Thursday, 28 June 2007

A great cold and flu treatment

Flu remedyIf you are in the middle of a cold or ‘flu (which means you can’t get out of bed - there’s no such thing as ‘a touch of ‘flu’. If you’re not flat on your back, you haven’t got ‘flu), try this powerful ginger root tea from Dr Andrew Weil:

o grate a 1in piece of ginger root into a pot
o cover with 2 cups of cold water and bring to the boil &
o simmer for five minutes
o add ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper and
o simmer for another minute
o remove from heat and
o add two teaspoons fresh lemon juice
o honey to taste and 1or 2 mashed cloves of garlic
o cool slightly and strain if you like

Drink as much of it as you like, get under the blankets and feel better soon!

Image source=Yoga & Health
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Tuesday, 26 June 2007

Echinacea 'Can prevent a cold'

EchinaceaWe often read of the good results people have had by using Echinacea when they first feel a cold coming on and the press has also caught on to the idea.

There certainly there is plenty of truth in the claim that it can prevent a cold as Echinacea has long been hailed as an immune booster, especially in people who have low immune function. As we all know, when the cold virus is around some people are highly susceptible to its attack, whilst others seem to sail through with no effects at all. These are the people who have well-functioning immune systems that can fight off the effects of the virus.

Professor Ron Cutler of the University of East London says “Echinacea may reduce the duration of illness and decreases the severity of cough, headache and nasal congestion”

This is all encouraging news. However, Echinacea has its down sides too, and one must be aware of these before dashing out and buying a years’ supply in the hopes of preventing colds. Firstly, taking this herb on a regular basis is not recommended as the benefits may only be effective for a week or two. Instead, stop taking Echinacea for a week or two before taking it again, in order to benefit fully from it’s immune boosting effects.

More importantly, there is concern over the use of Echinacea in patients with HIV and AIDS. Although AIDS is associated with wide-spread depression of the immune system and Echinacea can dramatically improve immune function in people with low immune status, there is concern, because Echinacea can increase levels of tumour-necrosis-factor (TNF). This compound can stimulate replication of the HIV as well. At this time it appears wise for HIV-infected individuals to avoid Echinacea until there is more reliable research.

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Monday, 25 June 2007

Omega-3 fish oil supplements and toxins

Fish farmThere’s no doubt that fish and fish oil are healthy foods. Omega-3 is an essential nutrient that is only available to us from foods we eat. Even mainstream medicine now prescribes Omega-3 supplementation for atherosclerosis patients and the exceptional results experienced by people suffering from Bi-polar and AD(H)D disorders is legion.

So why bring in toxins? Simply because it’s a known fact that fish is contaminated with heavy metals and toxic chemicals, especially mercury. The simple conclusion is that the oil in the fish must therefore also be toxic to varying degrees and it is essential that you only buy ‘Pharmaceutical Grade’ fish oil supplements.

Some toxins found in fish

  • Mercury: In America one-in-six children born every year have been exposed to mercury levels so high that they are potentially at risk for learning disabilities and motor skill impairment and short-term memory loss. Mercury has been ‘on the market’ in skin creams and dental fillings for generations. It can cause permanent damage to the nervous system
  • PCBs are toxic chemicals that cause cancer, liver damage, reproductive impairments, numbness of limbs and immune system damage, amongst other defects
  • Dioxins and Furans are highly carcinogenic environmental man-made contaminants formed as a result of burning fossil fuels. Dioxins are the most toxic chemicals made by man
There are many fish oil products on the market – don’t be fooled into thinking they are all good for you – far from it. ONLY Pharmaceutical Grade, is healthy fish oil.

Oxidized Fish Oil

Most fish oils used in fish oil supplements are transported long distances in tankers and …...... fish oil is highly susceptible to rancidity....meaning it goes bad quickly because it's fragile.
In short, freshness for most fish oils is an issue -- which is just another way of saying that the fish oil can become oxidized and goes bad. To know the health of your fish oil, open a capsule – if there is a strong, bad smell, it’s oxidized!

