NUFS 223: Midterm 2 (Global eating, columbian exchange + Corn based diets)

Nutrition Transition

Transition into a modern western diet and lifestyle froma more traditional one

Acculturation

Immigrants assimilate to the lifestyle + diet of the new country based on what is availible

Difference between Traditional diet vs modern diets

traditional =

• Mostly unprocessed + locally grown foods

• Mainly Plant based with meat as an accent

• Active living (less cars, farming, preparing food was more laborous)

• Low prevalence of Modern chronic diseases eg. Diabetes, CVD Obesity … etc.

How did introduction of vaccinations affect the prevalence of modern diseases vs. infectious diseases

Vaccines = lower infectious disease (prevalent in past) = longer lifespan = dominance of other types of sicknesses (eg. CVD + diabetes).

What is low in intake in a modern diet?

• Legumes, nuts, seeds, vegetables + fruits

• Whole grains

• Fibre

What is high in intake in a modern diet

• refined carbs

• Meat + dairy

• Ultra-processed foods

• Added + free sugar

• Sodium

• Processed vegetable oils

• Omega-6 fatty acids

Sources of omega-6 fatty acids

Vegetable oils, seed + oils, Nuts + oils

What are 3 similarities between the Asian Diets

• shop daily

• Grain is the center of meals

• Meat not central

4 major chinese cuisines

1. canto

2. sichuan

3. hunan

4. beijing (northern)

Disease trends associated with chinese diets

LOW rates of heart disease, colon cancer + diabetes

How much less dietary fat do chinese consume compared to americans

1/3 less

What carb is prefered in the south vs the north of China?

South: long grain rice

North: Noodles + buns

What is tea rich in?

Antioxidants

What do antioxidants do

Neutralize free radicals produced by body during metabolism + exercising

What other foods have a lot of Antioxidants

Fruits + veggies (vitamin A, C E)

• especially carotenoids

The chinese eat a lot of produce/ deep green cruciferous veggies. What are some common examples?

Chinese brocoli, chinese cabbage, bok choy mustard greens

Cruciferous meaning?

Cabbage family

• Sulfur containing

what do the deep green cruciferous veggies contain?

Glucosinolates

Glucosinates? what do they do?

Have anti-cancer effect when broken down/ activated

True or false: the deep green cruciferous veggies do not contain any carotenoids

FALSE

• rich in carotenoids but chlorophyl hides the orange colour

Typical japanese meal?

rich + soup + grilled fish + pickled veggies + fruit for dessert

What type of rice do the japanese prefer

Short grain “sticky rice” mainly for sushi and rice balls etc…

2 Main types of japanese noodles

1. Soba (buckwheat)

2. Udon (wheat)

Can celiac/ gluten free eat buckwheat noodles?

yes buckwheat has gluten

Soy bean = high quality protein. List 3 examples of soybean foods in asia

1. Edamame (fresh beans)

2. Tempeh (fermented soy + grain)

3. Tofu

Benefits of soy protein?

Lower heart disease risk + cholestrol

Problem with allowing health clais oon soy products such as Isolates, soy protein concetrates, soy flour etc…?

Nutritionism

Promotes idea that the isolated products have the same benefits as eating whole soy

Trends of Thai food

• Hot and spicy

• Wok fry

• Coconut milk

3 Pros of Coconut oil?

1. High smoke point

2. Solid at room temp

3. Slow to oxidize = less likey to go rancid because of it highly saturated fat content

Common foods eaten in thai cuisine

• seafood

• glutinous rice (no gluten) + noodles

• Raw veggies + fruits

What is the origin of many latin american— mexican foods?

Aztec: Prickly pear cactus, chili, avocado, beans, corn, tomatoes, squash, sweet potatoes, cocoa, peanuts + papayas

Common foods in mexican cuisine

beans, rice, Corn (tortilas)

Lard used as cooking fats

Columbian exchange

Transfer (intentional and not) of plants, animals, technology, culture, disease, people and ideas between the americas and Afro-eurasia (15th + 16th century)

**What live stock was exchanged from the old world to the new world?

goats, sheep, cattle, pigs + chicken + horses

Disease that were brought to the new world (3)

1. Measels

2. small pox

3. Whooping cough

Decimaed 90% of the indigenous populations

Did the indiginous people of the new world have zoonotic disease before the arrival of europeans? why?

