In essence, this is rapidly becoming a nation of nutrient- deficient citizens. Causes of Nutritional Deficiency in this Century.
Are you among millions of Americans who are considering turning to disease prevention and self- care? If so, I've waded through massive information to. I'll address several reasons a healthy diet may not provide adequate vitamins, minerals and amino acids. Why Soil Lacks Minerals and the Role Mineral- deficient Soil Plays in Disease. Poor farming methods and ecological factors contribute to depletion of minerals in soil, such as zinc and selenium.
Risks and actual incidents of heart disease escalate in areas where selenium and magnesium levels are reduced in soils. Scientific research supports mortality rates from cancer increase in US counties testing inferior in selenium. Statistics show that death from lung cancer, cervix, breast, rectum, bladder and esophagus cancer rise concurrently in counties with lower levels of. In a report published in "The Journal of the American College of Nutrition", evidence shows reduced levels of six valuable nutrients examined in. These include: vitamin C, potassium, iron, calcium, protein and riboflavin.
Researchers at University of Texas reported a steady decline in vitamins and minerals in US soil from the 1. Broccoli is an excellent example. You and I expect broccoli to be a calcium- rich vegetable. Commercial growers are touting a hybrid version of broccoli. Marathon". According to the USDA, Marathon tests approximately 1/3 lower in calcium and magnesium than other available hybrid versions of. All broccoli hybrids test around 5.
USDA database dated 1. You do the math! Freshness of Food Products. You may have given little thought to methods commercial fruits and vegetables are ripened. This is a must- know piece of the puzzle in order to understand. Mother Nature. You are aware that in order to prevent bruising, some fruits are shipped while they are still green. I'll use bananas as our case in point. From tree to table it's not uncommon for bananas to linger in a "ripening room" for days to weeks.
Tree ripened bananas get nature's message to produce Ethylene gas at the correct time. The gas signals natural enzymes to get busy with it and. Artificial ripening can cause to neurological disorders. Ethylene can be controlled in the ripening room by artificially applying this gas. While Ethylene is safe when handled by nature, when man manipulates. Some vendors use insecticides or kerosene stoves to hasten ripening. Artificial ripening processes can lead to neurological disorders.
Premature Picking Results in Nutrient Loss. A comprehensive study of cherries by Spain researchers evidenced a 5. C if they are picked prematurely. Early- picked berries contain less anthocyanins. A study of blackberries by Oregon State University researchers concluded when picked while green, the berries contained 7. In comparison, blackberries ripened on the vine contained 3. Polyphenols (antioxidants from plant foods) are under- developed when produce is prematurely picked.
Carotenoids (precursor to vitamin A antioxidants) are depleted when tomatoes are prematurely picked, as they receive inadequate sunlight. Synthetic Fertilizer. Synthetic fertilizers deplete soil. Manure is seldom used as fertilizer these days, excepting by organic farmers.
Commercial growers' dependency upon synthetic fertilizers is suspected to be. Synthetic fertilizer does not contain the trace elements manure provided.
Phosphates in commercial fertilizer. Researchers report organic produce contains appreciably higher amounts of enzymes, antioxidants and polyphenols, compared to those commercially grown. Health Highlight to Ponder: Biofortification. Genetic modification of food poses conundrum for food growers. In vain efforts to compensate for vitamin loss, commercial producers are forcing vegetables and fruits to generate nutrients with foreign genes. In. consequence, scientists are isolating alien compounds in plants that human eyes have never seen. Tomatoes are a prime illustration of biofortification.
To counteract lower folate (member of B- complex) levels in tomatoes, commercial growers are forcing. The fortified tomato doesn't contain PABA, which helps form folate.
Their rather desperate attempt to solve the conundrum is to saturate plants with PABA. Truth really is stranger than fiction, isn't it? Varying Bioavailability.
Dietary bioavailability of nutrients simply means which of the nutrients existing in a particular food is available for our bodies to readily absorb and. Bioavailability of certain nutrients varies in vegetables, which partially accounts for American's deficiency in essential vitamins and minerals. In a study of participants who had eaten spinach, plasma levels of beta- carotene didn't change. This surprised me, since spinach contains 1.
However, plasma folate levels of study participants improved considerably after eating their spinach. The degrees of folate didn't increase at all after. This proves that bioavailability of folate varies considerably in different foods. In order for the body to utilize folate correctly, it first changes. High- folates in foods like tomatoes or legumes may not be bioavailable.
A great deal of the time, you simply cannot expect to obtain enough nutrients from food alone. A good example is the role cruciferous vegetables play in disease prevention. Numerous studies have shown phytonutrients contained in Brussels sprouts. But, to protect yourself from these cancers, you'd need to eat in excess of one. Even if you could consume this outrageous quantity of cabbage, soil conditions enter in, causing varying nutrient levels. Cooking and Over Processing. I've long suspected that processing, freezing and cooking could strip vital nutrients from food. Hot Dog Pizza Recipe.
But, I didn't know that the cooking process contributes to. The scientific name for lost nutrients is the Maillard reaction. Cooking appears to effect milk products significantly. When milk products are heated- up.
Lysine is one of the essential amino acids. Ultimately, the Maillard reaction will decrease amounts of vitamins B1, B6, B1. Canned foods lose nutrients. When fresh or canned foods are processed, frozen or cooked, healthy vitamins are destroyed.
For instance, during the sterilization process, canned meats. A content. Even more shocking, all vitamin A is lost after 3- 5 years in storage. Also, panthothenic acid is reduced 5. On the upside, folic acid Increased 5. Researchers studied vegetable soup and found that after cooking it, fish, cauliflower and beefsteak didn't retain any folic acid. Other vitamins are at risk as well. Freezing Brussels sprouts for six months reduced vitamin C by 1.
After boiling, vitamin C declined an additional. In comparison with raw Brussels sprouts, the end product only retained 3. C. Confirmed by a different study, thiamin content remaining after cooking foods such as rice or green vegetables was a mere 5. Are you nursing your infant? I was astounded to leran when human breast milk is stored about two hours, 7. Gluthathione is an.
Poor Diet and Poor Digestion. For over 3. 0 years, the US Government has sponsored a study to improve the health of Americans. Based on clearly defined goals and objectives, health.
Now that over 7. 2 million Americans are obese, it's not a shocker to learn that improving diets lacking in. However, I was shocked to find, according to "Healthy People 2. Guidelines suggest 5 or more vegetables per day. Only 3% of Americans eat 3 servings of vegetables per day.
Only 2. 8% eat 2 servings of fruit per day. How Long Can You Refrigerate Steak here.