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Proteins denaturing during cooking?

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  • 30-10-2014 8:59pm
    #1
    Pablo_
    Registered Users Posts: 188 ✭✭


    This might be a nonsensical question but I've always wondered how our bodies use proteins in cooked foods, meat, pulses, any protein source, if the proteins would denature in the heat of the cooking? They can't fold back to their original form, like an egg white cant 'unboil' itself from hard to soft ... so how can our body use these proteins then? I apologise if the question isn't so clear :eek:


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    #2
    locum-motion
    Registered Users Posts: 5,143 ✭✭✭locum-motion


    The body doesn't use the proteins. It breaks them down into their constituent amino acids, absorbs those, and then uses them to make up whatever proteins it needs itself.


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    #3
    barleybooley
    Registered Users Posts: 1,241 ✭✭✭barleybooley


    What the poster above said.


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    #4
    Capt'n Midnight
    Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 90,700 Mod ✭✭✭✭Capt'n Midnight


    Even if proteins didn't denature in cooking they are almost certainly denatured by the acid in your stomach.

    And that's before the digestive enzymes start chopping them to bits.


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    #5
    longshanks
    Registered Users Posts: 4,990 ✭✭✭longshanks


    Consider me fascinated.


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    #6
    locum-motion
    Registered Users Posts: 5,143 ✭✭✭locum-motion


    Capt'n Midnight wrote: »
    ...they are almost certainly denatured by the acid in your stomach.

    And that's before the digestive enzymes start chopping them to bits.

    That's what I said!
    locum-motion wrote: »
    ...It breaks them down into their constituent amino acids...


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    #7
    Carawaystick
    Registered Users Posts: 8,779 ✭✭✭Carawaystick


    longshanks wrote: »
    Consider me fascinated.

    Get a little bit of raw fish, salmon, trout, mackeral or tuna works better'n white fish.

    squeeze a lime onto the fish.

    watch it cook in the citric acid.

    (add some chilli peppers and onion for a tasty peruvian snack: ceviche)

    Its the amino acids that are important, especially the essential ones, as humans can't synthesize these.


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    #8
    lostsheep120
    Registered Users Posts: 9 ✭lostsheep120


    locum-motion wrote: »
    The body doesn't use the proteins. It breaks them down into their constituent amino acids, absorbs those, and then uses them to make up whatever proteins it needs itself.

    Dead right, the liver breaks down ingested proteins into amino acids. These amino acids themselves have to be transported to all cells around the body. It's within the individual cells that these amino acids are used to build proteins required and it is then that the protein is made available for use by the body


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