BIOCHEMISTRY

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Case # 1: VEGETARIAN DIET

Learning Objectives:

1. State and define essential, conditionally essential and non-essential amino

acids.
Answer:
(1) Essential amino acids – or indispensable amino acids, which cannot be
synthesized in the body and, therefore, must be obtained from the diet in order for
normal protein synthesis to occur. (Harper, Lippincott)
Essential amino acids include histidine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine,
phynylalanine, threonine, tryptophan, and valine.
(2) Non-essential amino acids – or dispensable since they can be synthesized as
long as there is enough total protein in the diet. (Harper)
(3) Conditional amino acids are usually not required in the diet except to specific
populations that cannot synthesize it in adequate amounts. These are considered to
be essential only under specific circumstances such as illness or stress. For
example, although arginine is considered nonessential, your body can’t meet
demands when fighting certain diseases like cancer. That’s why arginine must be
supplemented through diet in order to meet your body’s needs in certain situations.
Conditional amino acids include arginine, cysteine, glutamine, histidine, proline,
serine and tyrosine.
2. Discuss the synthesis of non-essential amino acids.
***Read Harper’s pp282-286
You can recommend other books also. Just put here the references so we can also read
it.

3. Discuss the importance of essential amino acids. List the problems

associated with inadequate essential amino acid intake.
Answer:
Essential amino acids are needed for vital processes like the building of proteins and
synthesis of hormones and neurotransmitters. The nine essential amino acids can’t be
produced by your body and must be obtained through your diet. They may also be taken
in supplement form for a natural way to boost athletic performance or improve mood.
The nine essential amino acids perform a number of important and varied jobs in your
body:
1. Phenylalanine: a precursor for the neurotransmitters tyrosine, dopamine,
epinephrine and norepinephrine. It plays an integral role in the structure and function
of proteins and enzymes and the production of other amino acids.
2. Valine: one of three branched-chain amino acids, meaning it has a chain branching off
to one side of its molecular structure. Valine helps stimulate muscle growth and
regeneration and is involved in energy production.
3. Threonine: a principal part of structural proteins such as collagen and elastin,
which are important components of the skin and connective tissue. It also plays a role in
fat metabolism and immune function.
4. Tryptophan: Though often associated with causing drowsiness, tryptophan has many
other functions. It’s needed to maintain proper nitrogen balance and is a precursor to
serotonin, a neurotransmitter that regulates your appetite, sleep and mood.
5. Methionine: plays an important role in metabolism and detoxification. It’s also
necessary for tissue growth and the absorption of zinc and selenium, minerals that are
vital to your health.
6. Leucine: a branched-chain amino acid like valine that is critical for protein synthesis
and muscle repair. It also helps regulate blood sugar levels, stimulates wound
healing and produces growth hormones.
7. Isoleucine: The last of the three branched-chain amino acids, isoleucine is involved in
muscle metabolism and is heavily concentrated in muscle tissue. It’s also important
for immune function, hemoglobin production and energy regulation.
8. Lysine: plays major roles in protein synthesis, hormone and enzyme production
and the absorption of calcium. It’s also important for energy production, immune
function and the production of collagen and elastin.
9. Histidine: used to produce histamine, a neurotransmitter that is vital to immune
response, digestion, sexual function and sleep-wake cycles. It’s critical for maintaining
the myelin sheath, a protective barrier that surrounds your nerve cells.
Health Benefits of Supplementing with Essential Amino Acids
A. May Help Improve Mood and Sleep
Tryptophan is needed for the production of serotonin, a chemical that acts as a
neurotransmitter in your body. Serotonin is an essential regulator of mood, sleep and
behaviors.
B. Can Boost Exercise Performance
The three branched-chain essential amino acids are widely used to alleviate fatigue,
improve athletic performance and stimulate muscle recovery after exercise.
C. Can Prevent Muscle Loss
Essential amino acids have been found to prevent muscle breakdown and preserve lean
body mass.
