** Question on Protein/Carb digestion **

**Read the article first**

Protein/Carb Relations

In a meal that contains both proteins and carbs, you should take care to make sure that most of the carb sources, if not all of them, are simple carbs like mono- and di- saccharides. The reason is that when you digest a protein or a fat you use acids to degrade to the nutrients that finally enter the blood. But carbohydrates use alkalines to be digested and if alkalines and acids are present at the same time they neutralize each other. Through insulin stimulation and water retention we have shown that carbs are beneficial to protein absorption, and rightly so. That is why you can add carbs, as long as they are simple sugars. They don't require much digesting and thus they don't add much alkaline to the mix. Glucose (natural blood-sugar) and sucrose and so don't even need any digestion they just enter the blood, as does most of the fructose and dextrose (corn-sugar, similar in structure to glucose). Lactose breaks down immediately into the two simple counterparts and is absorbed. So these sugars will not hinder the absorption of large amounts of protein, but complex carbs take a while to digest, some as long as three hours, during which alkalines are gushing into the stomach. Not only do you not disallow protein to be absorbed, but also the carbs, because the acid cancels out the alkaline needed to digest them. ** Article from BigCat at BB.com

---- Ok, so I can no longer take a protein shake and a bowl of oatmeal?? the protein won't get digested???? someone help me out

peace

I have to say I'm slightly shocked at some people - they go jumping to conclusions before they've fully researched a topic.

This person seems to have the idea that when you eat one food, made up of say 95% protein, your entire digestive tract is changed to an acidic environment to maximize the digestion of protein.

This is not true:

The digestive system is broken down into sections to allow for the food you eat to be correctly digested, whatever it's made up of.

There is always an acidic environment in the stomach and a basic environment in the small intestine. This is part and parcel of how the digestive system works. The stomach is acidic and is optimized for the break down of certain types of protein bonds and the grinding up foods.

The small intestine is basic and is optimized for the break down of other protein bonds, carbohydrates, lipids and additional degradation of starch beyond what has been done by the salivary amylase.

So lets just make it absolutely clear - carbohydrate and protein together is absolutely fine.

Cheers,

Daz

Thanks for the input Daz, it shocked me when I was reading the article and BigCat is known for being pretty damn smart. If it would've been any other article I prolly would've just said screw it.


peace

I know, it's very odd indeed. I'm no expert but I do have a degree in nutrition, physiology and biochemistry so for me it's easier to spot layman theories but for less learned people it's not so easy.

The bit about alkalines gushing into the stomach was funny, lol! He seems to think the stomach is the only place food is digested... could be wrong though.

And if he's reading this then no offense BigCat - fair play to you for actually thinking about this kind of stuff, and trying to push the boundaries!

Daz