Food Processing and Prep: the Vitamin Massacre

A whole healthy food is a different animal when its caged in a can, freezer packed or in a box.  Potatoes, for instance are potentially a regular, reliable source of vitamin C.  But today, many people eat potatoes reconstituted from instant mixes, not realizing that these potato products contain no vitamin C whatsoever.  Figures for citrus fruits(a staple source of vitamin C) are not much better.  Orange juice from a cardboard carton has up to 30% less vitamin C than fresh squeezed juice.  That wouldn't be so bad, but 40% of whats left of the vitamin C is biologically inactive(of no use at all). 

For years the USDA believed that a 6 oz pork loin delivered 5.4 mg of iron a substantial amount.  But recently the USDA has discovered that pork contains only 1.62 mg, 70% less than thought.  Beef the most popular meat in America contains 20% less iron than originally thought. 

Today there are more than 3,000 chemicals used in the commercial food we eat.  And in one way or another many of them are nutrient and immune system antagonist.  The plants we grow are deficient, so in turn we take them a boil the crap out of them, or steam them or even worse microwave those bad boys.  And as a result they contain 20% the original nutritional content after molecular destabilization by cooking.

Vitamin Deficiencies: USDA Stats

The following list highlights the principle vitamins and minerals that were found to be deficient in a recent study conducted with 40,000 Americans.

Calcium: 68% very unsatisfactory results EAT YOUR DAIRY.  This is why levels of osteoporosis and arthritis are so high. 

Iron:  57% this is a weird phenomenon considering our meat consumption is high but our iron is low this could be contributed to the fact that roughly 55% of Americans consume Aspirin regularly which leads to an iron deficiency.

Magnesium:  75% reasons being the body excretes magnesium when stressed i.e. most of America lol

Vitamin A:  50% if you don't know someone with it you have it.  Increase your spinach intake.

Vitamin B12:  34% essential for energy and healthy mental function.  Eat your peanuts.

Vitamin C:  45% If there is any vitamin you do not want to be deficient in it is Vitamin C.  RDA is       listed at 60mg but research proves that levels of 500-1000mg a day are optimum levels.

Niacin: 33%  Niacin shortages lead to depression and large amounts can cure Alcoholism.

Vitamin B6:  80%  Essential for energy and mental clarity shortages have been linked to schizophrenia.

Now these are only the Vitamins and minerals, these statistics are unsatisfactory for the level of luxury that we live in these times.  If we can create ipods and robot dogs and crap we can learn to give our bodies what it needs to survive properly.

Vitamin D and Cancer

Did you know that government agencies (USDA) don't list naturally occurring Vitamin D levels in fish, fish oils, and egg yolks.  Whats the reason you may ask?  Currently the RDA levels for vitamin D is set at
400 IU sounds good right well 1 tbs of Cod liver oil contains 1,360 IU of Vitamin D.   If the USDA were to list these levels for fish and etc, they would have to raise the RDA standards regarding the daily intake of Vitamin D.  Dr. M.F. Holick stated in 2000 that "The Vitamin D levels in the human body should never fall below 3,200 IU and levels below 2000 IU are considered serious deficiency states and will increase your risk of breast and prostate cancer and autoimmune diseases like MS and rheumatoid arthritis.  Currently 30%, 42% and 45% of white, Hispanic, and black elderly were vitamin D deficient.  The Human intestine is lined with vitamin D receptors known as VDR's.  These VDR's are present in the bones and kidneys as well.  When the VDR's are at full absorption of Vitamin D (about 5000 IU) then the body is capable of absorbing 2000% more calcium and other minerals for your body, essentially curing your body of vitamin deficient disorders which account for nearly 80% of hospital visits.