D. May Promote Weight Loss
Some human and animal studies have demonstrated that branched-chain essential
amino acids may be effective in stimulating fat loss.
Problems associated with inadequate essential amino acid intake:
1. Growth and Developmental Problems
Lysine is an amino acid that plays a vital role in ensuring normal growth and
development. It helps your body absorb calcium, which is needed for bone health. It is
also needed for the manufacture of collagen, which is required for building connective
tissues such as tendons, cartilage and skin. Lysine also indirectly helps process fats into
energy and lower cholesterol. Individuals who fail to get enough lysine in their diets may
experience slow growth, anemia, reproductive disorders, nausea, dizziness and
loss of appetite.
2. Increased Risk of Disease
Cysteine is particularly significant, since your body converts this into glutathione, which
is a potent antioxidant that helps neutralize and prevent the cellular damage that free
radicals cause. Cysteine treatment has been linked with lower incidence of angina,
influenza and chronic bronchitis. Without enough cysteine, however, your susceptibility
to disease is increased.
3. Lower Energy and Alertness
High protein foods that contain large amounts of tyrosine, such as fish, poultry, eggs,
dairy products, tofu and meat, are great for boosting your energy and mental
alertness. Tyrosine increases your body’s production of neurotransmitters, such as
dopamine and epinephrine, which are known to improve our capacity to mentally focus.
Without sufficient amounts of tyrosine, you may start to feel fatigued more easily and
less able to concentrate.
4. Increased Anxiety and Stress
Eating foods that are high in carbohydrates causes a release of insulin into your
bloodstream. This clears out almost all amino acids in your blood except for tryptophan.
Once this amino acid enters the brain, it is converted into serotonin, a neurotransmitter
that reduces pain, lowers appetite and induces a feeling of calmness. Individuals who
frequently don’t get enough tryptophan may be more susceptible to the negative effects
of anxiety and stress. Foods high in tryptophan include milk, bananas, oats, cheese, soy,
poultry and nuts.
5. Protein-energy under-nutrition is a form of malnutrition in which you fail to obtain
enough dietary protein for an extended period, leading to a shortage of amino acids in
your cells. Although generally rare among healthy adults, protein-energy under-nutrition
might occur if you pursue an extreme weight-loss program that lacks sufficient protein.
6. When the diet is extremely deficient or totally lacking in protein, the body becomes
severely ill and a disease called kwashiorkor develops. Although the disorder is rare in
developed countries, it might appear in areas where the food supply is poor or where
drought, severe weather or other conditions interfere with food production or distribution.
The lack of dietary protein and resulting shortage in amino acids causes a number of
symptoms. These include weight loss, decrease in muscle mass, changes in hair or skin,
diarrhea, extreme fatigue and difficulty recovering from infection. Internally, the liver may
enlarge and there may be swelling, or edema, throughout the body.

In addition to their incorporation into proteins, essential amino acids are precursors for
other compounds. If the diet emphasizes proteins, like vegetarian, that lack the essential
amino acids, a person can get into grave danger since normal functional proteins cannot
be made. However, combining plant foods make a whole protein possible.

4. Differentiate complete protein from incomplete protein based on availability or

deficiency of essential amino acids and state examples of each.
Answer:
There are two main types of protein: complete and incomplete.
 (1) Complete proteins contain every essential amino acid. A complete protein will
give your body access to all of the amino acids that it lacks the ability to make
itself. This is important because the body needs every amino acid (essentiall and
non-esential) to build and repair tissue.
Examples: Plants do contain complete proteins (all essential amino acids) are
soybeans and quinoa.
(2) Incomplete proteins lack one or more of the essential amino acids.

5. Define a vegetarian diet and describe a vegetarian. State and describe the
eating patterns of vegetarians.

6. Discuss the health implications of vegetarian diets. List and discuss the
key nutrients of concern for vegetarians.

7. Explain how vegetarians can meet the requirement of nutrients of concern

for vegetarians.