Healthy diet - Insights, discussions and nice reads

Insights and Articles
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Carbs are actually good, as long as we know what kind of carb is it, simple (white rice, wheat, ultra-processed foods) or complex (millets, whole grains + pulses, etc). Complex carbs does not spike the blood sugar levels, unlike simple carbs and hence it has a shielding effect in regulating blood sugar levels. Complex carbs also comes with fiber, which is an essential component (pre-biotic food) for building a healthy gut (prebiotic is a feeder to probiotics which helps in developing the good bacteria and reducing the bad bacteria in the gut).

For diabetics and a healthy diet, the quantity of starch or complex carbs does not really matter, but consuming unprocessed or minimally processed carbs is more important and recommended for better metabolism.

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The Muscle Protein Synthetic Response to the Ingestion of a Plant-Derived Protein Blend Does Not Differ from an Equivalent Amount of Milk Protein in Healthy Young Males

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This study shows the significance of increased protein and reduced carbohydrates in the daily diet, from the diabetes standpoint of view.

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@Shalem, sharing Wellfinity team’s perspective on the same.

The human body is composed of appx. 40-42% protein and an equal amount of fats, excluding the water content. The brain, specifically consists of 15% protein and 60% fat. Hence these two components play vital roles as building blocks for our bodies. Obtaining these essential raw materials is necessary to support processes such as repair, growth, recovery, and regeneration. Insufficient intake of these nutrients can result in impaired cellular function and potential health issues.

Therefore, proteins are not only important for diabetics but also for everyone. They are a crucial macronutrient that should be included in our diets.

On the other hand, fats are often overlooked in many dietary protocols and recommendations. However, healthy fats are essential for everyone, especially in cases of diabetes and other metabolic disorders, brain and mental health. Essential fatty acids and cholesterol found in fats are required for proper functioning of insulin receptors and play a significant role in diabetes.

Furthermore, the notion of drastically reducing carbs intake is not entirely accurate. Carbs can be categorised into simple and complex carbs. In the past (20-25 yrs ago), majority of carbs consumed were complex carbs by default. However, in modern times, many carbohydrates are simple carbs, lacking the starch and fiber that provide important nutrients. Consuming simple carbs can lead to sudden spikes in blood sugar levels. Rather than completely avoiding or reducing all carbs, it is more appropriate to eliminate simple carbs while including complex carbs such as millets, whole grains, and pulses.

Our team of experts has written a blog that provides more detailed information about food and diabetes.

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The scientific approach in this blog looks commendable, Anurag!

What are the challenges individuals had to overcome before they adhere to the plan, as per your experience? And how are they dealt with?

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The biggest challenge is change of old habits and addressing non-scientific belief and notions such as drinking milk and eaten wheat is good. Some get it faster than the others and some take a while.

We typically create a lot of awareness around it with each of our members with both science and ancitent wisdom. Another aspect that helps deal with it is to start with the changes and new protocols slow and low. i.e. Introduce small changes so that they can see visible improvements which makes them more acceptable to the other changes.

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I’ve always seen differential pricing in eggs (12 eggs 86 vs. 160) and wanted to understand more as to why these eggs were priced differently.

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Started searching the internet for answers and I came across this video from The Whole Truth. He concluded by saying that free-range organic eggs are more nutritious when compared to regular eggs but did not specify the numbers. I wanted to know the nutritional difference, apart from the ethical differences.

This study from the National library of Medicine that concluded the vitamin D3 content of egg yolk in free-range eggs was three to four fold higher than regular eggs.

Also came across this test (Limited scope and small sample) that surprisingly concluded Some of the cheapest, widely available eggs tested may be just as nutritious as some of the most expensive. and For most of the nutrients tested, there were no large differences between the cheaper conventional eggs and the more expensive organic options. And it also mentioned that there was a difference in nutritional value between small-farm organic eggs and big-brand organic eggs, and it all depended on what the chickens were fed and the environment they lived in.

But I am still unsure about the exact nutritional differences between free range organic eggs and regular eggs. Is there a side-by-side comparison of the nutritional value of a regular egg and a free-range organic egg? Is the difference significant enough that the masses will be nudged into consuming healthier and more nutritious eggs?

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Nutrition can be delivered by various means, by organic systems as well as conventional systems. There is no doubt. We can get a nutrition quote cheap, and we have to pay the price for it in the long run.

