Food And
Nutrition
The body needs a constant supply of nutrients for normal
structure and function. Protein, carbohydrates, fats, fluid and
fiber are known as macronutrients and all are essential in a
well balanced diet. Protein is needed for proper tissue
structure and also as an energy source. Carbohydrates are used
primarily for energy. Fats are used for padding, insulation,
energy, hormones and proper cell membranes. Adequate fluid is needed
to maintain hydration of all tissues; providing a liquid medium for
the blood to carry nutrients to tissues and the kidneys to filter
and excrete metabolic wastes or excess minerals.
Fiber is needed for proper bowel function. (http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/).
Micronutrients like Calcium, Magnesium, Manganese,
Potassium, Phosphorous, and Vitamins A, D, C, E, and B-complex
are needed in smaller amounts for skeletal integrity and proper
metabolic and enzymatic processes. (http://www4.dr-rath-foundation.org/).
The food we eat is digested and absorbed into the blood where
the nutrients are carried to all tissues to be metabolized and
used for tissue structure or chemical energy. There must be a
proper balance of protein, carbohydrates, fats, fluid and fiber for
the body to operate normally.
Adults should get 45 percent to 65 percent of their calories
from carbohydrates, 20 percent to 35 percent from fat, and 10 to
35 percent from protein. Water recommendations for women are
approximately 2.7 liters (91 ounces) of total water (from all
beverages and foods) each day, and for men, approximately 3.7 liters
(125 ounces daily) of total water.
The recommended intake for total
fiber for adults 50 years and younger is set at 38 grams for men
and 25 grams for women; for men and women over 50 it’s 30 and 21
grams per day, respectively. (Institute
of Medicine)
Proteins come in two forms; complete and incomplete. Complete
forms of protein are obtained from any kind of animal protein
like, meat, fish, eggs or milk products. Incomplete forms of
protein are obtained from plant sources and comprise three
primary groups; nuts (usually encased in a hard shell), seeds
(generally found in clusters), and legumes (generally encased in
a pod like peas, beans and peanuts). Soy beans are a legume,
but protein extracted from soy has enough of all the essential
nutrients to be considered a complete protein (Concepts
and Controversy). However potent enzyme inhibitors
which block the action of trypsin and other enzymes needed for
normal protein digestion raise legitimate concerns about
consuming high amounts of soy protein on a regular basis.
Complete proteins contain all the amino acids necessary to build
human tissue and sustain life. Incomplete plant based proteins lack
one or more essential amino acids and must be combined with a
different plant-derived protein group or with an animal-derived
complete protein to ensure all essential amino acids are included in
a meal or daily dietary intake. (Concepts
and Controversy). Take for example a peanut butter sandwich
made with whole grain bread. The essential amino acids lacking in
the peanut butter are provided by the whole grain seeds in the
bread, and the essential amino acids lacking in the bread are
provided by the peanut butter. Eaten together they provide a
complete protein. A glass of milk with the peanut butter sandwich
would ensure the completeness of the protein.
Carbohydrates are found in two forms; simple and complex. Simple carbohydrates are typically sugars and are sweet to the
taste. They are easily absorbed with minimal digestion and
increase blood sugar rapidly. Complex carbohydrates are
typically starches like bread, pasta or potatoes.
They
generally take longer to digest and tend to satisfy hunger longer
than simple carbohydrates (Concepts
and Controversy).
Fats
can be saturated (like butter; solid at room temperature),
polyunsaturated (like corn oil; liquid at room temperature or
refrigerated), or monounsaturated (like olive oil; liquid when at
room temperature, but often solid when refrigerated). Fats are
categorized further as to whether they are omega-6 (generally from
warm climate plants like corn or safflower), or omega-3 (from cold
climate plants like flax or cold water fish like salmon). Both are
essential for health, but omega-6 fats are commonly found in the
American diet in much higher amounts than omega-3 fats (Concepts
and Controversy).
Fiber
can be insoluble (as in bran) or water soluble and gelatinous (as in
psyllium seed husks). Insoluble fiber provides bulk in the
intestines and helps move food through the gut. Soluble fiber is
important as a stool moisturizer and softener, helps lower blood
cholesterol and decreases the rate of glucose absorption into the
blood (Concepts
and Controversy).
Fluid content in food varies with the type of food. Plain water is
unique in that it contains no calories, natural or synthetic
flavors, colors, preservatives or other chemicals found in juices,
teas, coffee, milk or soft drinks.
To
ensure nutritional completeness with each meal one should ask the
following: What is my source of protein; is it complete or
incomplete? What is my source of carbohydrate; is it simple or
complex? What is my source of fat; is it saturated or
polyunsaturated, is it omega 6 or omega-3? What is my source of
fluid; is it water or other liquid? What is my source of fiber; is
it soluble or insoluble?
Nutrition provides the raw materials needed for energy,
structure and function of the organism. A proper diet should
have adequate nutrients from a variety of foods, moderate in
calories and balanced to include all nutrient groups without
excess or deficiency (Concepts
and Controversy). If the
nutritional balance is insufficient to maintain or support health,
it only makes sense that there will be a greater risk of developing
disease.
