Dialogue

Dima: What are you reading, John? John: It's a book «You are what you eat».

Health Care in Russia ♦ 245

Dima: I can't understand what the book is about.

John: «If you know what you eat, you know yourself», said the philosopher. It's important to know what we eat, it explains a lot about how our body functions. So let's find out what we know about our diet. Here are some statements which are, in fact, questions, and the answers to them. Let's test ourselves.

Dima: It sounds very interesting. What's the first statement?

John: Meat contains certain vital amino acids not found in vegetable matter - true or false?

Dima: I think, true. All the amino acids needed by the body for protein synthesis can't be obtained even from a well-chosen combination of vegetables.

John: Yes, right you are. The next statement is like this: eating carrots will improve your ability to see at night — true or false?

Dima: Oh, it's very simple. Of course, it's true. Night vision depends on the presence in the retina of the eye of a pigment called «visual purple». The body manufactures this pigment and requires vitamin A to do so. Carrots contain no vitamin A but they do contain laige amounts of a pigment called beta carotene, which the body can convert to vitamin A. So, if you are suffering from impaired night vision due to vitamin A deficiency carrots can help.

John: Simple sugars should be included in the diet in minimal quantities. True or false?

Dima: Well, I think it is correct. It is known that excessive uptake of simple sugars (cakes, sweets, rolls, etc) may lead to frank obesity.

John: Yes, you are absolutely right.

Dima: What's the next statement?

John: And the next statement sounds like this. It is impossible to take too much protein - true or false?

Dima: I think it's false.

John: No. «True» is correct. Excess protein cannot be stored and thus is excreted. Nutritionists recommend that protein should make up only 10 or 15 per cent of the daily caloric allowance.

Dima: The book is really very interesting. I'd like to read it.

John: I'll give you the book in two days after I finish reading it.

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