Pharmaceutical Grade simplified

Simply put…Pharmaceutical Grade Omega-3 is distilled under pharmaceutical conditions so that the toxins are removed, providing you with a ‘pure’ product. This company has had their omega-3 fish oil tested by an independent laboratory.

Further reading on Omega-3: Ascenta Health

Image source= US Aid
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Friday, 22 June 2007

Salmon Oil or Flax Oil?

FlaxseedThere is a difference in the way the body can use fish oils, compared to flax seed oil. The body converts the original type of omega-3 fat, known as (alpha) linolenic acid, which is the principle fat in flax seeds, into EPA and DHA which are both found in fish oils, but not in flax. So by eating fish or taking fish oils, you are saving your body from having to do the conversion.

What’s more, the efficacy of the conversion is dubious in many people. The enzymes that convert linolenic acid into EPA and DHA are very underdeveloped in babies, which is why breast feeding is so important and why supplying children with a direct source of EPA and DHA is essential.

Another problem with relying on taking flax seed oil is that, for an unknown reason, the linolenic acid appears to convert more readily to EPA than DHA. On average 15% of linolenic acid converts to EPA, while only 5% converts to DHA, thus causing an imbalance. Indeed, vegetarians have been shown to have lower levels of DHA, even if their EPA levels are adequate. Since DHA is literally a building component of the brain it is most vital in pregnancy, infancy and early childhood.

It is also important to ensure a good supply of the nutrients on which the conversion enzymes depend, i.e. Vitamins B3, B6 and C, biotin, zinc and magnesium, which is easily achieved by giving your child a good multivitamin and mineral supplement.

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Thursday, 21 June 2007

10 Common Nutrients in Vegetables

Nutrients in vegetables1. Beta-carotene: especially useful to the body as it is turned into vitamin A. Found in yellow, red, orange and dark green vegetables and fruit such as pumpkin, carrots, yellow beans, beetroot, blue berries, raspberries, spinach, kale, broccoli

2.
Calcium: essential for developing and maintain strong bones. Found in green vegetables such as broccoli, spinach, kale and plain yoghurt. Do not rely on dairy foods as your only source of calcium – after all, where do cows get calcium?

3.
Chlorophyll: for energy and the very basis of healthy. Found in all the green vegetables and their leaves, such as spinach, beetroot, kale, cauliflower, cabbage, salad leaves, etc

4.
Flavonoids: these are antioxidants which help prevent degenerative diseases such as heart disease and cancer – eat your veggies!

5.
Folic acid: essential for healthy blood. Found in beetroot, citrus fruit, green leafy vegetables and salad leaves

6.
Iron: very important for well functioning red blood cells. Found in dark green leafy vegetables and beetroot

7.
Magnesium: essential for growth and repair of the body. Found in peas, nuts and sesame seeds

8. Phosphorus: grow healthy teeth and bones. Found in cabbage, potatoes, oranges, cherries and currants

9. Potassium: important for cell function. Found in many vegetables and fruit, particularly bananas

10. Protein: an essential nutrient for all muscle building and maintaining, energy and growth. Found in beans, peas, lentils, nuts and seeds

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Wednesday, 20 June 2007

How to banish a cold

cold remedyOTC cold remedies don’t work. Masking one lot of symptoms just to suffer a bunch of others which make you feel worse doesn’t make any sense. To top it, your cold still lasts either 2 weeks or fourteen days. Why not set about preventing them for a change? If you get more than two colds a year, here’s how:

From today on, take 1-2 grams of vitamin C three times a day


Next time you get that scratchy feeling in your throat, don’t hang around waiting to see how it develops, and try this:

  • Immediately eat 2 cloves of raw garlic, either chopped up with some other food, or in a glass of juiced vegetables, or just swallow the cloves whole. Do this 4 times a day for four days, or take 2 good quality garlic tablets, sourced from raw Alpine garlic leaves
  • Four times a day for four days, take 2g vitamin C, 2 Olive Leaf tablets and 2 Golden Seal tablets
  • After 4 days. stop the Golden Seal and Olive Leaf and continue with the vitamin C and garlic for another four days
  • Suck some zinc gluconate or zinc acetate lozenges

Image source=Strange invensions from Japenese Research Labs
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Tuesday, 19 June 2007

Vegetable garden growing pains at Squirrel's Landing

This week we put in a new bed at ‘Squirrel’s Landing’ because we’ve outgrown the first three!

  • We’ve used the same process as before – first digging over the soil with a hefty pick, taking out all the stones and grass and then resting it for a couple of days
  • Next we opened up 8 huge bags of ancient manure, completely aged and dry, and worked them well into the soil
  • On top of that came a generous sprinkling of organic fertilizer pellets and bone meal
  • More digging over followed
  • With a good watering to get the soil evenly moist
  • We then let the bed ‘rest’ for a week, with two more good waterings as there’s been no rain, and some temperatures in the 20’s
  • Finally we planted out a long row of young strawberry plants taken from the six originals we cropped off last summer

Broad beans in the organic vegetable gardenThe broad beans are in flower! This is a new surprise, as they are still quite young, but none the less are bursting with health and enthusiasm. All the seeds germinated, and as a result, the plants are quite close together and so giving one another some support. So far they haven’t been battered by the wind or rain, and if our luck holds, we should have some young beans in a couple of weeks.






Artichokes and rhubarb in the organic vegetable gardenThe artichokes and rhubarb are growing very well – we had a crop of rhubarb with stalks over 50cm in length, so only needed a few for a hefty rhubarb pie. When we planted the artichokes we knew they were too close together, but hoped they’d grow slowly through the cold weather and give us time to get some new beds going before they outgrew their space. Instead, they’ve grown into huge plants at a record pace and will have to be transplanted very soon.

In the background of the picture you can see the asparagus fronds are dying off quickly. The stems will soon need to be cut back and the plants given their covering of well rotted manure which will send down nutrients into the soil over their dormant time. thinning them out will taken place before their new shoots form at the end of winter

As you can see, the bed we’ve just prepared isn’t going to give us nearly enough space – we’ll have to do it all again very soon if we want to sew any more beetroot and carrots. Let alone the lettuce, peas, tomatoes, cabbage and potatoes which the books tell us we can plant in June.


Strawberries in the organic vegetable gardenWatch out for progress reports on the strawberries...









More artilces on the Organic Vegetable Garden at Squirrel's Landing:

The birth of an organic vegetable garden
April Progress in the organic vegetable garden
May progress in the organic vegetable garden
May harvest from the organic vegetable garden

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Friday, 15 June 2007

Chromium helps beat cholesterol and heart disease

Chromium in CabbageIf you thought of chromium as the shiny metal in a car bumper, you’re not alone. Of course chrome bumpers are long gone, but the metal plays a crucial role in human health, reports the Jan 2007 issue of Harvard Men’s Health Watch.

Chromium and cholesterol:
The best ways to boost HDL levels are lifestyle changes such as exercise and a diet boosted with Omega-3 fish oil, fresh vegetables and fruit, while eliminating processed foods, sugar and supermarket fats. But if those don’t help, chromium may be worth a try. Some clinical trials have reported a benefit. Chromium deficiency leads to high cholesterol levels in rats, but the results in humans have been contradictory, so it may be too early to recommend chromium supplements for high cholesterol.

Chromium and heart disease:
A new study reports a link between chromium levels and heart attack risk: the lower the levels, the higher the risk. The association of low chromium and heart attacks was unrelated to diabetes or diet.

