Biology: Carbohydrates, Proteins and Lipids Present in Commonly Found Food

Group 6 Pearl
Introduction

Carbohydrates, Proteins and Lipids are the organic molecules that are most prevalent

throughout the foods people eat. According to Dinh(2017) these organic molecules

contain carbon and hydrogen that allows them to bond with each other. This

causes organic molecules to be very versatile and is responsible for the

innumerable compounds that are needed to sustain life. Alberts(2002 et. al) stated

that organic molecules that are found from food must first broken down into smaller

molecules before cells could use them. Once processed, either these molecules

are used as a source of energy for current cells or could be used to build newer

cells. However, too much intake of organic molecules could lead to increased fat

mass. According to Daniels(2003) by the early 2000s, it is reported that over 19.8%

of adults in the United States are clinically obese. The year before in 1999, it is

reported that 13% of children and 14% of adolescents were overweight or obese

as the consumption from dietary fats transitioned into carbohydrates. According to

the British Dietetic Association(2016), Carbohydrates come in simple and complex

forms. Simple carbohydrates break down quickly whilst complex ones require more

time to break down. Simple Carbohydrates come in the forms of jam, sweets or

fruit juices, while complex carbohydrates come in the form of bread, rice potatoes

etc. The BDA also stated that any unneeded energy no matter the source will be

converted into fats. Carbohydrates contained in food isnt fattening per se but

rather it is easy to overeat. This leads to weight gain and adds unnecessary extra

fat. In the Philippines, obesity is on the rise. According to UNICEFs Regional

Report on Nutrition Security in ASEAN(2016), one-thirds of adults are overweight.

This is caused by calorie-dense diets with reduced levels of physical activities.

However according to the Philippine Food and Nutrition Research Institute, Non-

communicable diseases (NCDs) are increasingly becoming apparent. NCDs are

chronic conditions which is the result of behavioral factors such as alcohol

consumption, smoking, unhealthy diet and inactivity. While the percentage of

obesity is significantly lower than malnutrition, it has been observed that obesity is

slowly on the rise with data from 2003 showing 5.8% of obese Filipinos. In 2013, it

is reported that 9.1% of Filipinos now are obese. Processed foods are a big part

of the Filipino diet. According to the same report, sugar is added to many

processed foods. Increased consumption to this has greatly contributed to obesity.

According to the same report, the prevalence of obesity among Filipinos were

reported as 16.6% in 1993 . In 2013 this has jumped to 15% with figures sitting at

31.3%. In Saint Michaels College of Laguna, foods with organic molecules are

prevalent. The Canteen supplements itself with food rich in organic molecules thus

it is very easy to eat too much. The Canteen is also the only place accessible to

students for food as going outside of the gates are not allowed. It has been

observed the canteen is especially rich in carbohydrates, proteins and lipids. The

study aims to find the frequency of the types of food students usually eat in the

Luisa L. Limaco Senior High School. The respondents will be sampled from the

different strands and sections of Grade 11. The study will sample 5 people per

section of all strands. The study will provide food choices that have the three
 organic molecules, after which the study will analyse why students prefer one over

the other.

Review of Related Literature

FOREIGN:

According to Alberts(2002 et al.), Glucose is the most dominant fuel for energy

production in animal cells. Glucose can be acquired through organic molecules

such as carbohydrates, proteins and lipids. However, if subjected to carbohydrate

restriction, the body switches from fatty acids and glucose to fatty acids and

ketones. Which in turn leads to improvement of conditions by weight loss, appetite

reduction and lesser risk of cardiovascular diseases (Westman, 2007 et al.). This

is supported by an experimental study conducted by Samaha (2003 et al.). The

study observed that a low-carbohydrate diet was deemed more effective than a

low-fat diet. Subjects with a low-carbohydrate diet lost more weight than those with

a lot-fat diet. This is supported by the British Dietetic Association on their 2016

report on carbohydrates. The BDA stated that low-carbohydrate diets are more

effective than low-fat diets. However, it is not recommended to over-restrict a

certain food group. This can potentially cause new diseases. It is recommended of

restricting only a certain amount. According to Fellet(2015) on her report on

Molecules and Metabolism; it is stated that diet influences health. Sugar, proteins

and fat contribute to the biochemical cycles crucial to cellular function. Aberrant

interactions can lead to disease.

LOCAL:

The Philippine Food and Nutrition Research Institute (FNRI) on their 2016 annual

report states that studies from 1998 till 2013 showed a disturbing trend of

increased prevalence of obesity and diabetes amongst Filipinos. According to

Belmonte (2014 et al.) Filipinos are not only exposed to local foods but they also

take more interest in foreign foods especially from the likes of Japan, Korea and

China. However that is not to say that local supplies are left out. According to the

PSA CountrySTAT statistic, there has been a steady rise in egg production since

2013 up till 2016. Rice is a staple of Philippine cuisine and is enjoyed by all Filipinos.

It is also a massive stock of carbohydrates. According to Ong(2016) there is a

difference between the regular white rice people eat and brown rice. It is reported

that brown rice is far more beneficial to people than white rice stating that brown

rice reduces diabetes risk by 36% and lowers blood sugar. Another staple for

Filipino food is soft drinks. According to Loralaine (2017) that soft drinks are a

major source for weight gain. It is recommended that soft drinks should be

generally avoided when trying to lose weight.

Synthesis:

Glucose is a dominant energy source for cells. It can be acquired through

consumption of carbohydrates, proteins and lipids. However if subjected to a

carbohydrate-restricted diet, it can cause the dominance of fuel to change from

glucose to ketones. This in turn causes decreased risk of cardiovascular diseases.

