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Nutrition

Nutrition is the sum of the processes involved in taking in nutrients, assimilating and utilising them.

Nutrients

Essential nutrients are those substances (proteins, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins and minerals) necessary for growth, normal functioning, and maintaining life; they must be supplied by foods because they cannot be made by the body. This definition can be extended to include other components that are necessary for human life. These could include oxygen and water, and some would even say emotional and psychological ‘nutrients’ such as love. The main nutrients known to be essential for humans are:

Amino acids (proteins)
carbohydrates
essential fatty acids (fats)
vitamins
Minerals (macro & micro)
others (fibre, oxygen, water, etc.)

Ref. Nutritional Medicine by Dr Stephen Davies and Dr Alan Stewart

Where have all the minerals gone?

MAFF (now DEFRA) have recorded a steady decline in minerals within fruit and vegetables since the 1930‘s, when recording began.

Soil health = Human health ?

Calcium in vegetables today is about one-fifth lower than those 50 years ago, Copper is 19% lower; other minerals have also decreased. This means poorer nutrition for both animals and humans eating the crop particularly if they are not eating a balanced diet anyway.

Malnutrition is a cause of much of today’s increase in disease. Mental illness, Alzheimer’s, infertility, cancer, diabetes, hypertension, and rheumatoid arthritis are just some of the illnesses which may be caused or made worse by a bad diet.

Our children are particularly at risk, given their attraction to ‘junk’ food and the lack of proper education in healthy eating habits. Difficulties with learning and memory, and behavioural problems, are now also being attributed to a deficiency of vitamins and minerals.

This is not a problem of the future, the health of the population is seriously at risk right now.

Is organic food any more nutritious than conventionally grown food?

You may remember that in 2000 the Food Standards Agency criticised organic food as being

"no more nutritious than conventionally grown food"

In answer to this the Soil Association published a report late last year called "Organic Farming, Food Quality and Human Health". Based on a review of over four hundred scientific papers The report concluded that there was a "trend towards the nutritional superiority of organically-grown food". However, there was also a call for the need to see more comparative research taking place.


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	ARTICLE - WHAT IS NUTRITION?

	Nutrition Nutrition is the sum of the processes involved in taking in nutrients, assimilating and utilising them. Nutrients Essential nutrients are those substances (proteins, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins and minerals) necessary for growth, normal functioning, and maintaining life; they must be supplied by foods because they cannot be made by the body. This definition can be extended to include other components that are necessary for human life. These could include oxygen and water, and some would even say emotional and psychological ‘nutrients’ such as love. The main nutrients known to be essential for humans are: Amino acids (proteins) carbohydrates essential fatty acids (fats) vitamins Minerals (macro & micro) others (fibre, oxygen, water, etc.) Ref. Nutritional Medicine by Dr Stephen Davies and Dr Alan Stewart Where have all the minerals gone? MAFF (now DEFRA) have recorded a steady decline in minerals within fruit and vegetables since the 1930‘s, when recording began. Soil health = Human health ? Calcium in vegetables today is about one-fifth lower than those 50 years ago, Copper is 19% lower; other minerals have also decreased. This means poorer nutrition for both animals and humans eating the crop particularly if they are not eating a balanced diet anyway. Malnutrition is a cause of much of today’s increase in disease. Mental illness, Alzheimer’s, infertility, cancer, diabetes, hypertension, and rheumatoid arthritis are just some of the illnesses which may be caused or made worse by a bad diet. Our children are particularly at risk, given their attraction to ‘junk’ food and the lack of proper education in healthy eating habits. Difficulties with learning and memory, and behavioural problems, are now also being attributed to a deficiency of vitamins and minerals. This is not a problem of the future, the health of the population is seriously at risk right now. Is organic food any more nutritious than conventionally grown food? You may remember that in 2000 the Food Standards Agency criticised organic food as being "no more nutritious than conventionally grown food" In answer to this the Soil Association published a report late last year called "Organic Farming, Food Quality and Human Health". Based on a review of over four hundred scientific papers The report concluded that there was a "trend towards the nutritional superiority of organically-grown food". However, there was also a call for the need to see more comparative research taking place.

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