Nutrition Wire!

Article by Dr. James P. Blumenthal

I am new to this blog but not at all new to the topics. I may not ingratiate myself, but there seems to be a lot of jockeying for position with less attention to detail and science in some of the posts.

This may help or not:

1. Vitamin D2 is essential to mineral (including calcium) uptake and storage. Vitamin D3 is essential to the immune system and several other systems. I normally take about 15,000 iu’s per day of D3 and would double that if threatened with a bug.

2. Centrum contains very low doses of not-very-bioavailable forms of vitamins and minerals. As part of a major pharmaceutical company (Wyeth) they enjoy an open marketing budget without the need to follow through with a quality product. H.L. Mencken may have been right when he stated that one cannot go wrong underestimating the wisdom of the American buying public.

3. We are designed as OMNIVORES. Our eyes are on the front (not sides) of our head for chasing down prey; We have a combination of vestigial fangs, ripping/tearing, and grinding teeth; Our digestive system bears no resemblance to the multi-chambered systems of ruminants (sheep, goats, cattle) nor is it as short and hot as that of most cats… it most closely resembles a bear’s, pig’s, or dog’s digestive system. Most Americans ‘enjoy’ a diet which contains too much salt, saturated fat, and nitrated or carbonized proteins, however this is not an indictment of whole (unprocessed) meats in the diet. We need a balance of some animal protein for DHA, arachidonic acid, Vits B12 and K, and the majority of essential amino acids, together with fruit, vegetables, nuts, seeds, and berries. It is interesting that the average American now consumes about 20% of their diet as animal protein while our Neanderthal ancestors consumed closer to 80%. The problem appears to be less the quantity than the quality which most of us are eating. Choosing to not eat meat and other animal products for ethical, religious, or philosophical reasons is a personal choice and deserves respect. So do the animals who we raise for food and the people (including PETA) who campaign for their dignity. That said, we are obligate omnivores physiologically and, if you choose to not eat meat and other animal products, then it is very important to supplement your diet with the nutrients which you are forgoing. Please do NOT try to raise pets and small children as vegans because one can kill a cat that way and the harm done to developing nervous systems is very difficult to overcome.

4. Milk and cheese are sources of fats and sugars. They are not useful sources of  protein, calcium,  or Vit D, although they have been “enriched” with synthetic forms of Vit D and calcium. They are also among the top three sources of delayed (IgG) food allergies.

5. All the healing diets from Prudden to Pritikin aside, the only way to lose weight is to burn fat which means burning more calories than you take in and converting from glucose to fat as the primary fuel source. There are only three strategies for doing so which I have seen work. One is to consume fewer calories overall (especially from starches) by eating foods which are denser in micro nutrients. Second is to get off the couch and burn more calories by persistent aerobic activity several times per week with adeqaute rest intervals between workouts. Third is improving the conversion of fat to energy in the urea cycle. This is where things like acetylcarnitine, thermogenics, and the Atkins diet have made their names.

I invite you to view our practice web site and my credentials at http://www.AKCSM.com