How Does Food Impact Health? What Does Food Do In Our Bodies?

By Swadha Mishra 

The food we eat gives our bodies the "information" and materials they need to function properly. If we don't get the right information, our metabolic processes suffer and our health declines.

If we get too much food, or food that gives our bodies the wrong instructions, we can become overweight, undernourished, and at risk for the development of diseases and conditions, such as arthritis, diabetes, and heart disease.

In short, what we eat is central to our health. Consider that in light of Webster's definition of medicine: "The science and art dealing with the maintenance of health and the prevention, alleviation, or cure of disease."
Food acts as medicine--to maintain, prevent, and treat disease.

What does food do in our bodies?

The nutrients in food enable the cells in our bodies to perform their necessary functions. This quote from a popular textbook describes how the nutrients in food are essential for our physical functioning.

"Nutrients are the nourishing substances in food that are essential for the growth, development and maintenance of body functions. Essential meaning that if a nutrient is not present, aspects of function and therefore human health decline. When nutrient intake does not regularly meet the nutrient needs dictated by the cell activity, the metabolic processes slow down or even stop."

In other words, nutrients give our bodies instructions about how to function. In this sense, food can be seen as a source of "information" for the body.

Thinking about food in this way gives us a view of nutrition that goes beyond calories or grams, good foods or bad foods. This view leads us to focus on foods we should include rather than foods to exclude.

Instead of viewing food as the enemy, we look to food as a way to create health and reduce disease by helping the body maintain function.

Examples of the Roles Nutrients Play

Here are some examples of nutrients essential for specific body functions. These nutrients provide "information" so the body can complete the necessary processes. (Note: This is a simplification for illustrative purposes. There are no doubt many more substances involved in all of these processes, including trace minerals and co-factors.)

Immune function: vitamin A, vitamin E, zinc, folic acid, vitamin B-6, riboflavin, magnesium, selenium, vitamin C

Nerve impulses: sodium, potassium, magnesium, calcium, vitamin B6, folic acid, B-12, copper, vitamin C

Tissue repair and formation: vitamin A, vitamin E, copper, riboflavin, magnesium, vitamin B6, vitamin C

Metabolism: potassium, thiamin, niacin, vitamin B6, magnesium, riboflavin, folic acid, vitamin C

Note that magnesium is needed for all of the functions listed above. Let's take a closer look at magnesium as "information."

What is magnesium?

Magnesium is a mineral found in whole grain, wheat germ, nuts, and seeds (especially pumpkin seeds), soybeans, tofu, chocolate, dark-green vegetables, legumes, yogurt, and other dairy products. However, the amount of magnesium in any magnesium-rich food is influenced by the soil content in which the food was grown. In many commercial farms, magnesium has been depleted from the soil.

Functions of magnesium:
Needed for healthy bones
Involved in nerve transmission
Initiates muscle release
Activates energy synthesis
Promotes healthy blood vessels
Inhibits platelet aggregation
Lowers blood pressure
Increases HDL cholesterol
Involved in temperature regulation
Helps control blood sugar
Promotes wound healing
Enhances immune function

If a person did not get enough magnesium over a period of time, these functions would decline. The magnesium insufficiency might manifest as the following:

Blood pressure issues, such as hypertension

Spasming of a muscle, such as an arrhythmia in the heart, a muscle cramp in a leg, or a spastic colon

Eating magnesium-rich foods or supplementing with magnesium would provide the information needed to restore function and reduce risk.

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What is Wrong With Food?

By Mike Greenberg 

Who can you trust these days when governmental agencies approves genetically-manipulated foods and chemical additives that are suspected to compromise our health? It is essential to know the source of the food you buy and if it is proven safe.

Organic farming methods include biodiversity, sustainability, natural plant nutrition, natural pest management, and agricultural integrity. Buying organic foods will eliminate most of the guess work, but be aware that terms such as free-range, hormone-free, and natural can appear on labels of foods that aren't truly organic. Multi-ingredient products can contain up to 30 percent non-organic ingredients and still be labeled organic. That means some of the ingredients were produced using conventional pesticides; fertilizers made with synthetic ingredients or sewage sludge; bioengineering; or ionizing radiation. Look for the USDA organic seal on raw, fresh products and processed products that contain organic agricultural ingredients. When you see this seal, you know the product is between 70 and 95 percent organic. Fruits and vegetables that are organic, typically have lower pesticide residues.

