Food as Medicine: Does it Bother You?

Are you at all concerned that food is becoming medicine? Every day I hear an advertisement for one food item or another and how it's been enhanced to be better for my health. Yogurt now has to have "active cultures" to be worth eating. Eggs are being created with more omega-3 fatty acids. Bread is now "Wonder" soft yet made from "white whole wheat" flour so that it's nutritious again. It seems to me that food is getting so complicated with health claims that individuals are going to become increasingly confused about what they should eat. It also occurs to me that there has got to be something wrong with food that is manipulated in such a way as to "improve" upon it.

What happened to food being food?

I recently read a study* in which a pair of epidemiologists documented a large body of evidence that a diet rich in whole grains reduced the death rate for all causes. But the really interesting thing was that when they looked at individuals who got the same levels of dietary fiber, vitamin E, folic acid, phytic acid, iron, zinc, magnesium, and manganese in the diet as the whole grain eaters, they found that they did not obtain the same level of health benefits.

It would appear from this study that there is an additional health benefit to eating whole grains that cannot be obtained by eating these nutrients alone or together from other food sources. The authors suggest that it appears that "the various grains and their parts act synergistically" in a manner that means that an individual food item is more than a 'sum of its parts.'

I think that nutrition science in this country is being hijacked by commercial entities to sell products. By enhancing foods with 'good for you' nutrients they have a selling point for their products. By marketing it to us in a manner that suggests that this food item is "necessary" in our diet for optimal health, they have yet another selling point. By putting "whole grains" into children's sugar-laden breakfast cereals they convince us that we are somehow feeding them a product that is good for them!

Does anything bother you about this?

Laurie

Related Topics:

• The Whole Truth About Whole Grains
• Health & Diet: Eating Healthy

* David R. Jacobs and Lyn M. Steffen, "Nutrients, Foods, and Dietary Patterns as Exposures in Research: A Framework for Food Synergy," American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 2003: 78 (suppl): 508S-13S

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The Best Exercise

Look here: Doing The Perfect Push-up.

I've always said that the simple push-up, requiring no equipment and only a stretch of floor in your home (or hotel room!) is the perfect exercise, and now even WebMD and fitness experts agree! Although it offers no aerobic benefits, the push-up can be done in a way that works your whole body, and as a resistance exercise, it can help prevent osteoporosis. This is important for both women and men, both of whom may suffer from bone thinning. So in addition to your aerobic routine, add some push-ups to work multiple muscle groups, improve your core strength, and protect your bones. That's a lot of bang for no bucks!

Be well, Laurie

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• The Incredible Benefits of Exercise
• Exercise and Fitness Tips to Improve Your Health

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