Chromium and diabetes:
Many diabetics will test a deficiency in chromium, and since chromium influences insulin action and glucose metabolism, diabetes is a logical candidate for chromium replacement therapy. However, studies have yielded conflicting results. The American Diabetes Association states that “at present, benefit from chromium supplements has not been conclusively demonstrated.” This is an invitation for more scientific study.

Chromium and weight loss:
Despite the popularity of chromium picolinate as a diet aid, scientists agree that chromium supplements are not effective in producing sustained weight loss.

Is chromium right for you? When it comes to dietary chromium, the answer is yes; whole grains, nuts, broccoli, and green beans, which contain the mineral, are all healthful foods.

Image source=ScienceNews.com
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Sunday, 10 June 2007

Organic is big business

Organic shopAt the start of this posting you’ll have gathered long ago that Cabbages and Cream is passionate about organic food, be it vegetables and fruit, or even skin food and household detergents. However, in a moment you may question this stance, because we’re about to show up the word ‘organic’ as being surprisingly flawed. So please accept our apologies right now, while we urge you to use the information with common sense and for your good health’s sake continue to eat as much Real Food as you possibly can. All you need to do is be diligent as to its source and stop believing every label you read as having your best interests at heart

As soon as something good comes along, Big Business is sure to get its fingers in the pie, and more often than not, to the detriment of the consumer

Take the word ‘organic’ for instance. There was a time when the whole organic movement was scoffed at, but then people started asking uncomfortable questions about the quality of their food, to discover that all the time ‘organic’ had the answers. At last we found food grown like it used to be in ‘the good ole’ days’ of our grandparents’ time, with all the sentimental hype to goe with it

But Big Business wasn’t happy – suddenly they had to answer for the way they grow our food and that could be uncomfortable. So they found ‘scientists’ who could ‘prove’ organic is no better than conventional food, and subsequently the jury has remained out. A situation which suits Big Business very well – keep the consumer confused while continuing to produce inferior foods in clever wrappings

Well, not ALL Big Business, of course, but there are enough reasons to suppose food manufacturers are gypping us. As a result we spend a lot of time on the fence but instinctively believe that ‘organic is better’. And so we should

But – and here’s the nub – Big Business is promoting ‘organic’ with a large-scale mentality! How did that happen? You may well ask.

Organic food sales reflect this trend – in the US organic food sales increased from $3.5bil in 1996 to $9bil in 2001. What must those figures look like for 2007?

While families with young children are the biggest consumers of organic products – wait for it – heavyweights such as Coca-Cola and Pepsi are working their way steadily into the organic market. Frito-Lay, which is owned by PepsiCo, now sells ‘organic’ salsa. What mockery of the word is this? As far back as 2001, Coca-Cola started selling organic carrot, apple and orange juices. Big Business has its teeth in the organic trend and before long the word will become hideously flawed, leaving consumers more confused than ever.

And now the Wal-Mart Giant has stirred ……

Wal-Mart Plans Huge Move Into Organic Food

Organic Rice Krispies, organic Frosted Mini Wheats and even organic Pepsi may define the future of American eating habits after Wal-Mart, the world's largest retailer, revealed plans for a huge expansion into pesticide-free foods.

The answer to all this nonsense is, don’t be fooled. Just because someone says something is organic is no reason to buy it without first doing the homework. The word organic printed on a label doesn’t mean the product is necessarily better for you than non-organic – take these examples:

  • Commercial organic milk. Don’t forget that pasteurization destroys enzymes, denatures fragile milk proteins, obliterates beneficial bacteria, weakens vitamin content, encourages allergies, promotes pathogens, boosts tooth decay and infantile colic, destroys vitamin B12, and vitamin B6and encourages growth problems in children, arthritis, osteoporosis, cancer and heart disease. It makes no difference whether the milk is organic or not, these functions still apply to pasteurized milk and only raw milk does not hold these pitfalls.
  • Organic whole wheat bread is another example. Organic bread and organic sugar both contribute to chronic degenerative disease in the majority of people who consume them. They both cause food sensitivities, whether they are organic or not.
  • These examples are typical of food industry moguls catching on to the organic bandwagon at the expense of the consumer

Further reading: ABC Forced to Apologize for Lying About Evidence on Organic Food

Image source=The Earth Market
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Saturday, 9 June 2007

Why all the hype about organic food?

