Declining nutritional value of food.

Nutrient absorption drops with age. This has been linked to lower physical performance and mental capacity, as well as increased risk of disability. After the age of 35:

• The cells that make up the organs are regenerate more and more slowly and their efficiency becomes weaker,

• The skin begins to lose its radiance and elasticity,

• Hair is thinner,

• Nails become brittle,

• Over time, immune resistance decreases and the risk of infections and diseases increases.

The human body needs more than 64 nutrients to live, these are macro, micro and ultra-microelements and they should be provided with food we consume daily.

To ensure the correct intake of vitamins and minerals, creating meals for my family I try to choose organic, unprocessed products and seasonal vegetables and fruits, but unfortunately, I realize that despite the best diet, deficiencies are disturbingly common nowadays. This happens for several reasons. The food is produced on industrial- scale, hence the soil is sterilized of minerals and our food is not getting the same amount of micro-nutrients as decades ago. Also, the use of fertilizers and other chemicals causes soil degeneration and nutrient depletion. The nutritional content of fruits, vegetables, grains, meats and dairy is declining. In some cases, we are talking as much as 70 to 80% decrease!

Another reason for today’s diet being not as nutritious as it used to, is the fact that it often consists mainly of highly processed foods, full of salt, sugar, saturated fats, artificial additives and that are sterilized from necessary minerals due to cooking, pasteurization and other forms of preservation. Despite unlimited access to food, some countries have serious problem with deficiencies and in 2006 the United Nations acknowledged a new kind of malnutrition as “the overweight are just as malnourished as the starving.” – Catherine Bertini, Chairperson, UN.

All of the above factors mean caused that in the past 80-100 years, the nutritional value of food steadily declines.

In order to better understand the issue, imagine that in order to provide the same amount of copper to your body, you would need to eat not one but four avocados! Meats on the other hand contain twice as much fat, more calories, and a third less protein. If we add to that the drop of nutrients absorption with age, the issue becomes serious.

To minimize the impact of these changes in food quality on our health, it is very important to pay attention to what we eat and choose the possibly nutrient dense foods.

A good way to support the body is to cover the shortfalls in the diet by taking good quality dietary supplements. If you don’t know what should be the main criteria for selecting health supplements, I advise you to read my post about bioavailability.