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| Nutrition in Todays World |
| Eating Healthier Fruits and Vegetables Importance of Breast Feeding Calcium and Bone Loss |
Eating Healthier
By far the most important aspect of nutrition is the quality and quantity of foods consumed. If asked most will quickly preface their answer by stating that what they consumed the last two days isn't normal, and that they usually don't eat bacon and eggs for breakfast, a cheeseburger and fries for lunch, and pot pies for dinner.
We clearly are a long way from fully understanding diet and all the ways it affects our physiology, psychology, and biochemistry. We do know that a low fat, moderate protein, high complex carbohydrate diet with minimal processing of the foods consumed seems to be the healthiest for the general population. We also know that the optimal diet for an individual will vary depending on many factors.
We must remember that eating healthy is a lifestyle change. Like starting an exercise program, changing a person's food intake gradually increases the odds of lifetime compliance. One way to help the gradual change is to have handy information in the form of handouts to post on your refrigerator to remind you of some healthier alternatives to the foods that you normally consume.
Check with your doctor for some examples of food substitutions and food preparation tips that you can keep on your refrigerator for a quick and healthy reference.
- Stevenson RW: Chiropractic Textbook. 1927
- 2. U.C. Berkeley Wellness Letter. 5(12): September 1989.
Fruits and Vegetables
The new recommendations for healthy diet in this country include four or five servings of fresh fruits and vegetables each day. A lot of people may only have one or two servings of fresh fruits or vegetables a week. Since the concept of eating four or five servings of fresh fruits or vegetables a day may seem overwhelming, you can begin by consuming one piece of fresh fruit five days a week, such as an apple or an orange, in place of your normal snacks of candy, chips, or pastries.
Importance of Breast Feeding
According to new guidelines released by the American Academy of Pediatrics, breast milk is the preferred choice for baby, mother and society in general. The guidelines cite compelling advantages to infants, mothers, families, and society from breastfeeding and the use of human milk for infant feeding. These include health, nutritional, immunologic, developmental, psychological, social, economic, and environmental benefits.
The paper goes on to state:
"Human milk is uniquely superior for infant feeding and is species-specific; all substitute feeding options differ markedly from it."
According to numerous studies, the benefits of breastfeeding to the baby include decreased risk for a large number of acute and chronic diseases. This includes decreases in the incidence and/or severity of:
- Diarrhea (2-6)
- Lower respiratory infection (6-10)
- Otitis media (4,11-15)
- Bacteremia (16,17)
- Bacterial meningitis (16,18)
- Botulism (19)
- Urinary tract infection (20)
- Necrotizing enterocolitis (21,22)
- Sudden infant death syndrome (23-25)
- Insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (26-28)
- Crohn's disease (29,30)
- Ulcerative colitis (30)
- Lymphoma (31,32)
- Allergic diseases (33-35)
- Other chronic digestive diseases (36-38)
There appear to be almost as many benefits to the mother who breastfeeds:
- Less postpartum bleeding and more rapid uterine involution (41). Less menstrual blood loss over the months after delivery, earlier return to pre-pregnant weight (42). Delayed resumption of ovulation with increased child spacing (43-45). Improved bone remineralization postpartum (46). Reduction in hip fractures in the postmenopausal period (47). Reduced risk of ovarian cancer (48). Reduced risk of premenopausal breast cancer (49).
The American Academy of Pediatrics also set forth some recommendations for breastfeeding:
- Human milk is the preferred feeding for all infants, including premature and sick newborns, with rare exceptions. (50-52)
- Breastfeeding should begin as soon as possible after birth, usually within the first hour. (53-55)
- Newborns should be nursed whenever they show signs of hunger, such as increased alertness of activity, mouthing, or rooting. (56)
- No supplements (water, glucose water, formula, and so forth) should be given to breastfeeding newborns unless a medical indication exists. (57-60)
- Exclusive breastfeeding is ideal nutrition and sufficient to support optimal growth and development for approximately the first six months after birth. (61)
- In the first six months, water, juice, and other foods are generally unnecessary for breastfed infants. (62,63)
- Should hospitalization of the breastfeeding mother or infant be necessary, every effort should be made to maintain breastfeeding, preferably directly, or by pumping the breasts and feeding expressed breast milk, if necessary.
