Sharing a Gift From a Patient

September, 2004

I want to share some information from a great book that was given to my by a patient (thank you M.F.). The book is called, Healing With Whole Foods, Asian Traditions and Modern Nutrition. The author is Paul Pitchford and the publisher is North Atlantic Books. The book is full of wonderful information and is a great resource of 700 plus pages. I would like to share some of the philosophical ideas to show you the general building blocks from which the book develops out of and possibly share more specific information as well in the future. The main theme is about whole foods.

So much of our food is over processed and refined, which strips many valuable nutrients that are necessary for the proper health. Ironically, in the United States, a land of plenty - indeed excess - many people are highly deficient in minerals as a result of our food production and processing methods. This deficiency can unfortunately leave us predisposed to many health conditions and particularly those resulting in degenerative diseases. It is difficult for all the biochemical processes of our body to work efficiently if the minimum amount of needed nutrients is not available. Another unfortunate development over the last 50- 100 years has been the abuse of our topsoil from which all our vegetables and fruits come from. For the sake of production many chemicals such as pesticides have been utilized which have affected the health of the topsoil from which all our food is grown. In addition without allowing the land to rest in between a number of years of harvest, replenishing our vital nutrients back into the soil does not occur. In a sense, if our soil is deficient and sick so are the foods that grow from them. Further complicating this situation is genetically modified foods along with hybridization.

Getting back to the finer points of the book, we will discuss wheat (a grain) a little more specifically. One important fact that is brought out in the book is the nutritional value of grain before it is milled into flour. Before that point the process begins with wheat berries. These whole-wheat seeds can be comprised of dozens of minerals and micro minerals if grown in rich soil. They can also contain immuno-protective and phytonutrients as well as vitamins and precious oils. In refining, as is done in the milling of wheat berries to obtain “white” flour used in common pastries, donuts, pastas and breads, the majority of these nutrients are lost. Of interest, while wheat is a common allergen, many people do not demonstrate the same allergic reactions to sprouted wheat, which contains the same amount of minerals, but more vitamins per berry.

To highlight these points the book uses two minerals as an example that are lost in the refining of whole-wheat berries, and the impact of their loss.

Selenium: Whole wheat is one of the best food sources of selenium, especially if grown in selenium rich soil. It has been shown that cancer rates are lower in areas where selenium is abundant in the soil. In fact, a 1996 study reported in The Journal of American Medical Association suggests that selenium can cut certain cancer death rates by 50%. Other important functions related to selenium are the following.

Selenium deficiency can be involved in hypothyroidism or low thyroid function. Please be aware that when we discuss different nutrients, vitamins and minerals that a single nutrient does not work well in isolation. Each nutrient works best in association with other vitamins, minerals and trace minerals and especially as they exist in unrefined whole foods.

• On the same note selenium influences the transformation of thyroxin (a thyroid hormone) into T3, which makes possible the metabolism of nutrients. In this regard we can see that selenium when deficient can result in a “sluggish” metabolism and in some cases possible weight gain.
• Toxic heavy metals such as lead and mercury can be bound up with selenium and thereby become harmless.
• Viruses of many types, including HIV, are often deactivated when adequate selenium exists in the body.
• Premature aging, heart disease, arthritis and multiple sclerosis are frequently related to selenium deficiency.

Magnesium: This mineral is deficient in many people who eat refined foods. Approximately 70% of the United States population suffers magnesium deficiency, which is considered one of the most under diagnosed deficiencies. Again it is important to note that in a part of the world where so much abundance of almost everything is available, it is an interesting contrast that in a number of economically poor countries people consume a great deal of magnesium in legumes (beans, soy products, peas and lentils), vegetables- especially the green variety, and most whole grains and seeds. So in countries that seemingly have much less available technology there is less refined foods available and in a paradoxical way they at times may be getting more nutrient filled foods then many people in industrialized countries. Magnesium plays roles in many of the following areas.

• Calming nerve function
• Important in emotional and mental functions such as irritability, depression, bipolar disorder, sleep disorders and PMS.
• Relaxing muscles, including the heart muscle
• Sooth erratic changes such as migraine, cramps and spasms anywhere in the body
• Create better flows in digestion to decrease constipation
• Overcome the fast-cycling blood sugar imbalances in alcoholism and diabetes
• Important with fatigue syndromes, fibromyalgia, arthritis and osteoporosis.
• Calcium absorption into the bone is greatly impaired without adequate amounts of magnesium.

An interesting point in this regard is that even though Americans ingest abundant calcium generally they still have “weaker” bones than those of people living in developing countries that take in adequate but comparatively small amounts of calcium. The main difference is that the simpler unrefined diets are actually richer in magnesium
We look forward to sharing more wonderful information from this great book in the future but in the meantime for those of you who are interested learning more about your nutrition and how to eat healthier, this is a great book to have on hand.