Chinese Health and Diet, Essay Example

Chinese believe that food is nature’s first route towards a healthy living. The Chinese cuisine is one of the renowned foods, it is widely known, and it has spread from China to whole of East Asia to Europe and North America. The Chinese believe that food should consist of mainly two components, carbohydrates and accompanying dishes of vegetables, fish, beans and other items known as Pinyin. This is in stark contrast to western culture where animal protein constitute main dish. The Chinese use chopping sticks while eating and this represents on of their unique culture in their eating habits.

Chen, Liyong et al. ‘Sources and Intake of Resistant Starch in the Chinese Diet’. Asia Pacific journal of clinical nutrition 19.2 (2010): 274. Print.

This article, written Chen Liyong et al covers the Chinese culture regarding diet and their health. In this journal, was taken to establish the use of resistant starch in Chinese diet. Resistant starch has been shown to escape digestion in the intestines and this may lead to its fermentation in the other parts of the digestive system of an individual’s body. The study also sought to find out the major sources of resistant starch in Chinese diet. Starch can be classified into three major types, according to the source. Moreover, these types include rapidly digestible starch, slowly digestible starch and resistant starch.

The research study points to the fact that the major sources of resistant starch are cereals potatoes, bananas, and legumes. The study was conducted on the Chinese people through a survey and it took an analysis of samples of seven kinds of food namely legumes, tubers, cereals, vegetables, starches, fruits and seeds that are mainly consumed in typical Chinese diet. The research tested 72 cooked food products and 49 raw food materials. These samples were obtained from major farms and supermarkets. The research study estimated that the intake of resistant starch between the Chinese was to be 14.9±9.1 g among the Chinese people. Based on the dietary habits, the consumption varies among the individuals. The study also found that resistant starch affects the lipid metabolism, colonic health. Similarly, most of these diets contained less of this resistant starch content.

Du, Shufa et al. ‘Rapid Income Growth Adversely Affects Diet Quality In China—Particularly For The Poor! Social science & medicine 59.7 (2004): 1505–1515. Print.

The study was carried out to determine the impact of income on dietary choices between the Chinese. There has been a rapid change in the income of the Chinese populations, and this has influenced their dietary behavior over time. The study was carried out on Chinese subpopulations that included subjects of about 5783 individuals aged between 20-45 years old in 3129 households. The study collected a number of detailed data on income and price, and this was done randomly in order to describe dietary and nutrient choice among various groups. Dietary intakes were measured using 24h recall methods, as well as weighing methods.

The study made a number of findings and this was in tandem to alignment of dietary patterns of the developed world, which has shifted owing to a growth in the levels of income and is directed towards non-communicable diseases. The analysis was first done on the Chinese dietary trends and how such trends varied with different groups with varied income capabilities. The results showed a great shift in dietary patterns towards foods that contained high content of fat, more animal products and many of the Chinese people have shifted their attention away from traditional foods to readymade modern diets and dietary supplements. These changing patterns were linked to the changes in income of the Chinese people.

Comparison/Contrast of the Two Sources

The two sources give an exclusive analysis of dietary intakes among the Chinese people. However, the first source is more specialized in its research and took a specific food component in the general Chinese diet. The research focused on resistant starch on Chinese diet while the second source touched on the consumption trends among the Chinese people and analyzed them based on the income of the populations. The two articles took two distinctively different approaches but covered on same topic of Chinese diet and their implications.

In conclusion, the Chinese people exhibit unique dietary patterns in terms of diet composition as well as the influence of their income on choice of their diet. Many trends in the Chinese diet show an increased consumption of resistant starch and a great influence of one’s income on his/her choice of diet. In addition, most Chinese people have shifted from traditional food components to modern diets.

Works Cited

Chen, Liyong et al. ‘Sources and Intake of Resistant Starch in the Chinese Diet’. Asia Pacific journal of clinical nutrition 19.2 (2010): 274. Print.

Du, Shufa et al. ‘Rapid Income Growth Adversely Affects Diet Quality In China—Particularly For The Poor! Social science & medicine 59.7 (2004): 1505–1515. Print.