Our food supply has changed; we are eating fruit with no vitamins and vegetables with no minerals. Producers create “hybrid” forms of our fruits and vegetables – not for their ability to store nutrients – but for their colour, weight and shelf life, so they’ll look nice under the fluorescent lights of the supermarket. These foods contain little more than indigestible cellulose, sugar and water
The declining nutritional value of produce was first noticed in 1936. A group of doctors introduced Document No. 264 to the floor of the United States Senate. It was a dire warning that the mineral content of the soil was eroding. Vegetables were losing their power and people were at risk.
Take a look at the loss of vitamins and minerals since 1975: Vitamin A in apples is down 41%, vitamin C in capsicum is down 31%, iron is down 88% in watercress, in broccoli calcium and vitamin A are down 50%. In cauliflower vitamin C is down 45% while vitamin B1 is down 48% and Vitamin B2 is down 47%. In dark greens such as spinach and silver beet, vitamin A is down 45%, Potassium is down 60% and Magnesium is down 85%
Notice minerals like iron and magnesium have dropped by more than 80 percent. That’s from commercial farming technology and powerful fertilizers that practically sterilise the soil – leaving it with little to no mineral content. If the soil doesn’t have minerals, there’s no way for vegetables to absorb them.
A report from the University of Texas in Austin, also tracked the decline of nutrients in produce. They reported findings at a recent meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in St. Louis. They found significant drops in a wide range of produce across the board, including a 20 percent decline in vitamin C and a 38 percent plunge in vitamin B2.
What’s worse, the “hybrid” forms of produce, grown for their looks and to ship well, contain even less vitamin and mineral content than “normal” strains. Hybrid broccoli, for example, are 50 percent lower in calcium and magnesium than “normal” broccoli, and the “normal” broccoli has less than half the calcium and magnesium than broccoli did in 1975!
A few years ago, Newsweek magazine ran a cover story on green foods called “Better than Vitamins.” (April 25, 1994) They said,“Whole foods... pack a healthy wallop. That’s because they harbour a whole ratatouille of compounds that have never seen the inside of a vitamin bottle... The compounds are called phytochemicals... In the world where science merges with health, phytochemicals are the next big thing.”
In 2005, the non-profit Environmental Working Group published the results of a sobering study. After analysing the blood of newborn babies from around the country (USA), they discovered 287 chemicals and other toxins. One of the pesticides that turned up the most was a by-product of DDT – a pesticide banned in 1972.
They also found:
76 chemicals that cause cancer in humans and animals.
94 that are toxic to the brain and nervous system.
79 that cause birth defects or abnormal development.
Dr. Michael McCally of Mt. Sinai School of Medicine in New York, made this comment: “Current ‘normal’ body burdens of dioxin and several other [chemicals] in humans are at or near the range at which toxic effects occur in laboratory animals.” The message is clear: Studies on animals show that the average person is carrying enough toxins to cause serious DNA damage.
We at PANAXEA created Superfood)Green, a comprehensive formulation of “super foods” that gives the nutrient power of over 5 servings of assorted vegetables in one scoop. Superfood)Green is an abundant source of phytochemicals, antioxidants, co-nutrients, enzymes, vitamins, minerals, amino-acids and acidophilus cultures for those who prefer their nutrition from whole foods.Part of PANAXEA’S Superfood)Green’s magic is being able to eliminate chemicals, toxins – even heavy metals from our body. Chlorophyll connects to harmful toxins in the gut and prevents them from being absorbed. Barley grass contains unique amino acids that create a type of cage (chelate) around deadly toxins and carry them out of your body.
The word chelate comes from the Greek word meaning “claw.” During the process of chelation, the amino acids in barley grass grab – like a claw – onto toxins like the chemicals and heavy metals flowing through your blood stream. These “claws” bind to the toxins and literally drag them out of your system for elimination.
Superfood)Green works on a cellular level, energising and revitalising our entire body – delivering raw energy and immune-boosting power. The super foods you’ll find in Superfood)Green invigorate every cell, every tissue and every organ in your body. Superfood)Green enhances mineral absorption and promotes the growth of “friendly bacteria.”
References
Cleveland LE, et al. 2000. Dietary intake of whole grains. J Am Coll Nutr 19 (3 Suppl):331S-38S.
Composition of Foods (Raw, Processed, Prepared): Agriculture Handbook No. 8. USDA Agricultural Research Service. 1963.
Cuskelly GJ, et al. 1996. Effect of increasing dietary folate on red-cell folate: implications for prevention of neural tube defects. Lancet 347:657-9.
Giovannucci E, et al. 1998. Multivitamin use, folate and colon cancer in women in the nurses’ health study. Ann Intern Med 129:517-24.
Manore MM, et al. 1989. Plasma pyridoxal 5’-phosphate concentration and dietary vitamin B-6 intake in free-living, low-income elderly people. Am J Clin Nutr 50:339-45.
Mansoor MA, et al. 1999. Plasma total homocysteine response to oral doses of folic acid and pyridoxine hydrochloride (vitamin B6) in healthy individuals. Oral doses of vitamin B6 reduce concentrations of serum folate. Scand J Clin Lab Invest 59:139-46.
NPD Group, Inc. has a website at www.npd.com. Highlights from the 15th Annual Report on Eating Patterns in America are available online.
Organic Gardening’s letter to Dan Glickman, and the response of Phyllis E. Johnson of the USDA - see www.organicgardening.com.
Rimm EB, et al. 1998. Folate and Vitamin B6 from diet and supplements in relation to risk of coronary heart disease among women. JAMA 279:359-64.
Rose CS, et al. 1976. Age differences in vitamin B6 status of 617 men. Am J Clin Nutr 29:847-53.
Subar AF, et al. 1998. Dietary sources of nutrients among US adults, 1989 to 1991. J Am Diet Assoc 98:537-47.
Subar AF, et al. 1989. Folate intake and food sources in the US population. Am J Clin Nutr 50:508-16.
