Whenever you eat a piece of pie, or drink your favorite soda, your body works extra hard in processing the nutrients you just ate. Once your body digests the food, it becomes the fuel or energy your body needs. This process is called metabolism.
Medically, metabolism is composed of several chemical reactions that take place in your body’s cells. When these reactions occur, it converts nutrients into the energy your body needs to move, think, grow and function normally.
Certain proteins in your body control these chemical reactions and each of these reactions of metabolism is coordinated with specific body functions. Your body regulates all the metabolic reactions that occur daily. Metabolism is an important, yet complicated and constant process that it important for all living things. It starts as soon as you’re born and ends instantly when you die.
Two Important Process Involved In Metabolism Not only humans need metabolism; it occurs even in plants and animals. For instance, plants take energy directly from sunlight and use this energy to build sugars. When animals or people eat these same plants, they absorb the sugar and break it down to become energy. The energy is then distributed throughout the body’s cells. The cells can either use this energy instantly or store it within body tissues for future use. Metabolism involves a balance of two processes that occur at the same time – the storing of energy for tissue development and the breaking down of sugars to generate energy for your body.
The two metabolic processes are known as anabolism and catabolism. It is important to balance these procedures to ensure the energy is distributed properly. Constructive metabolism, also known as anabolism, is a process that stores the energy to build tissues. It helps in developing new body cells, maintaining tissues and storing of energy for later use. On the other hand, destructive metabolism or catabolism is the process that converts nutrients into energy for your body’s daily fuel needs. During this process, the energy is released into your body for heat, movement, muscle contraction and other normal body activities.
Metabolism is one of the most complicated chemical processes that occur in the bodies of living things. Because of its complexity, many people describe the metabolic process as something that influences and determines how your body loses or gains weight. Several factors, such as diet, physical activities and genes determine your metabolic rate. For this reason, metabolism varies from one person to the next. Meaning, while one person loses weight easily, others find it difficult to keep them off.
Latest News About Metabolism:
Yahoo! News: Weight Loss News
2 Drugs Fail to Prevent Diabetes in the Overweight
(HealthDay)
HealthDay - SUNDAY, March 14 (HealthDay News) -- Hopes that two available drugs
could help prevent diabetes and the problems it causes in overweight
people with poor sugar metabolism have been dashed by a major
international study.
Health Tip: What's Behind Childhood Obesity
(HealthDay)
HealthDay - (HealthDay News) -- Obesity is a major problem in the United
States, and children are no exception. Today's kids are spending more
hours watching TV, sitting at the computer or playing video games, and
less time being active.
Obese Colon Cancer Survivors Face Poorer Prognosis
(HealthDay)
HealthDay - TUESDAY, March 9 (HealthDay News) -- Colon cancer survivors who
are moderately or severely obese face tougher survival odds following
treatment compared with their normal-weight peers, a new study
reveals.
AFP - New York leaders are pressing for a so-called fat tax on the soft drinks industry, saying that sweet beverages are responsible for an upsurge of obesity across the United States.
School drink deal cuts sugar
(Reuters)
Reuters - A deal to sell healthier drinks in U.S. schools has slashed the amount of fattening beverages offered to students, former President Bill Clinton said on Monday as New York leaders pushed for a soda tax to tackle obesity and budget shortfalls.
AFP - Women who drink a couple of glasses of red wine, beer or spirits a day are better at keeping the pounds off than women who do not drink at all, according to a study published Monday.