Coloured pasta shellsAs you browse your local store, looking for inspiration to feed the family, you may wonder whether organic is really any better than regular foods. After all, organic is the buzz word these days, so there must be something in it. And consumers are forcing the demand, while marketers are only too happy to find ways of getting us to part with our money

For a moment, let’s ignore those with financial interests driving their complicated claim that organic makes no difference and look at simple reasons why organic really is better for you.

Traditional farmers -

  • Use insecticides to keep their crops insect- and disease-free
  • Control weed infestation with synthetic herbicides

Organic farmers –
  • Use natural predators and barriers to keep insects and disease under control
  • Use crop rotation, mulches, cover crops and weeding by hand to control weeds
This leaves conventional foods contaminated with excess chemicals, which due to build-up can be harmful to humans. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) considers 60% of herbicides, 30% of insecticides and 90% of fungicides to be carcinogenic

Now those stats alone are enough alert any thinking person to the health dangers involved in supermarket foods. And for our future, as Dr Mercola says - You don't need to have a medical degree to know that anything that kills insects and other living creatures is not likely to be very good for developing babies. One of the most important things a pregnant woman can do is avoid these chemicals as if her baby's life depended on it.

Pesticides play havoc with the immune system, disturbing hormones, causing neurotoxicity and increasing the carcinogens and free radicals in the body. Exposure to pesticides have also been linked to the male reproductive function

Some foods likely to have high levels of pesticides:

FruitVegetables
PeachesHot Peppers
ApplesBell peppers
StrawberriesCelery
NectarinesPotatoes
Pears
Cherries
Red raspberries
Imported grapes

Whilst the following might contain fewer pesticides:


PineapplesCauliflower
MangoesBrussels sprouts
BananasAsparagus
WatermelonRadishes
PlumsBroccoli
Kiwi fruitOnions
BlueberriesPapaya
Grapefruit

And more than the contamination of our food, regular produce has a propensity to carry fewer of the nutrients we depend on for good health. Studies find significantly higher levels of Vitamin C, phosphorous, magnesium and iron in organic products, while also finding appreciably lower levels of toxins such as nitrates.

So while different voices argue the point – stick with the basics – you don’t want to mess up your immune system and become susceptible to disease as a result. Keep using organic foods wherever you can, but be sensible at the same time – if you can’t afford organic, don’t stop eating Real Food all the same!


Further reading:

Environmental Protection Agency of Queensland, Australia

Environmental Protection Agency of Ireland

Dr Mercola on Organic produce

Image source=Hormel Foods
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Friday, 8 June 2007

Pumpkin Soup

Pumpkin Soup1/2 a medium pumpkin - seeded, peeled and cut in chunks
1 medium courgette - thick slices
8 button mushrooms chunked
1 medium leek - thick slices
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 heaped teaspoons Marigold veg stock powder
Boiling water to cover
A little chili powder - to taste
1 tablespoon fresh Italian parsley - chopped
1 tablespoon fresh chives – chopped
Coriander – chopped, to serve
Yoghurt or cream – to serve

Serves 4

Brown the veggies in the oil till all are covered, not burned
Add the spices, stock and herbs – stir well
Cover with water to about half an inch above the veggies
Stir again
Cover and simmer very gently for 10 minutes
Turn off the heat and leave for 20 minutes
Liquidize
Re-heat to just under boiling
Serve with cream or plain yogurt drizzled over, and chopped coriander

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Thursday, 7 June 2007

Hope for allergy sufferers?

Allergy vaccine, injectedAllergy vaccine hopes get boost, so says Richard Black, BBC science correspondence

Medical researchers have obtained promising results from a trial of a genetically-engineered allergy vaccine.