Most fruits and vegetables grown in this country are, at some stage, treated with insecticides or fungicides. Tests on produce in markets regularly find residues that exceed Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) limits.

Remember the deadly outbreak of E. coli 0157:H7 in September 2006? Pre-packaged salads often state that they have been rinsed with spring water, but it has been found that they often contain bacteria. To play it safe, thoroughly wash fruits and vegetables under running water.

Did you know most local fish or nearby ocean fish has documented levels of mercury? Farm fish does not contain this carcinogen. Salmon farm fish is often criticized for not being as healthy and strong, but it is not polluted. Deep ocean fish is healthy. You can purchase deep ocean fish that has been packaged on the ship - when it was caught, at many supermarkets.

Unfortunately, to boost milk output, many American dairy cows are regularly dosed with synthetic hormones. The majority of cattle are given hormones to spur them to grow extra muscle, producing leaner, and tender meat. If you want milk without hormones, look for brands that specifically state this on the label. Don't be surprised if your meat is also dosed with synthetic hormones. Meat without hormones will proudly be labeled as such.

Millions of Americans suffer a food-borne illness each year, according to the CDC. Most people don't realize their painful "stomach flu" is from something they ate, usually microbes on foods such as undercooked ground beef, mishandled dairy products, or produce tainted by animal waste. It is important to note that after a food-borne illness, patients may begin noticing food sensitivities. Often the immune system handles an acute infection, but the body doesn't necessarily rid itself completely of the infection. This is the start of hypersensitivity to certain foods. To help prevent the spread of microbes in food, irradiation is used. This procedure may cause cellular changes that decrease the nutritional value of food.

Even though fast food is high in fat, calories, chemical ingredients and is generally considered unhealthy, approximately one in four Americans eat it daily. The typical American eats several hamburgers and french fries a week. Fast food is so entrenched in our culture, that it now seems as American, and harmless, as apple pie. People get "hooked" not only because of convenience, but because of added chemicals that affect the taste.

Just about everyone likes soda. A 14-year study of 60,000 people in Singapore found that those who consume two or more sweetened soft drinks per week have an 87 percent higher risk of pancreatic cancer. Published in the journal Cancer Epidemiology. Consuming large amounts of high-fructose corn syrup is a one-way ticket to diabetes.

Food additives are almost in everything and the list is enormous: artificial sweeteners, nitrates, sulfites, hydrolyzed protein or MSG, many preservatives, and food coloring dyes.

For decades, the food industry has continually created new chemicals to preserve and enhance our food until just about every packaged food product now has food additives. Please be suspicious of a fruit that looks too colorful or meat that is too pink. Chemicals are used to mimic natural flavors, make them look more "natural" or "fresh," and increase shelf life. Some "foods" such as dairy creamers, sugar substitutes, and candies are made entirely from chemicals. Consumer beware!

While food additives may be harmless to some people, they may cause cancer for others. Fifteen to twenty years of consuming food additives can add up and create an unhealthy body. For most people, food additives cause an alteration of their energy level, and in time can cause mysterious symptoms and illness. Doctors still do not know what causes fibromyalgia, but it's safe to assume that our diet has something to do with it.

It has been confirmed by the EPA that our water supply is contaminated with 140 different substances. Pharmaceutical drugs have been found in every major city water supply in the country. Tap water contains chloride and fluoride to prevent bacterial infections. These chemical additives prevent one problem, but may cause cancer.

Let's not forget about genetically manipulated food. It is rare to find a tomato, corn or soy product that doesn't have an insect repellent gene in it. What does this mean for our children? There is an epidemic of allergies, diabetes and autism presently affecting children. The link and timing of genetically manipulated foods to the current epidemic affecting children is clear.

It is essential to know the source of the food your buy. Also if any food is unsafe.

For 20 years, Dr. Mike treated many celebrities, CEOs and medical doctors in Los Angeles. And he has toured the country treating colleagues. Dr. Mike and his family moved to Atlanta where he joined forces with a group of doctors at Millennium Healthcare and Plastikos Surgery Center. Millennium offers each patient the best of both conventional and holistic medicine. If you are in the Atlanta, Georgia area, he would be happy to see you. Contact Dr. Mike at http://www.millennium-healthcare.com or call (770) 390 - 0012.

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