No

• didn’t live close to animals like europeans did

• Only raised dogs which do not transmit diseases as seasily to humans as pigs

12 significant new world crops

Grain: maize

Roots/tubers: cassava, sweet potato + potato

Legumes: beans + peanuts

Fruits: tomato

Melons: squash/ pumpkin

Veggies: peppers

Other: vanilla, cocoa, sunflower

Which cash crops were brought to the new world? (3)

• sugar

• Coffee

• Grapes

Which calorically dense foods were brought to the old world? (4)

• potatoes/ sweet potato

• Corn(maize)

• Cassava

What was the effect that the calorically dense foods had in Europe and africa

INCREASE in POPULATION

Examples of cultural food adaptations

From new world:

• Italian pizza (tomato)

• Swiss chocolate (cocoa)

• Irish potato

• Thai chilli

• African corn ugali

From old world:

Rice and beans (Latin America) rice = from old world

True or false: majority (60%) of worlds cops are from new world

True

What ingredients did the Spanish introduce to the mesoamerican diet?

Rice, wheat, sugar, dairy, cows, pigs, sheep + chicken

What is the modern mesoamerican diet based on?

Combo of indigenous and Spanish cuisine

Examples of Latin American countries that have a corn based diet

Mexico, Nicaragua, El Salvador + Costa Rica

How to increase the nutrition of a corn-based diet

NIXTAMALIZATION

What is Nixtamalization?

Boiling and soaking dried corn in ALKALINE SOLUTION (CaOH) from LIMESTONE

How to get CaOH from calcium carbonate in limestone?

CaCO3 + heat = CO2 + CaO

CaO + H2O = CaOH

What is Masa?

Maize softened by nixtamalization and then formed into DOUGH

**Hominy

Nixtamalized corn that is processed/ ground into masa

What are the 5 results of nixtamalization?

1. soften corn for grinding

2. Allow dough formation

3. Make Niacin bio available

4. Adds minerals (Ca)

5. Removes aflatoxins

Pellagra

Disease caused by lack of vitamin B3/ NIACIN

4 D’s associated with pellagra

Dementia, diarrhea, dermatitis + Death

Which communities of people tend to suffer from pellagra

Depends on NOT Nixtamalized CORN as A STAPLE

Other than NIACIN what else can PREVENT Pellagra?

Tryptophan

What is Tryptophan?

An Amin acid that is a PRECURSOR for NIACIN SYNTHESIS

Why is having a diverse diet prevent pellagra?

Maize is low both in NIACIN AND TRYPTOPHAN

• these nutrients can be obtained from other foods such as meat, dish, legumes and some vegetables

What is niacin commonly used for in our bodies

NAD and NADH in our metabolism pathways

• nicotinic acid + Nicotinamdie

How does Nixtamalization affect mineral absorption

CALCIUM is added from the CaOH

What is the method of nixtamalization that allows for the most CALCIUM ABSORPTION? What is the worst method?

Best: Traditional method (at home lime treated)

Worst: UNTREATED

Which method of nixtamalization had the most FRACTIONAL ABSORPTION of CALCIUM

UNTREATED

• BUT it had the lowest amount of Ca+ absorbed as not much calcium was available to begin with

Aflatoxins

TOXIN

• produced by fungi on CORN

What can Aflatoxins do to humans?

LIVER CANCER

What does salsa mean?

Sauce

Before the arrival of the Spanish would the diets of Indigenous Central Americans contain: Lard and cheese?

NO

• lard = from pigs/ livestock

• Cheese = from dairy = from livestock

What are the 3 sisters?

Winter squash, Maize + climbing beans

What were the agricultural products consumed by First Nations of the Great Lakes?

The 3 sisters + sunflower

What were the gathered foods consumed by First Nations of the Great Lakes?

Berries, Tubers, Maple syrup + plants for medicine + food

What were the hunted/fished foods consumed by First Nations of the Great Lakes?

fish, waterfowl, Deer, rabbits + wild game

**What is MILPA

Mesoamerican crop growling system to produce the 3 sisters

• COMPANION PLANTING: The 3 are planted together

How does the INTERCROPPING of the 3 sisters help one another

• Corn provides pole for beans

• Squash = leaves to shade ground (reduce moisture loss and weed growth)

• Beans provide Nitrogen for corn + squash (NITROGEN FIXATION)

Which 2 of the 3 sisters together form a complete protein?

CORN AND BEANS

What amino acid is MAIZE deficient in?

Lysine

What amino acid(s) are BEANS deficient in

Methionine + Cysteine

What does corn provide other than complementary proteins to beans?

ENERGY (carbs)

What does Squash provide nutritionally

Carotenoids

Pepitas ==> PUFAs + Vit E

Pepitas

Squash Seeds

What are the 2 PUFAs?

Linoleum + Oleic acid

which BEAN is from the OLD WORLD?

FAVA BEAN (Broad bean)

Huitlachoche

Corn Fungus, that ruins corn but is a DELICACY IN MEXICO

— pungent and earthy flavour

What Essential AMINO ACID is Huitlacoche rich in? And what connection does it have to corn?

LYSINE (which is Limiting in corn)