During the trial, conducted in Austria, Sweden and France, the vaccine significantly reduced peoples' allergic response to pollen.

The team says it is already developing further GM vaccines to combat other allergies”

Some estimates reveal that a quarter of the world’s population could be allergic to something; so many unhappy sniffling, sneezing and coughing people around the world will welcome this news

However, further into the article, Black writes “But although these can work well, they can also produce major side-effects.

As with many other pharmaceutical drugs, somehow the cause of the allergies has been quietly by-passed, and all this new genetically modified drug can ever do is mask the symptoms so that we feel better - whilst our body gets sicker with side effects, more likely on top of other drugs for other conditions which carry more side-effects. And so the debilitation goes on, with no real hope of ever being fully well again

Why not get to the cause instead?

Allergies are frequently caused by food sensitivities, and while we are not aware of their causing the problem, allergens such as pollen and house mites will tip the scales and produce the attacks that leave us utterly miserable:

  • Whilst asthma has long been classed as an allergy, it is in fact rooted in a food sensitivity, most often dairy or wheat or sugar
  • Dry eyes, not always connected to allergies, are a symptom of an Omega-3 deficiency
  • Sinus problems can be a thing of the past if you give up dairy products

Ten suggestions to rid you of allergies forever:

  1. Speak to a nutritionally trained health practitioner
  2. Food sensitivity tests are readily available to find your specific sensitivity
  3. Or you can eliminate trigger foods from your diet for one month at a time – i.e. no dairy foods for one month, then no wheat, no sugar, etc
  4. Once you have found your sensitivity, stay off that food (or foods) for a minimum of six months, and then SLOWLY re-introduce the offending food.
  5. If you reintroduce too quickly your sensitivity could come back with a vengeance!
  6. Supplement with pharmaceutical grade Omega-3 Fish Oil (deficiencies of this essential fat can exacerbate food sensitivities)
  7. Increase fresh fruit and vegetables, with lots of raw and juiced foods
  8. Eliminate bad fats such as margarine, sunflower and cheap olive oils
  9. Eliminate processed foods from your diet
  10. Get good exercise at least three times a week

Image source=bbc
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Sunday, 3 June 2007

Why do I experience cramps at night?

Muscle crampsPeople who experience cramping often lack magnesium-rich foods in their diet, do not exercise regularly, sit around a lot and eat an excess of foods which reduce their calcium levels, such as grains, fizzy drinks, animal foods, caffeinated beverages, processed foods high in phosphates and refined sugars.

Muscle cramps can also be due to many other influences, and if the cramping becomes severe, all of these possibilities need to be eliminated:

• Deficiencies in magnesium, iron, calcium, vitamin E and/or folic acid
• Low thyroid function
• Past injury
• Dietary imbalances
Food allergies
• Excessive coffee consumption
• Poor posture
• Spinal problems
• Uncomfortable footwear
• Heart problems
• Diabetes
• Arthritis
• General fatigue

Another influence is that diuretic medication tends to exacerbate cramps and spasms as they deplete the body of essential minerals, especially calcium, magnesium and potassium.

Muscle cramps, particularly in the calf muscles, can also occur because of a lack of sodium in the body. To prevent this, take a half a teaspoon of organic sea salt or Celtic salt in a glass of water once a day. If you have quite high blood pressure, then rather take an electrolyte mixture. Rosemary, lavender, marjoram, chamomile, or clary sage essential oil massaged into the affected area can provide rapid relief of most muscle cramping.

What can you do?

Diet: Concentrate on an organic, whole food diet high in magnesium and calcium-rich foods, such as green leafy vegetables, fruits (particularly apricots), millet, raw nuts and seeds, organic yogurt (unless very sensitive to dairy products), and raw organic honey. Reduce your intake of citrus fruits, meats, and grains (don’t stop them, eat less of them) and eliminate coffee and other caffeine drinks. Make sure you drink plenty of pure distilled water throughout the day.

