Can you get good Nutrition from the Food you Eat?

CAN YOU GET GOOD NUTRITION FROM THE FOOD YOU EAT?

posted 09/15/2008
Many patients ask us about getting the proper amount of vitamins and minerals in their diet.

Often, they have been told that you don't really need to take supplements because you can get all the nutrition in the food we eat. That's a great theory but the reality is it is almost impossible in this day and age to purchase food that is packed full of the vitamins and minerals we need to maintain a healthy lifestyle.

First there is the question of when food is picked and how long it is stored. Many foods we get in the "fresh produce" section has been stored for a period of weeks or months before it gets to our grocery store. Most fruits and vegetables lose up to 50% of the vitamin C when stored for three months. Then when we purchase it and store it at room temperature in our home, they lose another 50% of vitamin C. Leafy green vegetables when properly stored in a refrigerator lose 25% of vitamins A and C.

The other factor is the depletion of our soils of minerals through constant replanting. In fact, one U.S. Senate report states that our commercially grown foods contain 70% less vitamins and minerals than they used to due to continually planting the same crops on the same land over and over. This report came out in 1936. Who knows where we are today. This doesn't even consider the pesticides and herbicides commonly used to protect crops.

Then we cook our food. Vitamin C, all B vitamins and many minerals are water soluble, therefore the longer we cook them, the more vitamins and minerals are lost. Minerals such as calcium, phosphorus and iron are lost in cooking and draining foods like vegetables and rice.

When we reheat food after two to three days in our refrigerator, we decrease vitamin C by another 30-50%.

Take peas for example. If we cook them immediately after picking them, they lose 56% of their vitamin content. Frozen peas lose 83% of there nutritional value, and canned peas lose 94% by the time we finally cook them.

So, what can we do? One, eat organically when possible. Eat more raw fruits and vegetables. Avoid processed food as much as you can. We also need to take good quality supplements that are natural and not synthetic. We recommend people take a good quality multi-vitamin, omega 3 oils (fish oil) and some sort of green drink that includes enzymes, probiotics and sprouted greens (which are 50-100 time more powerful than the vegetable itself).

We welcome you to stop by our office and be tested for your supplemental needs. We carry supplements from Nutriwest that are made to the most exacting specifications in the industry.

If you have any questions, please call us at 360-378-5660 or go to our Web site at: sanjuanholistichealthcare.com.

Yours in Health,
Mark W. Earnhart, D.C.