At any grocery store in North America right now, there are shoppers cruising the isles, making thoughtful choices about their family's nutrition. Armed with the latest information about health, choosing foods high in nutrition is a primary goal. Unfortunately, no matter how carefully one shops, there is often little nutrition in the foods we consume. In fact, it is nearly impossible to consume adequate nutrients through diet alone in our modern world.
What causes our foods to be devoid of nutrition? There are many causes, primarily modern farming, storage, and preservation methods of food. Let's take a look at why this happens.
First, it is widely acknowledged that soils in North America have been depleted of many nutrients since the 1930's due to loss of topsoil and reliance on chemical fertilizers. Farmers replace the nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus depleted by agriculture in order to achieve optimum plant growth. However, little attention is paid to replacing trace minerals lost in soils.
Consumer demand for attractive produce also plays a role. This demand has resulted in plant breeding for appearance and storage longevity, ignoring nutritional quality. Fruits and vegetables are often picked in the green stage, ripening in transit to the store. Again, this prevents the production of nutrients which often occurs in the ripening stage while on the plant itself. One example of this is seen in fruits, where the cartenoid levels increase as fruit ripens naturally.
Produce now travels an average of 1500-2000 miles from farm to market, often in refrigerated trucks. There have been few studies done on the effects of storage on produce, especially in the area of overall phytonutrient levels. However, what we do know is most fresh vegetables steadily loose nutrients when stored in cold, dark conditions. Some types of produce are more vulnerable to these losses than others, losing fifty percent or more of phytonutrients in as little as five days storage.
Food preservation methods often play a role in nutrient depletion. When properly blanched prior to freezing, most-but not all-foods retain more nutrition when frozen as compared to canning methods. Interestingly, the container used in canning also makes a difference. Foods preserved in cans often retain more nutrients than those in glass or plastic containers as many nutrients are depleted by exposure to light.
Preparation methods further affects nutritional quality of food. Chopping, grinding, and heating foods depletes nutrients. Common preservatives added in processing cause depletion of nutrients and the use of antimicrobial preservatives may decrease the bacteria normally present in the colon, impeding the body's ability to absorb what nutrients are left in food after processing.
There has been very little research done comparing nutrients in food before and after processing. The result is that nutritional labels are calculated from unprocessed foods using what are called "nutrient retention factors". However, these formulas do not consider all aspects of nutrient loss and have been shown to be inaccurate in representing nutrient levels in foods after processing.
So what can be done to ensure adequate nutrition in our diets? The most sensible approach would be to eat only fresh, organically raised fruits and vegetables picked from the garden just prior to consumption, eaten in the whole, raw state. Of course, this is not possible for the vast majority of people. While eating foods as close to the ideals is a goal, it is no longer realistic to expect diet alone to provide adequate nutrition. Some form of supplementation is necessary.
In order to incorporate the proper nutrients, in the optimal amounts in ratio to other nutrients and in the most bioavailable form, great care must be taken in the selection of all supplements. Price is not necessarily an indication of quality. Taking the maximum amount safely possible is not a guarantee of maximum benefit, either. Due diligence is required in the selection process. Know that what you are taking is truly of benefit to your body.
Good nutrition is essential for healthy living, but obtaining sufficient nutrition from diet alone is nearly impossible due to modern farming, storage and preparation methods demanded by consumers. Careful use of supplementation is therefore a requirement for health.
Karen Walker is a wellness consultant and author. She works from her home in western Montana. She and her husband, Lynn McCormick, maintain a website to help those whose lives have been upset by catastrophic health events. http://www.keephealthkeepwealth.com
top rated cleaning service Lake Forest ..As a low carb dieter, your diet is undoubtedly high... Read More
Unfortunately, it has been proved beyond doubt that a large... Read More
Salt is vital for our health. Right now, you have... Read More
The Food Pyramid, first introduced to the US in 1992,... Read More
Enzymes are the workers in our body that make everything... Read More
Omega-3 appear to reduce the risk of heart attack. A... Read More
Constipation is the passing of dry, hard faeces fewer than... Read More
We all need fat in our diet on a daily... Read More
The typical American diet already provides plenty of protein and... Read More
These are questions we have to ask ourselves? because after... Read More
Some fats are good for you. Your body can't function... Read More
What if there was a combination of foods that were... Read More
How is it that we can't seem to think that... Read More
First some terminology.Fructose ... a five carbon sugar that occurs... Read More
If you do not take time to stand back at... Read More
I'm willing to bet you probably haven't heard the word... Read More
Cholesterol has been around for thousands of years. It's a... Read More
Fat is a nutrient that is a contributor to the... Read More
Instead of Butter: Use top quality, cold pressed, extra virgin... Read More
Beans. Legumes. Pulses. Whatever you call this plant group, they... Read More
Summer is the time when we sweat highly and beating... Read More
Every day we are bombarded with information about food products... Read More
The dangers of processed foods and diets Why is that... Read More
Diet nutrition physiqueToday, learning about diet nutrition physique isn't all... Read More
Dr. Christine Wood, M.D, a practicing pediatrician in Encinitas, California,... Read More
insured cleaning company Morton Grove ..Students might start thinking a little differently, once they learn... Read More
Arthritis - if you suffer from this illness, I don't... Read More
Proper hydration is extremely important during exercise. Adequate fluid intake... Read More
The body is a marvelous creation, a carbon, oxygen combustion... Read More
Do you want more energy? How about more of the... Read More
Fats have been unfairly lumped together as being all bad... Read More
You would probably think that I was writing a lot... Read More
Are Your Cells Talking To Each Other?Communication! It permeates our... Read More
In the last twenty years, a huge and growing body... Read More
Making simple changes to your food diet can help remedy... Read More
Coq10 is also known as Coenzyme Q10.This co q10 is... Read More
A fictional overheard conversation at a Thelma's Fine Dining.Hi, I'm... Read More
We've heard it not only once or twice or even... Read More
We all need fat in our diet on a daily... Read More
Apart from eating many of the wonderful vegetables and fruits... Read More
Do you know anyone who can't consume milk or milk-based... Read More
Your fiber intake is a critical factor in weight loss... Read More
Our bodies are truly incredible machines. What makes cells healthy?... Read More
The total calories that you should be consuming depend on... Read More
Media coverage of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) has incited... Read More
The word 'homeostasis' is made up of two Greek words:... Read More
1. Water. If you're thirsty you're already dehydrated. The majority... Read More
Manganese is a metallic mineral that was discovered by a... Read More
Every day we are bombarded with information about food products... Read More
If you're suffering from constipation, you are no doubt looking... Read More
Nutrition |