TUTORIAL GROUP CASES 1
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CASE 1: WHAT’S IN YOUR FAVORITE
SNACK
1. QUESTIONS RELATING TO THE CASE:
A. What’s the difference between natural fats /sugers and chemical fats / sugars?
B. What’s the difference between healthy and unhealthy fats and sugars?
2. LEARNING GOALS:
1) What are the different types of sugars? 1b) What about chemical structure?
2) What are the different types of fats? 2b) What about chemical structure?
3) Is the processing of different sugars the same? (Breakdown and storage)
4) Is the processing of different fats the same? (Breakdown and storage)
5) Why do we need fats and sugars?
6) What are essential fats and sugars?
7) What are the fats and sugars in the products discussed in the case?
8) What product is healthier?
3. ANSWERS TO THE LEARLING GOALS
1) Sugar is a form of carbohydrate and contains carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen
molecules. When carbohydrates are consumed, they are digested and broken down
into glucose. This serves as the preferred energy source for cells throughout the
human body including your brain and central nervous system.
Carbohydrates come in two main forms: simple and complex. The difference
between the two is how quickly they are digested and absorbed, which is
determined by their chemical structure. Complex carbohydrates are formed from
three or more sugar molecules (polysaccharides), whereas simple carbohydrates
are composed of either one sugar molecule (monosaccharides) or two
(disaccharides).
2) There are two types of fats, saturated fats (mono and poly), and unsaturated fats
(mono and poly).
, Saturated fats are called "saturated" because of their chemical structure. All fats are
made up of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen molecules. Saturated fats are
"saturated" with hydrogen atoms, which means they have the greatest number of
hydrogen atoms possible and no double bonds in their chemical structure.
Unsaturated fatty acids consist of a long-chain hydrocarbon with the presence of at
least one double covalent bond and ending in a carboxyl group.
3) No matter what forms of sugar we eat, our bodies break most of them down into
glucose. Natural sugars and added sugars have the same chemical structures.
Natural sugars are the sugars that are found naturally in foods. Added sugars are
added to food by manufacturers. The difference is that natural sugars occur in fruits
and vegetables that contain fiber and healthy nutrients.
4) !!
5) We need sugar, because glucose, in which all sugar is converted into by our body,
serves as the preferred energy source for cells throughout the human body including
your brain and central nervous system.
We need fats, because fat helps absorb vitamins, like vitamins A, D, E, and K. Fat
keeps our skin healthy, essential fats like Omega-3 are important for heart health,
healthy fats, like unsaturated fats from plant oils, can help lower levels of LDL
(lousy) cholesterol and fat adds flavor to food and fat keeps you feeling satisfied
longer after a meal.
Cholesterol is a wax-like substance found in the body. There are two types of
cholesterol:
Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol is the “lousy” cholesterol. LDL cholesterol
picks up cholesterol in the blood and deposits it in the endothelium (inner wall) of
the artery. This leads to plaque build-up in the artery.
High-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol is the “healthy” cholesterol. HDL
cholesterol carries LDL cholesterol away from the blood and carries it to the liver to
be recycled. By doing this, HDL cholesterol keeps the endothelium (inner wall) of the
arteries healthy.
Our bodies need cholesterol:
to make vitamin D, which helps our body absorb calcium and promote bone growth.
And to make hormones like testosterone and estrogen for normal growth and
reproduction. Also, to keep cell membranes healthy. Cell membranes are the thin
outer layer surrounding a cell that controls what goes in and out of the cell
6) The (eight) essential sugars are necessary for our health and proper cell
functioning. All eight of them are required for our cells to interact and function
properly. After being processed by our digestive system, these sugars are
transformed into glycoproteins and glycolipids. Glycoproteins and glycolipids are
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, essential for our cell structure. They facilitate the formation of tiny antennae on the
cellular wall.
Glycoproteins are molecules made of sugars and proteins found coating the
surface of every cell in the human body that contains a nucleus.
Glycolipids are molecules made of sugars and fats. Lipids is often a term used to
refer to fat cells.
The eight essential sugars
o Glucose
Glucose is a simple monosaccharide. It is paired with fructose in common table sugar
(sucrose), which is a disaccharide. Glucose is a primary energy source for all plants and
animals and is absorbed into the bloodstream quickly. Very few people are deficient in
glucose due to it’s high usage in processed foods.
Too much glucose raises insulin levels and with unchecked consumption, can lead to
obesity and diabetes.
When Glucose is processed into table sugar, nutrients and the fiber are completely
stripped away. This causes the absorption period to be greatly reduced, taxing the liver
so that it stores most of the energy as fat.
o Galactose
Galactose is found predominantly in diary products. When combined with Glucose, it
forms Lactose, a disaccharide which is the sugar that comprises around 5% of the solids
in dairy products. Galactose is readily available in a wide variety of fruits and vegetables,
and even in some herbs, but it is difficult to obtain enough of it due to food processing,
green harvesting, and cooking at high temperatures.
o Fucose
Fucose is only found in great quantities in human breast milk, sea kelp, brewers yeast,
and is also found in certain types of mushrooms.
Studies have indicated that it may help long term memory, prevent respiratory
infections, and inhibit tumor growth. It is known that the glycoproteins and glycolipids
from Fucose are essential to controlling inflammation and enhancing the immune
system.
o Mannose
Mannose appears to be the foundation of all the essential sugars, so much so that it is an
integral part of the immune system. Its deficiency can lead to inflammation and disease.
It is absorbed at a much slower rate than glucose and goes to the bloodstream directly
from the upper gastrointestinal tract.
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