Alexander Mikhailovich Ugolev was born on March 9, 1926 in the city of Dnepropetrovsk, and died in 1991 in the city of St. Petersburg. In 1958, academician Ugolev discovered such concepts as membrane digestion, the theory of adequate nutrition and trophology.
What is the article written about?
It is about such human nutrition that will be discussed in our article. Also, in addition to the theory of adequate nutrition and trophology, Ugolev proposed to consider the microflora of the body as a separate human organ, since its functions include stimulation of immunity, assimilation of iron, synthesis of vitamins, thyroid health, etc. The academician also established that the foods we eat, we need not only to support life. They affect the psychological state of a person.
Thus, all these discoveries described in his book influenced the nutrition of a person as a whole and specifically on the popularization of raw food diet.
The essence of trophology
So, to begin with, we will understand what trophology is. Ugolev wrote that trophology is an interdisciplinary science that studies the nutrition process as a whole, nutrition theory, as well as other processes associated with the digestion of food by the body and its assimilation. Thus, trophology as a science is based on the discoveries made by Ugolev. In his book, he described three types of digestion:
- intracellular (consists in the fact that the cell captures nutrients from the outside, digests them, and then they are absorbed by the cytoplasm, so the body receives energy);
- extracellular (this type of digestion is characteristic of all living things; in humans - it is also called abdominal - it is chewing food in the mouth and dissolving large pieces of food with the help of saliva, and the next stage is the digestion of food in the stomach with hydrochloric acid);
- membrane digestion (this type includes both intracellular and extracellular digestion, realized by the breakdown of food by enzymes in the small intestine).
The consequences of malnutrition
Nutrition is the basis of human life, improper nutrition leads to a large number of diseases, which subsequently are very difficult to get rid of. Below is a table of diseases that arise due to malnutrition:
Excess food: | Syndromes |
Carbohydrates, Starch and Sugar | Diseases of the cardiovascular system, chronic bronchitis, diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, appendicitis, cholecystitis, cholelithiasis, diabetes, depression, pregnancy toxicosis, sclerosis, periodontal disease |
Squirrels | Diseases of the cardiovascular system, toxicosis of pregnancy, diabetes |
Based on this table, the conclusion is made: to prevent the appearance of diseases of this type, it is necessary to reduce foods high in protein and carbohydrates. (Academician Ugolev, "Theory of adequate nutrition and trophology").
Classical Nutrition Theory
The classical theory of nutrition represents not only assumptions, but also an image, techniques and ways of thinking. Academician Ugolev on this principle considered nutrition an integral part of the theory of adequate nutrition and the greatest achievement of man.
This theory boils down to the fact that nutrition should enter the body as it consumes the substances necessary for the body. From this, and its name is “balanced,” that is, a balance is maintained between the intake of substances and their consumption, the same nutrition is called ideal for the body. The theory also states that the substances entering the body must, again, be balanced, and contain exactly the amount of useful substances that the body needs at the moment. It depends on the age, lifestyle and individual characteristics of the body.
The crisis of balanced nutrition theory
The heyday of the classical theory of nutrition was the 20th century. Further, this theory was harshly criticized, which laid the foundation for the formation of the theory of adequate nutrition and trophology. The mistake of a balanced nutrition theory is to consider the body’s nutrition as a balance between the intake and consumption of nutrients that provide energy to the body. Scientists have found that, in addition to obtaining “fuel” for life, that is, energy, the body needs “building materials”, and the balanced nutrition theory, unfortunately, does not take such substances into account.
The next drawback of the classical theory is the provision that the body needs only certain substances in a certain period of time and nothing else. But what about the psycho-emotional state? "I want to eat a tomato now, but I have to eat a cucumber." This will also be stressful for the body. If you need to plan a
balanced diet, menus in different variations can be easily compiled independently, having an idea of ​​the caloric content of products and their compatibility.
The provisions of the theory of adequate nutrition
So, as it turned out above, at some point in the classical theory of nutrition, I had to make room. It was replaced by a fundamentally new concept. This was a discovery made by academician Ugolev - the theory of adequate nutrition. It boils down to the following:
1. Food is both “fuel” and “building material” for the body.
2. In addition to extracellular and intracellular digestion and the receipt of vital substances from there, membrane digestion, which was discussed above, is an integral part of the body's healthy functioning.