 Low-carbohydrate diets are more effective than low-fat diets as fats are more

critically needed for the bodys energy. Diets also influence ones health. Filipinos

have taken an interest in foreign food rather than local foods which increases

several risks such as cardiovascular diseases. Although Filipinos have taken

interest in foreign food, there has been also a constant rise in local production. In

an FNRI report, the trend of obese Filipinos has been constantly rising.

Results

Data:

Age Group:

14 or 87.5% of the respondents are of sixteen years of age while 1 or 6.25% is fifteen and

the remaining 1 or 6.25% is seventeen.

Barangay Frequency:

The study shows that students come from many different barangays throughout Bian

City. While barangay San Antonio is second as to where most of the respondents came

from at 6 or 35.2%. 2 or 11% meanwhile came from Platero and the remaining 1 or 5%

came from Sto Nio. 9 or 52.9% of the respondents came from outside of Bian.

Province Frequency:

14 or 87.5% of the respondents were originally born in Laguna while the remaining 2 or

12.5% were from Quezon. No respondents came from other the neighboring provinces.

Frequency of the types of food eaten:

15 or 39.4% of respondents frequently eat carbohydrates often and is the second highest

on the chart. On the other hand, Proteins are at the lowest with just 4 or 10.5%

respondents. The highest in the chart is Lipids with 19 or 50% of respondents claiming to

eat fats on a regular basis.

Respondents justify reasons why

3 or 16.6% of respondents justified that the choice was based on accessibility. Meanwhile

another 3 or 16.6% concluded that it was based on expenditure. 7 or 38.8% stated that

food choice is based on personal taste while another 7 or 38.8% stated that energy given

by food is a great factor in food choice. The remaining 1 or 5% stated that protein content

is the basis of food choice.

Conclusion

The study found that out of 18 respondents, over 50% took in excess amounts of Lipids

with the most prevalent reason why being tasty and gives huge amounts of energy. It is

therefore concluded that the respondents consciously aim to eat foods containing fats

and lipids.

Recommendation:

It is recommended that Canteen staff cut down on foods with Lipids and be replaced with

healthier alternatives which also give high amounts of energy and will fit tastes of many

students. It is also recommended that teachers provide proper knowledge to students

about excess intake of Lipids.

References:

Baic S. (2016). Food Fact Sheet. Retrieved from British Dietetic Association Website:

https://www.bda.uk.com/foodfacts/Carbs.pdf

Dinh H.D. (2017). What Are the Four Organic Molecules Found in Living Things?

Retrieved from: http://education.seattlepi.com/four-organic-molecules-found-living-

things-5567.html

UNICEF (2016). Regional Report on Nutrition Security in ASEAN, 1(1). Retrieved from:

http://www.asean.org/storage/2016/03/Regional-Report-on-Nutrition-Security-in-

ASEAN-Volume-1.pdf
Daniels, S.R. (2003). Abnormal weight gain and weight management: Are carbohydrates

the enemy? The Journal of Pediatrics. Pp. 225. https://doi.org/10.1067/mpd.2003.114

Alberts B. et al. (2002). Molecular Biology of the Cell. 4th edition. Retrieved from:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK26882/

Westman E.C. et al (2007). Low-carbohydrate nutrition and metabolism. The American

Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 1-3(1) pp. 276-277. Retrieved from:

http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/86/2/276.full

Samaha, F.F. et al (2003). A Low-Carbohydrate as Compared with a Low-Fat Diet in

Severe Obesity. The New England Journal of Medicine, 1(1) pp 348. doi:

10.1056/NEJMoa022637

Fellet M. (2015). The Chemistry of Food & Health: Molecules and Metabolism. Retrieved

from Chemistry For Life Website:

https://www.acs.org/content/dam/acsorg/membership/acs/benefits/extra-insights/food-

health.pdf

Loralaine R. (2017, February 17). Mga Ilang Tips para Magbawas ng Timbang. Retrieved

from: http://www.akoaypilipino.eu/gabay/gabay/gabay/mga-ilang-tips-para-magbawas-

ng-timbang.html

Ong, W.T. (2016, November 14). Tinapay na panlaban sa diabetes. Retrieved from:

http://www.philstar.com:8080/psn-opinyon/2016/11/24/1646811/tinapay-na-panlaban-

sa-diabetes

Philippine Statistics Authority (2016). Poultry: Supply Utilization Accounts by Commodity,

Year and Item. Retrieved from:

http://countrystat.psa.gov.ph/?cont=10&pageid=1&ma=I60FCSUA
Philippine Statistics Authority (2013). Poultry: Supply Utilization Accounts by Commodity,

Year and Item. Retrieved from:

http://countrystat.psa.gov.ph/?cont=10&pageid=1&ma=I60FCSUA

Belmonte C.F. et al (2014). Pananaliksik Ukol sa Tinatangkilik na Pagkain ng

mgaEstudyante ng ISHRM Dasmarinas. (Educational Dissertation). Retrieved from:

https://www.scribd.com/doc/243817155/Pananaliksik-ukol-sa-mga-pagkain-na-

tinatangkilik-ng-mga-estudyante-ng-ISHRM-Dasmarinas

Food and Nutrition Research Institute (2015). 2015 Annual Report. Retrieved from:

http://www.fnri.dost.gov.ph/images/sources/AnnualReports/AR-2015.pdf

Food and Nutrition Research Institute (2014). 2014 Annual Report. Retrieved from:

http://www.fnri.dost.gov.ph/images/sources/AnnualReports/AR2014.pdf