What are the manifestations of taking food, i.e. Calories in excess ?, Body physique, Protein role & its source

Ayurveda for a healthy life ! – 43/2024 will be on 1.1.2025

  What are the manifestations of taking food, i.e. calories in excess ?

When a person eats much more than his digestive power allows, he suffers from manifestations of indigestion like vomiting, distension of the abdomen, loose stools and pain in the abdomen.

When a person consumes and digests food which supplies more calories than the total calories utilised, the additional food after digestion and absorption is stored in the body in the form of fat. For each additional 9.3 calories entering the body, 1 gram of fat is stored in the body. When a person eats in excess over a long period, it results in obesity.

9.  Body physique : How is it that some people eat a lot and yet are thin whereas others may eat very little and yet gain weight ?

One commonly sees that a labourer eats a plateful of rice and chapatis and yet is thin. This is normal as he spends most of the energy he derives from food in the hard physical work he undertakes. The length of sleep also counts to a great extent. People who sleep less naturally spend more energy and tend to put on less weight than what they would have gained otherwise.

Some people by nature are more active while others are sluggish, e.g. some people move their limbs unnecessarily even while sitting, while others may be sluggish even when talking and walking. Sluggish people and those who sleep more, store their energy in the form of fat.

The rate of heart beats and breathing differ from individual to individual. Even the activity of cells differs in different individuals. People with hyperactive cells and organs tend to r remain thin and vice versa.

Protein Role

Proteins are complex nutrients of the body which are made up of a combination of about 20 amino acids and form the building blocks of the body. Each protein molecule is composed of atoms of carbon, hydrogen, oxygen and nitrogen whereas carbohydrates and fats are composed of atoms of only carbon, hydrogen and oxygen. They do not contain nitrogen atoms. Hence, carbohydrates and fats cannot replace the proteins in the diet. However, proteins can replace carbohydrates and fats as well as other proteins.

1.  What are the functions of proteins ?

Proteins form the structural units of cells and hence, are termed as building blocks of the body. They are important for the growth and repair of body tissues. Proteins constitute 20% to 25% of the weight of the body cells and the remaining weight is mainly of water.

Haemoglobin, the red pigment in the red blood cells (R.B.C.s) and nucleoproteins, i.e. proteins in the nucleus of cells are composed of protein compounds. Proteins supply energy equivalent to 4.1 calories per gram. The enzymes and hormones in the body which control the various biological processes in the body are predominantly proteinaceous in nature. Antibodies which defend the body against various diseases are also protein aceous in nature. A child in the growing phase requires more proteins.
Also, adolescents, pregnant women and lactating mothers require more proteins.

Proteins are basically the building blocks of the body. Children are in a growing phase. Hence, they require a greater amount of proteins for the manufacture of new tissues. Every child should consume 2 to 3 cups of milk. However, if parents cannot afford milk, they should provide a large amount of pulses, e.g. chana (Gram), nuts like groundnuts and eggs in the diet.

2.  What are the sources of proteins ?

The important sources of proteins are milk, eggs, cheese, fish, meat, poultry products, soyabean, peas, cereals, pulses, nuts and lentil. Pulses and nuts contain about 20% to 25% of proteins. Fish and meat contain about 15% to 20% of proteins. Eggs contain 13% of proteins while cereals like rice and wheat contain 6% to 10% of proteins. Buffalo’s milk contains 6%, while cow’s milk contains 3.5% proteins. Soyabean contains 40% of proteins.

3.  Why are animal proteins rated as first class proteins and vegetable proteins as second class proteins ?

Out of the 20 amino acids commonly found in dietary proteins, the body cannot synthesise 10 amino acids. Hence, they have to be supplied through the diet alone. These 10 amino acids are termed as essential amino acids. Most of the proteins in food of plant origin do not contain all the amino acids which are required for the human body. Animal proteins, i.e. meat, fish, eggs and milk contain all the 10 amino acids. Hence, animal proteins are termed as first class proteins. Proteins of plant origin do not contain all the essential amino acids. Hence, they are termed as second class proteins. The nutritive value of a protein depends on its digestibility, absorption into the blood and its essential amino acid structure. Animal proteins are similar in composition to proteins in the human body and are easily digested and utilised. Hence, they are termed as proteins of a high biological value. The proteins in breast milk and eggs are totally utilised, i.e. almost 100% for body building.

4.  Can vegetable proteins replace animal proteins ?

By a judicious combination of vegetable food, one can see to it that the mixture provides all the essential amino acids, e.g. cereals are poor in the amino acid, lysine, but contain an adequate quantity of methionine (An essential amino acid) whereas pulses are rich, lysine though they are poor in methionine. Thus, by combining cereals and pulses, one can get all the essential amino acids in an adequate quantity. Traditional Indian dishes like rice and dal (Lentil), khichadi prepared from rice and mung (Green gram), idlis prepared from rice and udid (Black gram), puranpolis prepared from wheat and chana dal (Gram flour) are good examples of such a combination. Plant proteins are cheaper than animal proteins. Hence, plant proteins are preferable for body building if they are appropriately combined.

5.  What are the symptoms of protein deficiency ?

If a child’s diet is poor in proteins, his growth is affected due to lack of building material. The child gets puffy with water and one can produce an impression on applying pressure on his skin. The child’s hair is thin, sparse, discoloured and can be easily uprooted. The skin is discoloured and peels off. The child appears dull, sits quietly in the mother’s lap and does not like to play. It is not pleased even with sweets. The child’s appetite reduces and it is more susceptible to infections like diarrhoea, cold, cough etc.

6.  Is it risky to consume proteins in excess ?

Ancient man was basically a carnivorous animal. For half a million years, the diet of man was predominantly animal food. It is only with the development of agriculture in the last seven centuries that he commenced using plant food freely . A vegetarian may still drink the milk of a cow or buffalo. Eskimos are almost completely carnivorous.

The relative proportion of proteins to fat to carbohydrates in an average diet and that of an Eskimo is given in the table ahead.

	Proteins	Fats	Carbohydrates
Diet of an Eskimo	5	2.5	1
Average diet	1	1	4

Despite such a high protein intake, Eskimos lead a healthy life and do not suffer from any symptoms of disease due to their high intake of proteins. A person not habituated to consuming a large quantity of proteins may suffer from constipation and foul smelling stools.

The extra protein is not utilised for body building. It is used as energy just as carbohydrates and fats. Proteins being much more expensive than carbohydrates, it is not worth spending money unnecessarily on extra proteins particularly in families belonging to the low and middle socio-economic classes.

The kidneys excrete the waste products of proteins such as urea and uric acid. These waste products increase in patients with a kidney failure. Hence, such people should restrict their protein intake.