Nutrition and
Health
The nutritional state of health is influenced by three factors;
dietary intake, digestion and absorption, and metabolism of absorbed
nutrients. Insufficiencies in any of these three areas can cause
symptoms of malnutrition and diminished health. Thus, one can be
“well fed” and eating a “good diet” and still be malnourished if the
food in the diet is not being properly digested, absorbed or
metabolized.
If
“Health” is defined as a state where all systems and organs are
operating normally and in a proper balance with other organs and
systems, then it can be said that proper nutrition is essential for
optimal health and wellness along with adequate exercise, rest,
stress management and minimal exposure to substances that are
reactive or toxic. The loss of health is the single common symptom in every disease. Health
should not be taken for granted but rather supported and actively
promoted particularly in the face of disease.
Health
Care vs.
Disease Care
When you understand that all disease is associated with a loss of
health, you realize that our “health care” system is actually more a system of “disease care” focused primarily on treating the symptoms
of disease rather than actively promoting the restoration of health.
Proper nutrition is important for the health of every form of life.
If plants in your garden or home are looking weak or sickly, you
first think of water and fertilizer; both essential nutrients. If
you take your dog or cat to the veterinarian for any disease
condition, the vet will invariably ask you about the animal’s diet.
He understands the importance of proper nutrition in the health and
health care of any animal. Yet if you go to your doctor with the
exact same condition, he’ll likely suggest a drug. This is the
difference between assessing the cause of disease and treating the
symptoms; the difference between health care and disease care.
Because adequate nutrition is essential for optimum health, an
assessment of the diet and nutritional status should be routine in
the work-up of any patient for any disease. But nutritional concerns
are largely ignored in conventional health care, and whether a
disease is caused in part or in whole by malnutrition is rarely
considered.
Two examples from personal experience serve to illustrate the
problem. My mother had diabetes and congestive heart in the mid
1980s. One night she called me in tears saying she had shortness of
breath and pain in her heart, left arm and left side of her neck,
classic symptoms of myocardial infarction (heart attack).
I rushed her to the hospital emergency room where they did an
electrocardiogram exam which indicated no heart irregularities. They
recommended she be admitted her for observation. After three weeks
of observation she was examined by a doctor specializing in internal
medicine who diagnosed her with a hiatus hernia (where the top part
of the stomach becomes displaced above the diaphragm), prescribed
Tums as an antacid, and arranged for her discharge an hour later.
The hospital bill was $20,000.00.
I
explained to her cardiologist that acid reflux from a hiatus hernia
could be corrected in five seconds by simply having the patient lie
on their back and exhale as far as possible to bring the diaphragm
up as high as possible, and then gently pushing your fingers in
below the sternum and pulling the stomach down into its normal
position eliminating the pain and discomfort immediately. His eyes
suddenly grew wide as he told me in a very serious tone that such a
procedure was not approved by the American Medical Association (AMA)
and he could get in a lot of trouble for doing such a manipulation
(despite the fact that as a doctor he was qualified to do such a
massage technique). Being a licensed massage practitioner, I would
perform this technique whenever mother had chest pain and within a
couple of minutes she would be symptom free, laughing and enjoying
her favorite TV program.
A
few years after my bone marrow transplant, I scheduled an
appointment with a doctor for a routine physical. The doctor
reported that everything was normal except my triglycerides and
cholesterol levels were elevated. She offered to prescribe a
cholesterol lowering drug but I declined saying that I would make
revisions to my diet. When I returned for a follow up exam two weeks
later, my triglycerides and cholesterol were normal. She said she
could still give me the drug if I wanted but since the problem had
been resolved with diet I again declined. A week later I called and
asked her nurse to pull my record and tell me which cholesterol had
been high in the initial test; the good cholesterol or the bad. She
said it was my HDL (good cholesterol) that had been high and that my
LDL (bad cholesterol) had been normal. Prescribing a drug
unnecessarily is no way to treat the healthy; I shudder to think how
she treats the sick. I still take no medications and my health is
better now than it was ten years ago when I had symptoms of
fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue.
WASHINGTON
(Reuters) - About half of all U.S. women and 40
percent of U.S. men are currently using or have recently
used a prescription drug, according to government statistics
published Jan 12, 2006.
This
"snapshot" of information was based on a survey that found
that 54 percent of white non-Hispanic women and 43 percent
of white non-Hispanic men had used a prescription drug in
the past month, the National Center for Health Statistics
said in a statement.
Fewer
blacks and Hispanics used prescription drugs, according to
the survey, done between 1999 and 2002.
Nearly 44
percent of black women and 35 percent of black men reported
using prescription drugs and nearly 38 percent of
Mexican-American women and nearly 26 percent of Mexican-American
men, the survey found.
Despite the occasional use of complementary medical treatments
intended to support health during the treatment of cancer, the
standard treatments are still radiation, surgery and chemotherapy,
all of which make the patient sicker while doing nothing to support
the restoration of health or recovery from the stress of treatment.