The problem is what goes along with the nutrition. Especially the egg, poultry and dairy.

“The contemporary and future prevalence of the intensive system of poultry production has led to the easy spread of poultry diseases in poultry houses. Poultry houses are faced with high stock densities providing ideal conditions for parasitic and viral infestation and transmission. Some of the common diseases with respect to poultry management are the Gumboro diseases, Newcastle disease, E. coli infections disease, typhoid and coccidiosis. Research conducted by Bera et al. [16] on the evaluation of economic losses due to diseases in poultry shows that diseases have great impact on the growth of poultry production as a result of financial losses due to the high mortality rate of birds. Antibiotic drugs are then introduced to prevent and treat these infestations [26]. According to a study by Boamah et al. [12], poultry farmers in Ghana reported the use of about 35 antimicrobial agents in the management of bird diseases. These fall within the several classes of antibiotics administered to food producing animals which include lactam (penicillin and cephalosporins), tetracyclines, chloramphenicols, macrolides, spectinomycin, lincosamide, sulphonamides, nitrofuranes, nitroimidazoles, trimethoprim, polymyxins, quinolones and macrocyclics (ansamycins, glycopeptides and aminoglycosides). Studies by researchers using the Four Plate Test (FPT) method revealed macrolides group as the major contaminant antibiotic in egg yolk [17]. However, tetracyclines, aminoglycosides, penicillins and fluoroquinolones were reported to be the most frequently used antibiotics among Ghanaian farmers [12]. Tiamulin, tylosine and erythromycin are the drugs of the macrolide group that are mostly used against poultry diseases. Erythromycin is administered for the treatment of arthritis (associated with the Staphylococcus aureus) whereas tylosine and tiamulin are used in treating mycoplasma infections in poultry especially layer hens. In Nigeria, Enugu State to be precise, nitrofuranes are still being used in poultry even though it has been banned for application in livestock according to Darwish et al. [6]. The same authors reported 20% farm authorities in the Kaduna state admitted to the use of chloramphenicol which has also been banned in poultry farming. Another report by Khattab et al. [18] also detected lactam contamination of eggs in Egypt. Mund et al. [19] also reported the use of tetracycline, gentamicin, neomycin, tylosine, erythromycin, virginiamycin and bacitracin in preventing and reducing respiratory diseases and infections like necrotic enteritis. Gastroenteritis and skin infections are also treated with fluoroquinolones and quinolone compounds [20].”

For more details refer.

Also, check on impact of antibiotics on human health entering our our body through food systems.

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@Shashi Thanks Shashi that was an eye opener for everyone :sweat_smile::v:

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Hello Tharun,
I My company Devigere Biosolutions mainly working on plant based protein production from Indian pulses and creating protein functionality and nutrition similar to egg.

Here are some of my insights .
I have tried to compile it to simplify

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1)Nutrition has very less difference among type of raising hens using same breed
2)Nutrition may vary between 10% to 20% only when breeds are different
for example , if caged egg of particular breed has 5 gram protein , Nati egg of local breed may have 6 gram of protein which is 20 % difference .
3) Along with egg nutrition if we do not want to consume antibiotics , we are choosing free range eggs .
4) If we don’t want pestiside residue in egg, we are choosing organic fed eggs .
5) If we want high omega 3 , or vitamin D , we are choosing diet supplemented eggs .

Hope this helps

Thank you
Smitha

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Thanks @SmithaDevigere. This was really helpful!

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Pro-biotic supplements - A facade?

Social media is filled with ads for probiotic supplements, all claiming to treat everything from constipation to obesity to depression. The global probiotics market size was estimated at $77.12 billion in 2022 and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 14.0% from 2023 to 2030 :exploding_head:

But are probiotic supplements required for healthy individuals?

The short answer, based on what I could gather from current research, is No. Although certain bacteria help treat some gut disorders, they have no known benefits for healthy people.

This study conducted by BioMed Central says,

According to our systematic review, no convincing evidence exists for consistent effects of examined probiotics on fecal microbiota composition in healthy adults, despite probiotic products being consumed to a large extent by the general population.

The study included healthy adults aged 19 to 88, with participant numbers ranging from 21 to 81. Probiotic products were administered in various forms, such as biscuits, milk-based drinks, sachets, or capsules, for durations of 21 to 42 days.