3. Man is a “fruit-eating” creature, that is, it eats the fruits of plants.
4. Coarse fiber is an important substance for the activity of the body.
5. The real value of food is not due to its protein, fat and carbohydrate content, but to the ability to digest itself.
6. Gastric juice is necessary only to enable the digestion process, then the food should be digested itself.
Continuation of Ugolev's writings: three types of food
Ugolev compared two types of products that enter the gastrointestinal tract. The first were heat-treated products, the second were raw. So, the former were not completely split by the body, which led to its slagging, and Ugolev considered such nutrition harmful. And raw products were completely split by the body, which was facilitated by the process of self-digestion discovered by Coal. Subsequently, the doctor from Switzerland, Biher-Benner, decided to divide all the products into three types according to their energy intensity:
1. Products consumed in natural form. These are fruits, some vegetables, fruits of plants, herbs, nuts, also milk and raw eggs.
2. Products characterized by a weakening of human energy. These are potatoes, bread, flour products, boiled berries, as well as boiled milk, boiled eggs and butter.
3. Products that greatly weaken human energy due to heat treatment or necrosis are mushrooms, meat, fish, poultry.
Thus, in the theory of adequate nutrition, it is advised to exclude products of the third group from the diet, since the energy spent on digesting such food is greater than that which the body receives from the product.
Other nutrition theories
In addition to the two “titans” described in dietetics (1. The theory of balanced nutrition; 2. Academician Ugolev, “Theory of adequate nutrition”), there are other theories that can be called derivatives of them.
1. Functional nutrition. This theory suggests that nutrition is a protection against many diseases, and also places great emphasis on the use of dietary supplements in the nutrition process.
2. Differentiated nutrition. People using this theory each time look at the composition of the food they eat, a special list of the food that is best absorbed by their bodies is compiled for them.
3. Individual nutrition. These are doctors' recommendations for the food that is most beneficial for your body, with the development of a complete daily diet. Such a service is currently worth about 15,000 rubles.
The essence of raw food diet
Raw food diet is based on the theory of adequate nutrition. This system consists in the use of products that have not undergone heat treatment. In addition to raw food, raw foodists also use dried fruits and berries, the so-called concentrates. In addition to products after heat treatment, people using this food system do not eat pickled, canned foods, or mushrooms. Based on the theory of adequate nutrition, raw foodists believe that such a system improves health and promotes weight loss. The main thing here is the preservation of the nutritional value of products. It is also believed that this is a form of vegetarianism.
Types of raw food diet
A raw food diet is divided into varieties, depending on the food consumed.
1. Vegan, or strict. Products of any animal origin are excluded from the diet, only raw plant products.
2. Fruitorianism. A common type of raw food diet. People use only raw fruits and seeds (fresh fruits, nuts, vegetables, root crops) for food.
According to the methods of nutrition planning, a raw food diet is also divided into subspecies:
1. Mixed. Food is classified by the content of proteins, fats and carbohydrates in it and is taken according to the principle of similarity in the content of these substances (vegetables with vegetables, fruits with fruits, fruits with nuts).
2. Syromonoedulation. Only one product is taken at a time. For example, only oranges or only apples.
3. Moderate. 75% of raw foods are taken as food, and only 25% after heat treatment.
Raw food diet: harm or benefit?
Many people are convinced that a raw food diet does not bring benefits to the body, since raw food eaters, limiting their diet, do not use certain nutrients in food, which leads to various diseases. For example, vitamin B12 is found only in fish and meat, and due to the fact that raw foodists do not use these foods for food, they have erosion of tooth enamel.
Also, some people, in addition to vegetables and fruits, use raw fish and meat for food, along with which pathogenic bacteria enter the body. But there is a benefit in raw food diet. For example, with the help of this nutrition system, serious diseases are cured, and with the aim of prevention it is used as therapeutic nutrition to cleanse the body of toxins and harmful substances.
Thus, a large number of nutritional theories have now appeared. But do not rush to switch to one of them: who knows, maybe in a few years the trend that academician Ugolev gave birth to (the theory of adequate nutrition) and raw food diet will be considered by scientists to be erroneous and harmful to the body. It is best to lead a healthy lifestyle. And, of course, to establish a balanced diet. The menu is very simple - you need to listen to the body. But, if you still decide to change the nutrition system, you must remember that this will be stressful for the body, and you need to switch to a new diet slowly and gradually. If the body does not perceive such nutrition, you should immediately abandon it.