The fact that some cancer patients recover in spite of these
conventional treatments is more likely a testament of the patient’s
natural resilience than a validation of the treatment’s
effectiveness in restoring health. It’s only logical that the
treatment of cancer or any other disease should routinely include a
conscious effort to support the restoration of health. But in a
disease care system, bad medicine is good for business and good
medicine is bad for business. If the patient is cured, it’s just the
same as if they’ve died; they won’t be back for further treatment. This is not to
question the
ethics of the individual provider; but rather to acknowledge the
business aspect of health care and the natural disincentive to
promote health in the face of disease.
The
6-26-05 issue of the Seattle Times published a series of articles on
the business of health care and how business concerns of medical
venders are taking precedence over knowledge based scientific
research, observations, and experience. (http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/health/sick1.html)
By revising the definition of "disease" to include previously normal
conditions, the number of patients needing treatment is being
increased and the periods of treatment extended. According to the
Seattle Times, hypertension was defined in 1999 as any blood
pressure over 140/90, and “normal” was defined as 120/80. In 2003, a
new classification defined any blood pressure with a systolic value
of 120-139, and a diastolic value of 80-89 as “prehypertension”.
Thus, the previously normal blood pressure of 120/80 has now been
defined as prehypertension, a condition needing drug treatment
intervention in hopes of preventing the progression of the “disease”
to full blown hypertension. Yet no one knows for sure whether
treating a “prehypertensive” blood pressure with medications will
prevent a progression to hypertension; it’s only theoretical.
Promoting health and wellness through good nutrition and a healthy
lifestyle is likely to prevent disease more effectively simply
because you can’t be sick if you maintain health
Codex
Restrictions on Access To Nutritional Supplements:
The Codex Alimentarius Commission was created in 1963 as a
subsidiary body of the
Food and
Agriculture Organization (FAO) and
World Health
Organization (WHO) of the United Nations.
One of the objectives of the
commission is to “harmonise” worldwide health standards, creating a
global health policy. The Codex
Alimentarius Guidelines for Vitamin and Mineral Supplements were
proposed to set food safety requirements as a reference for
the international trade of food, including dietary supplements (http://www4.dr-rath-foundation.org/
accessed 6-25-05).
The Codex Alimentarius agreement
with the World Trade Association (WTO) creates trade standards that
the WTO uses to resolve international trade disputes. The WTO
currently has a total membership of 146 countries and the Codex
standards are generally understood to be mandatory for all WTO
Members. Because Codex standards are used
by the WTO to resolve international trade disputes, countries who
are WTO members can literally have Codex Guidelines and Standards
forced upon them.
Codex texts, guidelines and standards are effectively mandatory for
all WTO Members. Because the WTO does not distinguish between
guidelines and standards, and because the WTO uses Codex texts to
resolve international trade disputes, a finalised Codex text would
have the ability to override the dietary supplement laws of all
countries - including the United States, despite its passing the
Dietary Supplement and Health Education Act (DSHEA) in 1994 to
protect the health food industry and sale of dietary nutritional
supplements (http://www4.dr-rath-foundation.org/
accessed 6-25-05)..
The
European Union (EU), an intergovernmental trade organization of 15
European nations, passed The Food Supplements Directive (FSD) on 13th
March 2002. Similar to the Codex Draft Guidelines for Vitamin and
Mineral Supplements, its effect, when it becomes fully implemented
on 1st August 2005, will be to remove large numbers of
nutrient supplements from the EU market; set restrictive upper
limits on the dosages of all nutrients permitted in the EU; and
prevent the sale of all supplements for curative, preventative or
therapeutic purposes within the EU without a doctor’s prescription.
Because of the strength of the EU block-vote at Codex, the passage
of the FSD has ominous implications for legitimizing the Codex Draft
Guidelines for Vitamin and Mineral Supplements
(http://www4.dr-rath-foundation.org/
accessed 6-25-05).
Legal challenges to the Food Supplements Directive were struck down
in July, 2005. The EU Food Supplements Directive is now essentially
the blueprint for the Codex Guidelines for Vitamin and Mineral
Supplements and the dismantling of the health food industry in
Europe was expected to begin in August, 2005. As a result, thousands
of vitamin and mineral supplements in Europe are expected to be
outlawed or potencies severely restricted. Similar restrictions
under the Codex Draft
Guidelines for Vitamin and Mineral Supplements are expected
to apply worldwide, including the United States if the Central
American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA) is passed by Congress (http://www4.dr-rath-foundation.org/,
http://www.thenhf.com/newsflash_49.htm accessed 7-25-05).
If
such a dramatic restriction of dietary supplements actually occurs
as feared, consumers will be less able to ensure the nutritional
adequacy of their diets through the convenient use of vitamin or
mineral dietary supplements and a proper balance of diet and
nutrition will become even more important in promoting health in the
face of fibromyalgia and other diseases.
©
2005
by
John W. Cartmell
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