However, they also said, “To explore the potential of probiotics to contribute to disease prevention in healthy people, there is a major need for much larger, carefully designed, and carefully conducted clinical trials.”

Going further down the rabbit hole, the problem with studies that claim the many benefits of probiotic supplements is that the majority of published studies have focused on populations with specific health pathologies. This study from the National Library of Medicine further concludes that “The feasibility of probiotics consumption to provide benefits in healthy adults requires further investigation.”

I’ve noticed that many of my healthy friends and relatives stock their fridges with Yakult bottles and other capsule forms of probiotic supplements they come across on social media. However, it’s worth noting that a single pack of Yakult contains a whopping 20 grams of sugar, and the company recommends consuming two bottles per day. This high sugar content alone can be harmful, regardless of whether the probiotic itself provides any benefits.

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Can individuals get beneficial microbes from eating regular food?

Harvard Health Publishing and Cleveland Clinic have said that individuals can get beneficial microbes from eating regular food items like:

  • Yogurt.
  • Buttermilk.
  • Sourdough bread.
  • Cottage cheese.
  • Kombucha.
  • Fermented pickles.

Looks like your regular curd rice and pickle have beneficial microbes. All curd rice aficionados can finally give a scientific explanation for their unhealthy obsession :wink:.

By no means am I a healthcare expert or professional, but just going through the above-mentioned resources from the internet, would it be safe to conclude that probiotics are not required for healthy individuals and that one must consume them only after they are prescribed by a professional?

If you are aware of scientific studies that were conducted on a large scale that prove the benefits of probiotic supplements for healthy individuals, please link them below.

Further studying: Do Probiotics Really Work? | Scientific American

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More foods and supplements we consume from packets , higher the chances of gut issues.
Gut microbiome is the most complex and diverse subject , it is not possible for one single company or product to fix it.
Microbiome varies for different people, across geographies and varies in same person in different season , even at different times.
Simple method to follow is to eat minimally processed diverse grains , pulses , vegetable and fruits.
Home made fermented products.

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@Tharun - probiotics (and prebiotics - namely fiber) are actually a must for health + nutrition, especially in today’s day and age when our food has become processed and ultra-processed.

Among other things, Probiotics are good bacteria that can help break down food, destroy disease-causing cells, or produce vitamins. However, they need to be taken in a very controlled manner esp. after knowing the state of our body (healthy or unhealthy) and more importantly if there is any presence of gut infections. This then ideally is the deciding factor on which type of strains is to be taken in what quantity and when.

Unfortunately, just like we don’t get all of our nutrition from food (which ideally is suppose to be the case) and hence the need to supplement ourselves. Likewise, there are different controlled strains that are put into capsules, etc to provide us the desired probiotics and its effects which is essential for gut and overall health. Earlier, our diet used to be rich in home made curd / buttermilk, pickles, consuming left over home made foods, etc… these were all natural forms of probiotics which is missing from our food plates.

However, what is important are few aspects:

  • Prioritise quantity and a variety of fermented food is very important (the diverse set of good bacteria from fermented foods creates a diverse set of microbiome and microbiota)
  • Wild uncultured probiotics found in kefir, kombucha, curds etc may not be beneficial for those with gut infections and hence its best to clear off the infections before consuming these natural probiotics.
  • In our practice we recommend probiotic supplements to be taken before sleep, since your gut is at rest in the night and the microbes (healthy bacteria from probiotics) produce post biotic chemicals that help you sleep better and also helps you improve stress, depression, anxiety.

The below is a post from us a while back on this forum.

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Hi @Shashi ,
Had a follow-up question. Are there any studies comparing the concentration of antibiotic in egg yolks versus egg whites? Additionally, does consuming only the egg white instead of the whole egg reduce antibiotic content?

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May be you meant @Anurag_Wellfintiy.in

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My bad. I mean antibiotic content in eggs. Not pro-biotic.

Are there studies that show the antibiotic concentration in egg yolks vs egg whites in a boiled egg? Wanted to know if eating just egg whites could reduce the harmful effects of antibiotics.

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Read this article recently, it’s pretty interesting to learn how food can help with depression and your mood in general.

Also this as someone mentioned fiber :slight_smile:

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Came across this thought of sharing it :slight_smile:
https://www.instagram.com/p/C2U8DGcprtA/?igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

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NoNo reference to the study to validate the claim.