Chapter 3: The Energy Theory of Cooking
Enter Junk Food
In this chapter,
Wrangham presents arguments based on nutritional science how cooking
facilitates food digestion (I think he may be getting redundant at this point….).
In summary, he states that although cooking may have adverse effects on the
nutritional content of food (energy losses through drippings, the production of
inedible compounds and a reduction in vitamins) it does make what nutrients
remain easier to digest by breaking down the cell walls or plant matter and
tenderizing meats (Wrangham, 2009). He asserts, at the end of the chapter, that
because female members of the genius Homo
cooked and could therefore get more nutrients, they had healthier babies,
higher reproductive success and passed on more genes than ancient raw-foodists.
The importance of
consuming high-nutrition foods during pregnancy is clear. But in this day and
age it may be taken too far. New
research done by the Royal Veterinary College of London suggests that food
preferences can be passed down from mother to unborn child, especially those
for high calorie, high sugar and high cholesterol foods. Their research found
that rats that ate diets high in fat, salt and sugar while pregnant produced offspring
who were more likely to prefer the same diet as opposed to regular feed (Boyal
et al., 2008). Another study from the Journal of Physiology indicated that
these young rats bodies’ retained negative effects to their metabolism long
past their junk food filled-adolescence (Science Daily, 2008).
Are there similarities
between pregnant women and pregnant rats? Research shows that the heavier a
woman became during pregnancy the more likely she was to have an obese child (Oken
et al., 2008). The same study shows the female
children shows signs of high levels of leptin –the hormone that induces appetite,
making them more susceptible to over eating. Therefore, nutritionist Dr. Stephanie Bayol
states: “We always say 'you are what you eat'. In fact, it may also be true
that 'you are what your mother ate.' This does not mean that obesity and poor
health is inevitable and it is important that we take care of ourselves and
live a healthy lifestyle. But it does mean that mothers must eat responsibly
whilst pregnant" (Science Daily, 2008).
Wrangham states
that passing nutrition and a preference for cooked food from mother to child
with crucial in the success of our early ancestors (Wrangham, 2009). I find it
interesting that now the same trend, plus Twinkies, little Debbies’ and Frittos,
may again affect our evolutionary success. As obesity and related diseases occur
with increasing frequency within the industrialized world, it will interesting
to see if society’s attention switches from a fixation on slim-cut jeans, to addressing the genes
themselves.
References:
Bayol
S, Simbi B, Bertrand, and Stickland N. 2008. Offspring from mothers fed a
"junk food" diet in pregnancy and lactation exhibit exacerbated
adiposity which is more pronounced in females. The Journal of Physiology.
586:3219-3230.
Oken
E, Taveras E, Kleinman, K, Rich-Edwards, J and Gillam M. 2008. Gestational
weight gain and child adiposity at age 3 years. American Journal of
Obstetrics and Gynecology. 196:322.
Wrangham, R. 2009. Catching fire: how cooking made us human. New
York: Basics Books.
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