Four days left on special introductory ½ price offer for my book, “Your Health is in Your Hands” Here is an excerpt from my book on the primary reasons people have nutrient deficiencies: Chapter 3 Nutrient Deficiencies Today, more than 95% of all chronic disease is caused by food choice, toxic food ingredients, nutritional deficiencies and lack of physical exercise. - Mike Adams, Author, Investigative Journalist, Educator I remember one of my mentors once told me that almost everyone is in a state of sub-optimal health because they are deficient in optimal levels of key nutrients including fatty acids, vitamins, minerals, enzymes, bioflavonoids and antioxidants. A three-year study surveying the dietary habits of over 16,000 Americans has found that a large portion of the population consistently fails to meet even the minimal intakes recommended in the Dietary Reference Intake (DRI) for many key nutrients. The study published in the Journal of Nutrition (August 2011), concluded: Without enrichment and/or fortification and supplementation, many Americans did not achieve the recommended micro-nutrient intake levels set forth in the Dietary Reference Intake. The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2003-2006 reviewed the average intake of 19 essential micro-nutrients in 16,110 people including key vitamins such as vitamin A and K and important minerals such as calcium and magnesium. The only positive news (if you can call it that) from the study was that the majority of the American population showed a sufficient minimum intake of the following nutrients: vitamin B-6, folate, zinc, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin B-12, phosphorus, iron, copper and selenium. The study notes that fortified food (food with artificial nutrients added to it) and vitamin/mineral supplementation are the reasons the majority of these daily requirements are met. In other words, conventional food is clearly deficient in key nutrients and must be fortified to prevent nutrient deficiency based disease. On the down side of the study, a large percentage of the population showed intakes of other key nutrients that are clearly below the minimum daily requirements. These nutrients are magnesium, calcium and vitamins A, C, D and E. 25% do not get enough Vitamin C 34% do not get enough Vitamin A 38% do not get enough Calcium 45% do not get enough Magnesium 60% do not get enough Vitamin E 70% do not get enough vitamin D It is important to note that the minimum daily requirement for a nutrient is usually defined as the lowest amount that can be taken in order to not develop a deficiency and an associated disease or health condition. For example, the minimum daily requirement for vitamin C is 90 mg. If you take less than this amount for an extended period of time, you will develop scurvy. Although taking 90 mg will keep scurvy at bay, it is not the amount needed for optimal health. In fact, chronic sub-optimal vitamin C levels will eventually contribute to many health problems, including a suppressed immune system and cardiovascular disease. These daily requirements were never designed with optimal health in mind, only the avoidance of disease. However, health is much more than just the absence of disease. The major reasons people develop nutrient deficiencies are the following: The produce we eat is grown in nutrient depleted soil and the animals we eat are raised on nutrient depleted feed. The produce we eat is often not fully ripened when picked and thus the food does not reach maximum nutrient content. This is a practice used to minimize transport and storage spoilage. Irradiation. As more food is irradiated to ostensibly reduce risk of pathogens on food, those foods subjected to irradiation are depleted of key nutrients such as vitamin A, C, E, B2, B3, B6, B12 and K, thiamine and folic acid. Nutrient loss due to overcooking. The traditional rules about heat, water, time and nutrient loss are all true. The longer a food is exposed to heat, the greater the nutrient loss. Being submersed in hot water (boiling) creates more nutrient loss than steaming (surrounding with steam rather than water) if all other factors are equal. We use up more nutrients including B vitamins, vitamin C, vitamin E, antioxidants and important minerals such as calcium and magnesium to cope with and neutralize free-radicals from increased stress and exposure to toxins. With increase incidence of chronic digestive issues such as constipation, indigestion, candida and parasite infections, people absorb less of the nutrients from their already nutrient depleted foods. Order book from amazon, amazon/dp/1500461288
Posted on: Sun, 09 Nov 2014 17:44:54 +0000
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