Nutritional Supplementation: These nutrients are very helpful in the relief and preventing muscle cramps:

• Calcium with magnesium
• Potassium
• Silica
• Trace minerals
• Multi-mineral supplement
• Vitamin B complex
• Vitamin B1
• Vitamin B3 (niacin)
• Folic acid
• Vitamin C
• Vitamin E
• Chlorophyll

Juice Therapy: Carrot, beet, celery, and cucumber juice can provide your body with vital nutrients to minimize your risk of cramping.

Topical Treatment: Massage cramping muscles with a mixture of grated ginger juice and equal parts olive or sesame oil. Repeat as needed throughout the day.

Image source=The Hindu
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Friday, 1 June 2007

What are vitamins?

Structure of Vitamin CTwo groups of vitamins are present in the body – water soluble (C and all B vitamins), which are found in all watery components of cells; and fat soluble vitamins such as A, D, E and K, found in the fatty cell compartments such as membranes.

There are more than 20 vitamins, each having different chemical structures and roles within the body, which are used in many unique ways. For example, Vitamin C is used to form collagen, which is produced by ribosomes and exported from the cells to form collagen systems. During this process a substance called hydroxylproline from an amino acid, is formed, but if there is no Vitamin C available, the process cannot be completed. The first sign of this process breaking down is found in weak blood vessels and loose teeth. Collagen holds teeth in their sockets, so this simple deduction was first discovered when scurvy became rife amongst sailors who lacked fresh vegetables and fruit for months on end. Hence limes and lemons became an important part of their diet.

However, nowadays there is minimal Vitamin C found in citrus fruit, due to deficient soils and lack of sunshine at ripening, hence the necessity to supplement with good doses of Vitamin C on a daily basis. We are able to store some vitamins, and whilst Vitamin C is not one of them, Vitamin A is well stored in the liver, so be careful of over dosing!

In 1912, Polish scientist Casimir Funk described natural food substances that are essential for life when working on symptoms of beriberi. Funk suggested that these four precise diseases were caused by a lack of ‘amines’ in the diet:

Rickets – lack of Vitamin D caused ‘softening’ of the bones

Scurvy – lack of Vitamin C caused blood loss from leaking blood vessels

Pellagra –lack of Vitamin B3 caused skin changes, constant diarrhea and dementia

Beriberi – lack of Vitamin B1 caused pain in the limbs, weak muscles and enlarged and weak heart

Most vitamins are not produced in our bodies, and so we need to find them in our food. Common thinking is often that if we eat a ‘healthy’ diet of lots of fresh vegetables, fruit, legumes, grains, nuts, seeds and good protein.

We can get all of the vitamins we need in our food

Sorry about this, but the answer is no. Unless, of course you are growing all of your own food under perfect organic conditions, with soils that are rich in ALL the nutrients we need. As we’ve said before – organic is great, but the soil the food came from has to be very nutrient rich.

Independent studies conducted in the United States, and the United Kingdom amongst other countries reveal that the nutrient content of our food has fallen substantially over the past few decades. The table below gives examples of potatoes sold in Canada between 1951 and 1999.

Potatoes, one potato, peeled before boiling, 136g. 100/136=.74


Calcium
(mg)

Iron
(mg)

Vitamin A
(I.U.)

Vitamin C
(mg)

Thiamine
(mg)

Riboflavin
(mg)

Niacin
(mg)

1951

11.00

0.70

20.00

17.00

0.11

0.04

1.20

1972

5.74

0.49

0.00

16.39

0.09

0.03

1.15

1999

7.97

0.30

0.00

7.25

0.09

0.02

1.74

% Change

-27.55

-57.14

-100

-57.35

-18.18

-50.00

-45.00

See also:United Kingdom - Meat and diary: where have all the minerals gone? Food Magazine 72, pub. by The Food Commission, UK. Jan/Mar 2006.



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