Okay, so you think you are doing pretty well with your diet. You prepare most of your meals at home, don't eat much junk food and aren't a fast food eater only rarely. You think vitamins are pretty much nonsense-particularly since you are eating so well-and besides, you feel pretty healthy.
Well let me rain on that parade a little.
Consider this. In order for nutritional researchers to determine the required levels of nutrients, diets must be designed of known nutrient content with a specific deficiency in the nutrient being studied. Then varying doses of the nutrient can be added to the diet to determine at what level symptoms of deficiency disappear.
In the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, a vitamin C-depleted real meal menu is described. The diet consists of the following choices:
Breakfast: Apple Juice, Applesauce, Raisin Bran, Shredded Wheat, Unprocessed bran, Hominy grits, Cream of Wheat, Eggs (scrambled or hard poached), Cheddar cheese, French toast, Syrup, Yogurt (plain or strawberry), Bran muffin, Glazed doughnut, Mini bagel, Cream cheese, White toast or bread, Wheat toast, Margarine, butter, Honey, Peanut butter, Sugar substitutes, Low-fat cream cheese, Coffee (regular or decaffeinated), Tea (regular or decaffeinated), Cream, White milk (whole, 2%, or skim), Chocolate milk, Buttermilk.
Lunch: Chicken noodle soup, Cream of chicken soup, Croutons, Escalloped chicken, Pork chops, Brown gravy, Garlic herb pizza, Grilled cheese sandwich, Tuna chunks, Yogurt (plain, vanilla or blueberry), Rice royale, Black beans, Rice, Pretzels, Applesauce, Diet Jell-O?, Cookies (chocolate chip or sugar), Ice cream (vanilla or chocolate), Bread (white or wheat), Saltines, Margarine, Butter, Sour cream, Peanut butter, Mustard, Mayonnaise, Sugar substitute, Relish, Coffee (regular or decaffeinated), Tea (regular, decaffeinated or iced), Cream
Dinner: Chicken and rice soup, Cottage cheese, Croutons, Fried shrimp, Roast beef, Brown gravy, Macaroni and cheese, Cheeseburger, Chicken salad, Yogurt (plain or peach), Pinto beans, Rice, Diet Jell-O?, Vanilla ice cream, Angel food cake, Bread (white or wheat), Margarine, Butter, Peanut butter, Coffee (regular or decaffeinated), Cream, Tea (regular, decaffeinated or iced)
Evening Snacks: Peanut butter crackers, Graham crackers, Chocolate chip cookie, Popcorn, Ginger ale, Diet cola
If you review these choices you should note something familiar. They are the very foods that the majority of people now consume! By eating these foods a person will restrict vitamin C intake to less than 5 mg per day. The bare minimum RDA (Recommended Daily Alolowance) so far established for vitamin C is 90 mg per day for men and 75 mg per day for women -- and this is highly contested as being far too low. There is a huge body of research now demonstrating that humans need several hundred milligrams (some believe more than a thousand) per day to achieve optimal health.
Vitamin C is a critically important nutrient for humans since our bodies are unable to synthesize it. In the wild, fruits and vegetables would be the main source. Vitamin C bolsters the immune system and is critical to connective tissue integrity and health. In its absence, the nutritional disease scurvy occurs resulting in a sort of meltdown of the basic structure of the body. Teeth fall out, internal bleeding occurs and it can cause a miserable death. In days gone by, ancient mariners feared the disease more than capsizing. But left out to sea long enough with only bread and salted meat they were almost sure to suffer it to one degree or another
Heart disease is a leading killer in modern society. Dental disease is epidemic. Both of these conditions can be initiated or fostered by vitamin C deficiency. There presence may in fact be the very marker that vitamin C deficiency is widespread. Coronary and cerebral vessels lose their integrity leading to heart attacks and strokes, and periodontitis (gum recession, bleeding and oral infection) leads to loss of teeth, foul breath and seeding of the body's organs with pathogens.
Vitamin C is not a silly nutrient to be ignored or played with. Don't assume that because you seem healthy at the moment that chronic degenerative disease is not incubating within. In fact, if you are eating exclusively processed modern fare, you can count on it.
