By Benjamin Bikman, PhD, and Diana Keuilian
In This Article
Macromolecules like carbohydrates and protein very rarely come together in nature, for good reason. When you eat protein with carbs (or when your blood glucose is elevated), the amino acids in the protein amplify the insulin response.
However, when protein is consumed without carbohydrates, either alone or with fat (as does occur in nature), the insulin secretion is substantially reduced.
In fact, fat is protein’s natural companion. Think animal-sourced proteins. In our misguided fear of fat, we have pulled the protein away from fat, and this is a mistake for two reasons.
The Digestive Role of Macromolecules
First is the matter of digestion. When we think about macromolecules and digestion, we often focus on proteases—enzymes that specialize in breaking the bonds between amino acids. However, these enzymes don’t work alone. Interestingly, fat consumption plays a role in this process too.
When fat enters the digestive system, it tends to clump together, making it difficult for fat-specific enzymes to break it down. This is where bile comes in. Produced by the liver and stored in the gallbladder, bile is released into the intestines when we eat fat. Its job is to break apart fat clumps, allowing the enzymes to access and digest individual fat molecules.
But bile doesn’t just help with fat digestion—it also boosts protein digestion. By facilitating the work of proteases, bile helps speed up the breakdown of protein into amino acids, showing how interconnected these digestive processes really are.
Keep in mind, dietary protein doesn’t have the same bile-releasing effect that dietary fat does. So, to ensure you fully digest protein, a little fat goes a long way.
Macromolecules and Muscle Growth
Following digestion, we want the proteins to help us build and maintain muscle. But once again, these macromolecules aren’t meant to do this alone. In a study of exercising college-aged males, research subjects were given a load of protein from egg whites or a whole egg. The whole egg—yolk and all—elicited far greater muscle growth than the whites alone.
While this might sound surprising, it makes sense when we consider that proteins help build the bulk of the muscle cell, while fats are a primary component of the muscle cell wall. As such, if the muscle cell is growing, you need enough fat to keep the cell membrane intact to accommodate that growth.
Healthy Digestion: Cooking with Fats and Proteins
It’s time to get cooking!
No need to deprive yourself of the familiar foods that you’ve come to enjoy in today’s food culture.
Here are our go-to comfort recipes that pair healthy fats and proteins to satisfy the appetite while helping keep insulin levels in check.
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Benjamin Bikman earned his PhD in bioenergetics and completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the Duke-National University of Singapore, where he studied metabolic disorders. Currently, his professional focus as a scientist and professor (Brigham Young University) is to better understand the origins and consequences of metabolic disorders, including obesity and diabetes, with a particular emphasis on the role of insulin. He frequently publishes his research in peer-reviewed journals and presents at international science and public meetings.
Diana Keuilian is passionate about creating wholesome versions of your favorite foods. She removes gluten, soy, grains, and cane sugar from traditional comfort food recipes, such as cake, tacos, cookies, waffles, enchiladas, and more. This hobby propelled her to start the popular blog RealHealthyRecipes.com, where she shares hundreds of delicious recipes and mouthwatering photos. She lives in Southern California with her husband and two children.
Well Being Journal adapted the above excerpt from How Not To Get Sick by Benjamin Bikman, MD, and Diana Keuilian. Copyright © 2024 and reprinted with permission from BenBella Books.
Enjoy the work of Benjamin Bikman, PhD? Read his article The Benefits of Fermented Foods: Apple Cider Vinegar, Sourdough, Kefir, & Kimchi in the Winter 2022-23 issue of Well Being Journal. Learn more at https://wellbeingjournal.com/4-amazing-fermented-foods/