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Common Questions Concerning Calcium and Bone Loss
Q: When should women start calcium supplementation?
A: A woman will achieve peak bone mass in the years ranging from her late teens to her middle 20s. After that, her bone mass will stabilize providing she has adequate external stimulus to maintain stability (weightbearing exercise) and adequate micronutrients needed to synthesize bone tissue (calcium, vitamin D and other support factors). In Western society, especially in the U.S., many women do not get enough exercise, nor do they consume enough calcium and other bone-building vitamins and minerals. Thus, it is not uncommon for women in their 30s and 40s to lose between 1-2 percent of their bone mass per year. By the time they reach menopause, loss can be 25 percent or more. When menopause occurs, the rate of bone loss is greatly accelerated. Thus, the strategy for avoiding osteoporosis is twofold. First, prevent any premonopausal bone loss. Second, reduce the level of postmenopausal bone loss.
Q: What are the best natural ways to protect my bones?
A: The best ways, in order of importance, are:
- Regular weightbearing exercise.
- Calcium supplementation
- Vitamin D supplementation.
- Magnesium supplementation.
- RDA levels of the trace minerals zinc, copper and manganese; silicon, boron and vitamin K: People whose daily diets include six to eight servings of fruits and vegetables along with whole grains will get plenty of silicon, boron and vitamin K. For the average person who does not follow this type of diet, silicon, boron and vitamin K should be supplemented.
A: Protein helps the rate of calcium absorption in the small intestines. However, high protein diets can cause an increase in the calcium excreted, because some proteins like beef and poultry have an acid residue when digested. To maintain proper pH, the body will release stored calcium to offset the acid residue from protein. On average, each gram of protein consumed will cause approximately 1-1.5 mg of calcium to be excreted. Thus, if a 110-pound woman changes her diet from RDA levels of approximately 55 grams of protein a day to a high protein level of 110 grams, she should increase her dietary calcium intake by 60 to 80 mg per day. This is easily accomplished by eating only two or three ounces of plain yogurt.
Q: Are there other commonly consumed foods that cause calcium loss?
A: Both sodium and caffeine also cause calcium to be mobilized and excreted. Fifty milligrams of sodium will cause one milligram of calcium to be lost. Fifteen milligrams of caffeine will also cause one milligram of calcium to be excreted in the urine.
Q: How do you feel about cheese as a source of dietary calcium?
A: Commonly consumed cheeses such as cheddar, jack, mozzarella and swiss all contain over 200 mg of calcium per ounce, making cheese an excellent dietary source. Unfortunately, cheese is also high in calories, total fat, saturated fat and sodium - all of which are excessive in the Western diet. Thus, most people should consume cheese in moderation.
Q: If a woman takes estrogen, does she still need calcium?
A: Yes. She also needs vitamin D, magnesium, zinc, manganese, copper, silicon, boron, and vitamins C and K. Although, estrogen promotes bone formation and prevents bone loss, it cannot do this if there are inadequate raw materials available.
Q: I heard that calcium carbonate is no good? What is the best form of calcium?
A: Calcium carbonate is one of the least expensive forms of calcium. It has a higher percentage of elemental calcium than any other form. Thus, compared to other types of calcium, you can take fewer pills to meet your requirements. It is true that there are types of calcium that have higher absorption profiles. The best forms are citrate-malate, citrate, and microcrystalline hydroxyapatite (MCHC). Other well-absorbed forms include calcium ascorbate, aspartate and phosphate. However, the average person does well on calcium carbonate.
References
- 1. Storm D et al. Calcium supplementation prevents seasonable bone loss and changes in biochemical markers of bone turnover in elderly New England women. A randomized placedo controlled trial. J Clin Endorcinolo Metab, 1999;83, (11):3817-3825.
- 2. C. Gennari et al. Effect of ipriflavone - a synthetic derivative of natural isoflavone - on bone mass loss in the early years after menopause. Journal of the North American Menopause Society, 1998;(1): 9-15.