Convert the diet to more fresh and raw foods (See authors The Thinking Person's Master Key to Health (CD), http://wysong.net/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=WOTTPWS&
Product_Code=EDCD21&Cate
gory_Code=EDUAIDS&Product_Count=0. Note that there were no fresh foods in the test diet. And certainly taking daily vitamin C supplements (500-1000 mg per day) is prudent insurance given that normal dietary fare is clearly vitamin C deficient.
. (Am J Clin Nutr, 1997; 65(5):1434-40.)
Dr. Wysong is a former veterinary clinician and surgeon, college instructor in human anatomy, physiology and the origin of life, inventor of numerous medical, surgical, nutritional, athletic and fitness products and devices, research director for the present company by his name and founder of the philanthropic Wysong Institute. He is author of The Creation-Evolution Controversy now in its eleventh printing, a new two volume set on philosophy for living, several books on nutrition, prevention and health for people and animals and over 15 years of monthly health newsletters. He may be contacted at wysong@wysong.net a> and a free subscription to his e-Health Letter is available at wysong@wysong.net
deep house cleaning Bannockburn ..Because I believe diet and exercise are so important, I'm... Read More
Biological clockObviously you need biological clock to time and alarm... Read More
The key to good hydration is drinking a lot of... Read More
One way to combat the boredom many people complain accompanies... Read More
Essential Fatty Acids are oils, omega-3 and omega-6, that you... Read More
Ambrotose? - the Nutritional Alphabet of the "Sweet Language of... Read More
Information on potassiumWhen you read about potassium and senate document... Read More
Looking into statistics, we can see the average American consumes... Read More
Unfortunately, the words "diet" and "cheating" go hand in hand.... Read More
Diets concern especially Americans as they do have a "national... Read More
Apart from eating many of the wonderful vegetables and fruits... Read More
What are Glyconutritionals?The Greek word "Glyco" means "Sugar". Most people... Read More
Hormonal changes during pregnancy, and quite normal fat gain often... Read More
The factors that affect the nutritional requirements of an individual... Read More
I had finally come to a place in my life... Read More
Aging occurs when the body's cells die at faster rates... Read More
Some people say to themselves, junk food is not that... Read More
Many of us, probably even you, want this thing called... Read More
If you or someone you know suffers from rheumatoid arthritis,... Read More
Mango is my favorite fruit next to pineapples. They're sweet,... Read More
Eating right to suit your blood type" is a subject... Read More
It seems as if the health of America is failing.... Read More
There are basically four major components, or essential molecular components... Read More
Many of us sprinkle oregano on our pizza and stews... Read More
Here's something you probably don't know. The fruit and vegetables... Read More
kitchen deep cleaning Winnetka ..Heart Disease remains the number one cause of death in... Read More
A fictional overheard conversation at a Thelma's Fine Dining.Hi, I'm... Read More
You must add some fresh cherries, which are now in... Read More
If you're looking for a power-packed entr?e or soup to... Read More
Do you know your ph? By getting ph strips at... Read More
I am sure you have heard you have to build... Read More
There are a number of common food mistakes that costs... Read More
When Helen Boardman was still a girlish 99, she fell... Read More
After reading this, you'll never look at a banana in... Read More
Strict "no carb" phases of low carb diets have developed... Read More
It is often taken as a given fact that soy... Read More
We all need fat in our diet on a daily... Read More
The Health and Nutrition Industry has come about as peoples... Read More
This is such a busy time of year, isn't it?... Read More
One of the most common questions I am asked is... Read More
Mineral nutritionSearching for mineral nutrition information is much easier today... Read More
Here's food for thought! Did you know the average restaurant... Read More
Here's something you probably don't know. The fruit and vegetables... Read More
Just what is the "New Biology of Health?" And who's... Read More
Lactose is the primary carbohydrate in milk. Cow's milk contains... Read More
Better sleep = better metabolism. I have been saying it... Read More
What is the best protein powder to buy? I get... Read More
I read a lot about the topics of health and... Read More
You may have heard of the "Portfolio Diet" wherein it... Read More
I'm going to be a bit radical here, but know... Read More
Nutrition |