the exercise greatly improves the oxidization and breaking down of fat in the body. Although fat tissue mass may at times seem to be well controlled by what is an unconscious but powerful biological system, excessive body weight can adequately be reduced by the lowering of the intake of foods that are commonly associated with higher levels of energy expenditure. Exercises such as aerobics have also been noted to have a positive effect in the reduction of body weight among humans. 3.0 Importance of Proteins in Nutrition Cuthbertson, P. D. (1948). The Significance of Proteins in Nutrition: Their Particular Importance during Convalescence. British Medical Journal, 1948, 731-737. Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2091807/pdf/brmedj03700-0007.pdf In the journal article, Christie & Hill (1990), attempt to examine the significance of proteins in human nutrition with a particular emphasis on the role that is played by proteins during convalescence. The authors analyze proteins before going onto stress on the fact that it is important to ensure that our diets contain proteins so that when these proteins act in a supplementary fashion, they will be able to provide all the essential amino acids in our bodies. The authors also analyze how proteins are able to help in providing our bodies with energy as well as the effects of proteins on a number of aspects such as immunity and hemoglobin and just how proteins can help patients during the convalescence. According to the article, our bodies contain 23 different amino acids which build up into tissue proteins through various groupings and linkages. The proteins that we consume in our foods are considered to be an exogenous source of the amino-acids that are required by our bodies. The important role of protein towards the health of our bodies is noted to be due to the fact that protein is considered to be man’s chief source of sulphur and nitrogen and the rate of the supply of these two minerals ultimately conditions maintenance, growth, lactation, reproduction and repair in our bodies. Proteins also serve as a source of energy although this function is mostly served by carbohydrates and fats. This article is important as it helps to explain why if our diets happen to contain insufficient energy values and if energy expenditure is subsequently not reduce, our bodies react by deflecting the protein that would have been available for reproductive functions, maintenance and growth to aid in serving this function. It also helps to demonstrate the important role that is played by protein towards the boosting of our immunities and production of hemoglobin. Another useful aspect of the article is that it helps to explain how protein deficiency can negatively affect the recovery of convalescents. In the article, Dr. Cuthbertson highlights how the depletion of protein may result from the development of conditions that happen to affect an individuals ability to ingest, digest and ultimately absorb sufficient foods as is in the case of infection and disuse astrophy. Protein deficiency in convalescents is of particular concern as it affects the restitution of tissue loss. References Coelho, D. F., Pereira-Lancha, L. O., Chaves, D. S., Diwan, D., Ferraz, R., Campos-Ferraz, P. L., & Lancha Junior, A. H. (2011). Effect of high-fat diets on body composition, lipid metabolism and insulin sensitivity, and the role of exercise on these parameters. Brazilian Journal of Medical and Biological Research, 44(10), 966-972. Retrieved from http://www.scielo.br/pdf/bjmbr/v44n10/1107.pdf Cuthbertson, P. D. (1948). The Significance of Proteins in Nutrition: Their Particular Importance during Convalescence. British Medical Journal, 1948, 731-737. Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2091807/pdf/brmedj03700-0007.pdf Hirsch, J. (1995). Role and benefits of carbohydrate in the diet: key issues for future dietary guidelines. The American journal of clinical nutrition, 61(4), 996S-1000S. Retrieved from http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/61/4/996S.full.pdf Read More