College in the Schools -BIOL 1015: Human Physiology, Technology, and Medical Devices

Functional organization of the human body and control of the “internal environment”

Divided into four main sections, Dietary Sugar, Salt and Fat in Human Health explores the biochemical, pharmacological and medicinal aspects related to the overindulgence of dietary salt, sugar, and fat, along with possible remedies. Beginning with a general overview, the text outlines aspects associated with advancing age and human physiology, such as different aspects of insulin resistance, the advancing age phenomenon, central fat accumulation and metabolic perturbations and the role of the modern Western diet and the influence of dietary sugar, salt, and fat, with particular focus on their relation to multiple biochemical pathophysiological pathways. The second section of the book focuses on the roles of dietary sugars and their correlation with the chronic disease epidemic, with an emphasis on carbohydrate metabolism and its biochemistry, GI absorption, the glycemic index and the influence of fructose.

Most of us eat (or incorporate into our bodies) quite a bit of stuff that does not look, act or function even remotely like us. Unless our food mysteriously disappears inside of us, this must mean we change its molecular structure in some way. In fact, we are constantly modifying our molecules through chemical reactions, which together constitute our Metabolism. At any given moment, we transform (metabolize) millions of molecules within our bodies, building new ones, breaking down others, and exchanging them with the world around us. Metabolism is much more than the reason you gain weight when you overeat, it is a process that is so central for life that it defines what a living being is. We will explore what metabolism is, how these chemical reactions that constitute Metabolism are organized and how they are regulated (including the effects of hormones). We will follow the transformations of each type of nutrient (carbohydrates, proteins and lipids) within our bodies and cells, from the mouth, through our intestines and then within the different organs in our body. We will discuss metabolic and evolutionary reasons why so many people today struggle with excessive weight gain, and why some (rarer) people find it hard to gain weight, even when eating large amounts. We will also discuss changes in metabolism with diseases such as diabetes and heart attack, as well as conditions such as exercise and aging.