What's wrong with the diet? Physiological component of the diet.

Chapter 17. Biochemical individuality

What we're looking at: What biochemical differences exist?

What's New: How do biochemical differences relate to nutritional needs?

What we will learn: How to restore the body's wisdom in determining its needs?

1. Each human individual has his own special, characteristic body chemistry. Although the same physical mechanisms and the same metabolic processes function in all people [identical, ed. author], the organisms of individual people vary significantly [individual, ed. author] both in their structure and in the genetically determined activity of enzymes, which varies greatly from individual to individual. Therefore, the total result of the reactions occurring in the body can differ significantly in two different people, even if they are people of the same age and gender and completely identical in height and weight (Williams, R. 1960) [1].

2. Identical body chemistry. Each of our cells, which means tissue, organ, system, and the entire body consists of inorganic and organic chemical elements. Inorganic elements that are present in larger quantities include carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, and water. Other minerals are present only in small quantities. Organic elements include proteins, fats, and carbohydrates. Thus, the chemical composition of the body of each person is identical due to the content of inorganic and organic elements in it, but their quantity and their ratio are individual for everyone [2, 3].

3. Individual chemistry of the body. Participation in various metabolic processes (metabolism) of inorganic and organic elements leads to the maintenance of life. Life is maintained through nutrition, respiration, energy release, irritability, mobility, excretion, reproduction, growth, preservation of structures, and the corresponding reactions of the human body in response to environmental influences (homeostasis). The metabolic process involves the individual chemical composition of the body, which extends to other differences in biochemical characteristics:

• "The most complete information is available for such [biochemical, ed. author] signs as basal metabolism (energy consumption in the body in a state of complete rest on an empty stomach), proteinogram (protein composition of the blood), hemoglobin, blood pressure, heart rate, and breathing rate, the vital capacity of the lungs, content in the blood of many hormones, glucose, cholesterol, and other lipids, as well as calcium, potassium, sodium, the amount of creatinine in the urine, etc." (author's italics) (Kharitonov V.M. et al. 2008) [4].

But how do biochemical traits vary between people?

4. Magnitude of differences. The author of the concept of biochemical individuality, American biochemist, Ph.D. R. Williams*, in his book "Biochemical Individuality: Fundamentals of the Genetotrophic Concept," showed how anatomically different tissues, organs, and systems can be. These differences relate to the structure, size, weight of organs, location in the body, and functionality. Examples of differences with the stomach:

• "The stomachs of individual normal people vary greatly in both size and shape. The volume of some stomachs is 6-8 times greater than the volume of others. Therefore, it should not be surprising that different people eat differently" (author's italics) (Williams, R. 1960) [1].

However, anatomical differences are based on body chemistry:

• "Anatomical variability thus underlies the biochemical variability with which it is closely related" (ibid., author's italics).

What does it mean?

* Roger J. Williams (1893–1988) was a pioneer in the fields of biochemistry, nutrition, biochemical personality, and public education. Professor at the University of Texas at Austin from 1939 to 1986. Founded and directed the Clayton Foundation Biochemical Institute from 1941 to 1963. Wrote 21 books and about 300 articles. Elected to the National Academy of Sciences in 1946. President of the American Chemical Society in 1957.