Nutrition Quotes

“Free radicals and antioxidants. One of the theories to explain the underlying cause of cancer and atherosclerosis is that tissues are damaged by free radicals. Free radicals are highly reactive molecules that have an unpaired electron. When a radical collides with another molecule, it becomes stable by removing or donating a single electron, but in the process it generates a new radical. Radicals can cause damage to DNA, leading to possible mutations and the development of cancer; and to fats, leading to the development of atherosclerosis; as well as to proteins, leading to the development of auto-immune diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis. The radicals that cause the most damage are oxygen radicals, and compounds that provide protection against radical damage are generally referred to as antioxidants.”
― David Bender, Nutrition: A Very Short Introduction

“The three-fold increase in obesity in less that a quarter of a century cannot be the result of genetic change in the population. Rather, it is the result of increased availability and consumption of food, coupled with decreased physical activity.”
― David Bender, Nutrition: A Very Short Introduction

“If a metal or ion has a function in the body, it must be provided by the diet, since it is not possible to convert one chemical element into another.”
― David Bender, Nutrition: A Very Short Introduction

“These epidemiological and experimental studies have provided evidence for a dietary pattern that is associated with reduced risk of developing cancer, atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease, hypertension and stroke, and type II diabetes.”
― David Bender, Nutrition: A Very Short Introduction

“The amount of cholesterol in the diets was also varied in separate experiments. The results showed that compared with mono-unsaturated fat, saturated fats increase serum cholesterol proportionally to twice the intake, while polyunsaturated fats decrease it proportionally with intake. Dietary cholesterol also increases serum cholesterol, but only proportionally to the square root of intake.”
― David Bender, Nutrition: A Very Short Introduction

“Adipose tissue contains about 15 per cent water, 5 per cent protein, and 80 per cent fat. This means that a gram of adipose tissue yields 7.4 kcal. We can calculate from this that a deficit of 500 kcal per day will lead to utilization of 68g of adipose tissue per day, or 476g in a week. If we assume a total energy expenditure (and therefore requirement) of 2,500 kcal/day, then even with total starvation the maximum possible weight loss will be 2.4kg (5 lb 5 oz) per week. It is important to bear this in mind when evaluating the claims for weight loss that are made for some diets.”
― David Bender, Nutrition: A Very Short Introduction

“Therefore, the general consensus is that diets should provide about 55 per cent of energy from carbohydrates, 30 per cent from fat, and 15 per cent from protein.”
― David Bender, Nutrition: A Very Short Introduction